Helping Napa Students Get To & Through College Since 2018
Thursday, October 23, 2025
An Evening Celebrating the Power of Community
With over $165,000 raised (including a generous $25,000 matching challenge from the Michael and Isabel Mondavi Foundation), our Napa Changemakers Celebration was truly an evening to remember—overflowing with gratitude, generosity, and inspiring stories of perseverance from our students and alumni.
It’s not too late to support Napa students!
10,000 Degrees helps students from low-income backgrounds get to and through college and into meaningful careers. Since 2018, nearly $700K in scholarships has been awarded to Napa students!
Meet The Co-Emcees
Cinthya Cisneros
10,000 Degrees Alumna and Napa Advisory Board Member, Cinthya Cisneros, was born in Mexico and raised in Napa from the age of four. With 10,000 Degrees’ financial aid and support, she graduated from Sonoma State University in 2012. She opened La Cheve Bakery and Brews in 2020 and will be opening Con Amor Botanas y Tequila, a casual nightspot in downtown Napa, later this summer. Cinthya proudly provides “American Dream” Scholarships to 10,000 Degrees students.
Teresa Foster
Napa Advisory Board Member, Teresa Foster, is a community activist and the producer and host of the award-winning TV show, “Charlando con Teresa Foster” which airs in Napa, American Canyon, Marin County, and Vallejo.
Meet Our Alumni Speaker
Leidy Tovar
10,000 Degrees Alum & Former Staff
A lifetime resident of Napa County, Leidy is deeply committed to serving her community, with a strong focus on education and supporting foster youth. Her professional journey has been shaped by student-centered approaches that prioritize the voices and needs of young people, principles she carries into every role she takes on. Leidy’s time at 10,000 Degrees fueled her passion for equity in education, college access, and youth empowerment, and her experiences working at the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation and the Napa County Office of Education continue to inspire her work today. She currently works as a Senior Support Worker for the County of Marin.
Meet Our Student Speaker
Luis Angel Gomez-Avila
10,000 Degrees Student
Angel is a proud Napa Valley local and recent graduate with an Associate of Science in Business Administration. As a participant in the 10,000 Degrees program, he has rebuilt his confidence as a returning college student after taking time off to support his mother’s mental health and care for his family. During that time, he also gained hands-on experience working in Napa’s hospitality industry. Now continuing his education at Saint Mary’s College, he is passionate about connecting business with land stewardship. Whether through the wine or dairy industry, he hopes to promote regenerative practices that honor and sustain the valley he calls home.
With Gratitude to Our Napa Advisory Board
Deborah Freed Goldman, Chair
Wynn Burkett
Christopher Cappeto
Cinthya Cisneros
Maria Cisneros
Jennifer Dacus
Steve Dacus
Natalie deLeuze
Jeff Dodd
Teresa Foster
David Freed
Carol Guthrie
Daniel Ha
Micki Hambro
Beth Painter
Bertha Rodriguez
Chris Roth
Ira Schwartz
Matt Eisenberg