Brandon Tsay and Meymuna Hussein-Cattan Named as 2023 PBS SoCal / KCET Local Heroes Honorees Recognizing Regional Individuals Dedicated to Making a Difference
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Los Angeles, CA. – Nov. 15 2023 – PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern California’s flagship PBS stations as well as a crucial educational resource for the community, announced today the individuals named as honorees of the Local Heroes and PBS KIDS Early Learning Champion initiatives. The 2023 Local Heroes were selected from nine nominees and recommended by the organization’s Community Advisory Board for making a difference in the community. The two honorees were revealed to be Meymuna Hussein-Cattan for her visionary work dedicated to empowering refugees and immigrants, as well as 26-year-old Brandon Tsay, who demonstrated remarkable courage this past January when he disarmed a Monterey Park mass shooter during Lunar New Year celebrations. Additional accolades from PBS SoCal’s Early Learning team were announced for East Los Angeles College’s Nancy Duran who was recognized as one of 14 early education professionals across the U.S. named as 2023 Honorees of the PBS KIDS Early Learning Champions program. All three individuals will be celebrated at an annual private Holiday Community Celebration event in downtown Los Angeles on Mon., Dec. 4.
A new award called the John and Louise Bryson Transformative Leader in Early Childhood Award will be given out at this year’s event that recognizes unwavering support for early learning. The award embodies community members John and Louise Bryson’s commitment and dedication to children and families in Southern California and henceforth will be awarded each fall to a member of the Early Childhood Community. This year’s honoree, the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative (SAELI), was selected for providing parents and caregivers with the necessary resources and training to support early education, while also supporting schools and community partners, creating a lasting impact for young children and families in our community.
2023 Local Heroes
Celebrating 25 years in 2023 and recognizing hundreds of worthy individuals, the Local Heroes program recognizes the accomplishments of those who are dedicated to making a difference in the community: activists, community leaders and visionaries doing critical work that often goes unrecognized in the Southern California region. PBS SoCal and KCET’s Local Heroes Honorees and Nominees were put forth and selected by the organizations’ Community Advisory Board (CAB), an active group of volunteer leaders from around the region that plays an integral part in the planning and implementation of many outreach programs including the Local Heroes initiative. Meymuna Hussein-Cattan and Brandon Tsay were selected from the field of nine outstanding and well-qualified nominees as the 2023 KCET Local Heroes honorees. The complete lineup of this year’s local Local Heroes nominees and honorees be found at pbssocal.org/localheroes while a short promotional video featuring the 2023 Local Hero Honorees will begin running on-air on both stations in the new year.
Computer programmer Brandon Tsay has become a national hero for his actions in January of 2023, when he prevented a gunman who had killed 11 people and injured 10 others at a Monterey Park dance hall, from carrying out a second attack in nearby Alhambra. He has since been profiled with NBC News, Good Morning America, and The New York Times, among others. Tsay has been honored by US Representative Judy Chu, California Governor Gavin Newsom, the US President Joe Biden and by the 118th US Congress, among others. He was also awarded a medal of courage from the Alhambra Police Department and now runs the Brandon Tsay Hero Fund in partnership with the Asian Pacific Community Fund.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan was born in a refugee camp and her personal journey inspired her unwavering commitment to humanitarian causes. As the CEO and Founder of The Tiyya Foundation since 2010, she has pioneered innovative strategies, expanding the foundation's reach to thousands of families. Her exceptional dedication earned her recognition as one of the "Top 10 CNN Heroes" in 2022 and the "Outstanding Founder" by National Philanthropy Day Orange County in 2021. In 2018, Meymuna ventured into culinary entrepreneurship, founding Flavors from Afar restaurant, a social enterprise of the foundation. Her unique concept, combining diverse cuisines with social responsibility, earned two Michelin Bib Gourmands and consecutive "Top 101 Restaurant" awards in Los Angeles. Meymuna's journey, from a refugee camp to award-winning leader and entrepreneur, reflects her commitment to positive change and empowerment.
The additional individuals selected as the 2023 PBS SoCal/KCET Local Heroes nominees are as follows:
- Founder of Our Voice: Communities for Quality Education Evelyn Aleman
- Community Relations Manager for the Asian Youth Center Florence Lin
- Founder of Latina Golfers Association Azucena Maldonado
- Outdoor Leader of Latino Outdoors Remigio “Remi” Mateo
- Founder/President of Advisory Board of Directors of CLEAN Carwash Center Victor Narro
- Co-Artistic Director of TeAda Productions Ova Saopeng
- Co-founders of Matilija Lending Library Amy J. Wong and Andrew Fung Yip
The profiles and photographs of this year’s nominees, as well as past years’ KCET/PBS SoCal Local Heroes, can be found at pbssocal.org/localheroes.
2023 PBS KIDS Early Learning Champion Program Honoree
Nancy Duran from East Los Angeles College was recognized as one of the 14 early education professionals across the country named to the 2023 honorees of the PBS KIDS Early Learning Champions program. The awards, established in 2018, recognize and celebrate passionate educators who work with the nation’s youngest students, from infants to second graders. The program represents the diverse community impacting young learners today. Supported by the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative, this year’s cohort will work on national co-design projects, such as professional development resources for educators and everyday learning resources for families while also supporting Learning Neighborhood work across the country. Through the Early Learning Champions program, PBS KIDS and local PBS stations, including PBS SoCal, surround educators with professional learning and networking opportunities. These Early Learning Champions will also connect with education networks across the nation and further their commitments to their community’s families, education officials and administrators through the utilization of PBS KIDS and local PBS stations tools and resources.
Nancy Duran was selected for her creative teaching and classroom practices, mentoring and coaching peers and her effective family engagement efforts. Duran has been an instrumental community partner in building PBS SoCal’s Ready To Learn Learning Neighborhood. Her passion, commitment and dedication to early childhood education resonates with a community of children, college students, peer teachers, community partners and families. Duran is a former teacher at the Child Development Center and an instructor at the East Los Angeles College where she teaches courses in the Child, Family, & Education Studies Department. She inspires future early childhood educators by seeking opportunities to apply the theory behind the coursework.
2023 John and Louise Bryson Transformative Leader in Early Childhood Award Recipient
A new addition to this year’s annual Holiday Community Celebration, the John and Louise Bryson Transformative Leader in Early Childhood Award will be presented to the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative (SAELI), for efforts in the community to create lasting impact for young children and families. The award will carry on the Brysons’ dedication to improving access to high quality early childhood experiences for all. SAELI's work has been vital in bridging the gap for young learners in Santa Ana.
Launched in 2015 through an initial system-building grant from First 5 Orange County, SAELI established as its core task to drive system-wide, sustainable changes for early childhood and significantly improve outcomes for young children. SAELI has evolved from three founding nonprofit agencies into a network of over 30 partners and organizations working together to improve early learning outcomes in math, literacy and social-emotional well-being for all children up to 9 years old in Santa Ana, CA. During the past year, PBS SoCal worked with over 200 SAELI families through multiple modes of engagement, including Family Math Nights, a 5-week Parent Academy and introductory workshops, as well as through distributing books and educational materials. In addition, PBS SoCal provided leadership opportunities for parents to engage in the co-design of a Family Math workshop guide and digital math games.
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About PBS SoCal and KCET
PBS SoCal and KCET are both part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California. PBS SoCal is the flagship PBS station for diverse people across California and delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and educate. PBS SoCal offers the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and a broad library of documentary films with works from Ken Burns; as well as educational content including PBS KIDS programs like DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD and CURIOUS GEORGE. KCET showcases the best of PBS and is a leading source for arts, culture, and news in Southern California. Through innovative storytelling, KCET explores and expresses our dynamic local communities helping residents understand and connect with the region's diverse communities and ideas. For additional information about both KCET and PBS SoCal productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit pbssocal.org KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO SmartCast TV. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS believes the world is full of possibilities, and so is every child. As the number one educational media brand for kids, PBS KIDS helps children ages 2-8 learn lessons that last a lifetime. Through media and community-based programs, PBS KIDS wants children to see themselves uniquely reflected and celebrated in lovable, diverse characters who serve as positive role models, and to explore their feelings and discover new adventures along the way. Families can stream PBS KIDS for free anytime, no subscription required. A large collection of mobile apps and pbskids.org provide accessible content that spark kids’ curiosity. PBS KIDS and local stations across the country support the entire ecosystem in which children learn and grow – including their teachers and caregivers, parents, and community – providing resources accessible anytime and anywhere. For more information, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The contents of this release for PBS KIDS were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. The project is funded by a Ready To Learn grant (PR/Award No. S295A200004, CFDA No. 84.295A) provided by the Department of Education to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
