RICHMOND, CA — The Chamberlin Education Foundation honored the winners of the 2025 Julie Wright Changemaker Award at a celebration event on March 13. Ann Guiam, Rob Kirker and Armond Corshawn Lee were recognized for their extraordinary commitment to strengthening education and uplifting youth in West Contra Costa.
During the ceremony, the awardees delivered a powerful message of hope and possibility for West Contra Costa students.
In his acceptance speech, Rob shared his belief that achieving a truly equitable future where all students can learn and thrive starts with building on existing success. Rob reflected, “When we can find examples of schools or classrooms that have a record of outsized growth – and they do exist in WCC – this should be where we start looking for practices that can be replicated.”
Ann, Rob, and Armond are the latest leaders to receive the annual award, which was launched in 2022 to celebrate the life and legacy of Julie Wright. She served as the founding Executive Director of the Chamberlin Family Foundation from 2012 to 2018, and passed away in 2020. Wright modeled courage, integrity, and tenacity — traits that Rob, Ann, and Armond also embody.
“This award carries Julie Wright’s legacy, and I hope to continue honoring her through action, love, and community,” said Ann. “This work is not easy but when we do it together, we show up for one another with resilience and solidarity.”
The ceremony, which was attended by dozens of West Contra Costa education leaders and community members, celebrated the JWCA honorees and centered the importance of collective impact.
“The same charge that I feel to support my community… I want to put that same charge on every single person standing in this room today,” Armond said.
Each JWCA honoree receives $5,000, as well as $10,000 to grant to local, youth-serving nonprofit organizations. In addition, prior JWCA awardees are invited to participate in the nomination and selection of future honorees.
The annual award previously recognized Katherine Acosta-Verprauskus, Robin Wilson, Stephanie Medley, Juanita Towns, Tana Monteiro, and Scottie Smith.
Photos of the event can be found in our 2025 award celebration gallery.
