I have finally decided to run the LA Marathon- run entirely across the giant city that I have lived in for eight years. On the day after my 26th birthday, I will run 26 miles across Los Angeles in the 26th annual LA Marathon. 26-26-26. It was a sign- I had to do it.



In order to pay tribute to the city, I am dedicating this massive physical challenge to the youth of Los Angeles, whom I have worked to help graduate for the past four years in my job at Green Dot Public Schools.



Please consider supporting me as I take on this epic challenge to help fund college scholarships for the students of the after school programs that I have built from scratch during my time here.



For the last four years, I have worked for Green Dot Public Schools, a charter high school system in LA that aims to reform public education in Los Angeles. The nation's second largest school district, LAUSD serves more than 700,000 students, and unfortunately, more than 50% never graduate from high school.



At Green Dot, we have built successful public schools, graduating 85% of original 9th graders, and have sent 80% of those graduates on to four year colleges.



In 2009, I wrote a grant that was awarded close to $10 million by the California Department of Education to provide after school programs to students at seven of our schools. Since then, I have worked to bring these schools programs that our kids never had access to before: SAT Prep, athletics programs, art, drama, singing, dance, outdoor adventures, camping trips, field trips, debate, and all the things that we think of as our favorite memories of high school that allow us to discover our passions- which our kids had never had before.



As a final gift to the students who inspire me every day, I am dedicating this run across the city of LA as a tribute to the struggles they endure daily- in hopes to raise money to help some of them pay for college (90% of our students qualify as low income).



Even the smallest amount of money may make the difference that will help them afford college.



I hope that you'll support me as I challenge myself to run across this massive city (which can take 2 hours just to drive across in bad traffic!).