YLF Luncheon

Thursday July 26, 2012 - 12:30 to 2:30 pm
Sacramento Convention Center
1400 J Street, Sacramento

Deadline to register - 3:00 pm JULY 10, 2012

Visit www.CalYLF.org to register now!

You are cordially invited to attend the 21st Annual California Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF) Luncheon on Thursday, July 26th, 2012, in Sacramento, CA. The YLF provides an opportunity for outstanding high school juniors and seniors to attend a five-day intensive program focused on employment preparation and leadership development.

The YLF Luncheon will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center, located at 1400 J Street, Sacramento. Please arrive by 11:45 am. The purpose of this luncheon is to provide an opportunity for student delegates to meet and talk with adults with disabilities who work in a variety of career areas, and meet individuals who have supported YLF. The luncheon also provides valuable information and resources for their future.

The YLF Luncheon Keynote Speaker will be Dana LaMon. Dana LaMon, who became blind when he was four years old, is a retired administrative law judge. He graduated from John Marshall high school in Los Angeles in 1970, Yale University with a bachelor's degree in math in 1974, and from the University of Southern California Law School in 1977. Dana is the 1992 World Champion of Public Speaking with Toastmasters International. He has been speaking professionally since 1991 and recently completed speaking trips to Malaysia and China. Dana is the author of four books to help the reader to live a meaningful life.

The YLF Alumni Speaker will be Jenny Robert. Jenny Robert is an alumni of the 2000 YLF and works for Orange County as a Career Consultant and Job Developer. She is the number one job developer, and in 2011 she received the Excellence Award for her work. Jenny was diagnosed with a learning disability, Dyscalculia, in elementary school and attended mainstream and special education classes through high school. Through her own self-advocacy, she was admitted to Cal Poly and earned a Bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science. Jenny feels that through YLF she gained the confidence, leadership abilities and resources to become the successful person she is today.

The YLF Luncheon Alumni Emcee will be Ammy Joseph. Ammy is a 2001 YLF alumni and has been YLF staff every summer since 2003. She is actively involved in her San Francisco community as an advocate for improving the quality of life for youth through educational and vocational opportunities. Ammy served over three years as the Student Assistant for the Youth Employment Opportunity Program in the San Francisco One Stop Career Center and receives requests to speak at important community events because of her amazing ability to articulate the issues facing young adults in the disability community.

The YLF Luncheon Sign Song Performer will be Cathy Bain. Cathy is a sign language interpreter, sign song performer, author and motivational speaker. She currently works as a sign language interpreter at UC Davis where she specializes in interpreting for Deaf medical students and Deaf doctors. Cathy has been actively involved in YLF for over 20 years, and is best known to us as the Talent Show coordinator. Her sign/song performances are her way of expressing her passion for the Deaf and Disability community for over 35 years.

In an effort to make YLF a self-sustaining program, we are asking for your financial support to cover the cost of your lunch. General ticket is $30.00, Youth (Age 17-23) $15.00 and Limited Income is $15.00. If you are unable to afford a ticket, please contact Christine Foisy at 916.653.5992 or [email protected].

Because seating for the luncheon is limited, we must accept reservations on a first come basis according to the order received (and we may not be able to accommodate late responses). Thank you in advance for your participation in this important event.