This meeting provided an overview of the
Payne Pathway Fund, a named fund within the
Youth 2 Leaders Educational Foundation (a 2-star rated 501(c)3 by Charity Navigator). The fund is fully financed by co-founders
Jacqueline Aguilar and
Skylar Payne, both of whom are actively involved in selecting scholarship recipients.
Key Leadership
- Jacqueline Aguilar: Co-Founder, Payne Pathway Fund | Director of Community Development, Youth 2 Leaders Educational Foundation
- Skylar Payne: Co-Founder, Payne Pathway Fund | AI Consultant
Mission & Purpose
Mission Statement:
"To create the path for first-generation students in the Central Valley from underserved communities to the higher education required for a career in Artificial Intelligence."
Guiding Philosophy:
"The Central Valley feeds the nation but has lacked pathways to the tech economy. We believe talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. The Payne Pathway Fund exists to change that."
Organizational Background
Payne Pathway Fund
- Seeks to expand student support and increase local talent retention through annual scholarship offerings and community-building.
Youth 2 Leaders Educational Foundation
- Established 30+ years ago with a mission to ensure next-generation Kern County students have access to higher education.
- Has awarded over $2 million in scholarships to date.
Key Initiatives & Recent Impact
Inaugural Event for Payne Pathway Fund: "Hack the Valley"
- Format: A one-day hackathon where high school and college-age students learned practical AI applications by developing social-impact projects.
- Turnout: 42 participants with experience levels ranging from complete beginners in software development to advanced programmers.
Strategic Goals & Long-Term Vision
- Establish a Year-Round "Builder Community": Create an ongoing ecosystem connecting students, mentors, organizers, and sponsors to maintain engagement and momentum between annual hackathons.
- Local Tech Ecosystem: Cultivate and retain local technology talent in the Central Valley.
- Sustainability & Legacy: Scale the program with the ultimate goal of transitioning leadership to the next generation.
BBRC Community Service UpdateJuly Project Success: Bakersfield Pet Food Pantry
We had a very successful July Community Service project! Thanks to your generosity, we donated 450 pounds of dog food and one bag of cat food to the Bakersfield Pet Food Pantry.
About the Bakersfield Pet Food Pantry
Serving Kern County pet owners since 2009, the pantry provides emergency food to qualified applicants facing unexpected economic hardship, helping them keep their long-term family pets at home.
- Key Policy: To receive assistance, households cannot add new pets while enrolled in the program.
- Location: 4300 Stine Rd, Suite 405
- Hours: 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month | 10:00 AM – 12:00 M
- Website: BakersfieldPetFoodPantry.org
August Project Success: Little Free Library Trail for Chipman Middle School
Our August project was another huge winner!
Karen Bonanno shared the project QR code, and BBRC members stepped up immediately. In
less than 12 hours, BBRC members fully funded Chipman Middle School's first Little Library structure and initial set of books.
Because of this overwhelming support, Karen encouraged the lead teacher, Mr. Hutson, to expand the initiative into the "Chipman Junior High Neighborhood Little Free Library Trail."
A Note of Gratitude from Mr. Hutson:
"Thanks so much for your support as we try to promote literacy on and around our campus. This is just the beginning, as we have so much more to do. We hope to have our first Little Library installed this fall and aspire to install several more to create a Little Library trail in our Chipman neighborhood for our students and families."
- Get Involved: Karen B. is currently accepting cash donations to purchase additional books for Mr. Hutson’s students.
- Learn More: Check out the project details on the Little Free Library Trail Page.
BBRC Social Gathering
Join the BBRC family for food, fun, and fellowship!
- Date: Thursday, August 27, 2026
- Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
- Location: Firehouse ("The Fun Place to Eat") – Southwest Station
7701 White Lane, Bakersfield, CA
Celebrations & Milestones
🎂
Happy Birthday, Karen Bonanno!Wishing Karen a wonderful birthday on Monday, August 17th! We look forward to celebrating your latest "non-milestone" birthday with you.
🥂 Happy 47th Anniversary to Neil & Pam Walker!
Congratulations to Neil and Pam, who celebrated 47 years of marriage on August 11, 2026.
👏 3-Year BBRC Anniversary: Art Esparza
Art celebrated three years with BBRC on August 9th! When asked how many years it's been, Art promptly replied, "Three!" We are so glad you chose BBRC as your Rotary home. (And a special nod to his sponsor, Cheryl Scott—she wisely left out that there were five other Rotary clubs in Bakersfield, knowing Art would be a perfect fit for ours!)
Travelin’ Rotarians & Happy Spots
Our members have been on the move! "Happy Spots" were plentiful at today's meeting as members shared stories, treats, and a few self-imposed fines from their recent adventures:
- Ron Nelm
s: Once again, the surveying community called on Ron to share his expertise—this time at a conference in Florida. Marta joined him as his official assistant, handing out Dewar’s chews. The pair explored beyond the conference, driving out to Key West and flying to the Dry Tortugas (which prompted Willie Gordon to recall a past family trip involving an overly inquisitive barracuda!). Knowing chocolate wouldn't survive the trip back to Bakersfield, Ron brought President Sandra a domino set from Miami's Little Havana.
- Contributions: Ron fined himself $27 (celebrating Florida as the 27th state). Willie added $10 for his fish tale and another $10 for missing his Rotary pin.
- Stephanie Baker: Stephanie spent quality time with her granddaughter in Arizona. She shared the joy with the club by bringing President Sandra champagne chocolates and a postcard.
- Contribution: Stephanie offered up a $20 contribution to the kitty.
Jeff & Donna Schwartz: Welcome back to Jeff and Donna, who recently returned from their European tour! They brought back German chocolate from Berlin and a postcard featuring the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
- Contribution: Jeff and Donna generously offered to fine themselves $40.
- Karen Bonanno: Keeping her travels a bit closer to home, Karen enjoyed a refreshing getaway to Pismo Beach.
- Contribution: Karen fined herself $20 for escaping to cooler weather, plus $10 for missing her Rotary flair.
- Art Esparza: Art and his wife, Sylvia, recently returned from Kansas City, home to world-class BBQ, rich museums, and apparently... the world's best peanut brittle. Art brought back a bag to prove it, hinting at a potential Peanut Brittle Taste-Off on August 19th! Art confessed the postcard President Sandra received was actually sent by Sylvia (spouses always have each other's backs!).
- Contribution: He offered up $20 for his Midwest getaway.
- Frank Wooldridge: Frank stayed local but brought a colorful report regarding a fellow BBRC member. Frank claimed he heard (or saw) a bar fight erupt in which the member suffered an injury,. Carol Smith was barely amused—though the real (and good) news is that she is recovering wonderfully following her actual brawl with an LAX escalator!
- Contribution: Frank chipped in $10 for spreading the spurious rumor.
Odds & Ends
Guest Welcome: A warm welcome to Dr. Adam! We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Weekly Drawing: Congratulations to Stephanie Baker, who won an undisclosed jackpot in today's drawing! (This writer was only one or two tickets off AGAIN... not that I’m counting or jealous!)
Next Week’s Program
- Speaker: Theo Dues | Mercy House
- About the Organization: Mercy House is a 35-year-old organization providing comprehensive services to over 7,000 individuals experiencing homelessness across seven counties in California and Arizona. In Kern County, they operate the Brundage Lane Navigation Center, established by the City of Bakersfield. Theo serves as a member of the Kern County Regional Advisory Group for Mercy House.
