City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley Presents Service Leadership Award to Applied Materials

The room was filled with idealism and yellow jackets as City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley presented its Service Leadership Award to Applied Materials chairman and CEO, Mike Splinter at their recent annual event in San Jose, Calif.

City Year Corps Members – young people between the ages of 17 and 24 who dedicate a year of service to students in underserved neighborhoods – believe they can change the world. They proudly wear their bright jackets to stand out as role models for the kids.

Recognizing Mike for leading by example with high standards, a sense of integrity, and generosity in sharing his time and talent, City Year presented Mike with his own highly-coveted “service” attire. In accepting the award, Mike emphasized the importance of taking small ideas – whether they focus on innovative technology or helping a child to read – and applying vision, commitment, and hard work to see the potential and results of the efforts.

The inspirational night included hard data on the need for and results of City Year activities in schools in Alum Rock Union School District – where the Applied Materials City Year team works to keep kids on track and in school at Mathson Middle School. Through intense focus on tutoring to improve math and language skills, students are improving from one-half to one and one-half grade levels in reading and math in only the first semester of study. In a comment that summed up the dreams of Corps Members and many of us in the room, Mike urged team members to remember their year of service as they move into the future and to always be a peacemaker.