Dawn S. Reese Chief Executive Officer
100,000 Lives Changed
The Wooden Floor has benefitted from the generosity of our community over the past 42 years, and we are celebrating our newest milestone – changing the lives of over 100,000 young people since 1983.
Today, our mission is to inspire and transform the lives of young people through the power of dance and access to higher education. Our creative youth development approach uses exploratory dance education that is strategically integrated with academics, college and career readiness, and family services. We are not a dance studio or conservatory. We use dance as a vehicle for empowerment and change for children who need us the most (see page 8).
We see remarkable outcomes resulting from our community’s investment in our mission, including:
■ Our all-campus GPA was maintained at 3.2, and our students are exceeding state and county benchmarks for math and English language arts.
■ 100% on-time high school graduation, Class of 2024 – achieved for 20 consecutive years.
■ 100% immediate enrollment in higher education, Class of 2024 – achieved for 20 consecutive years as compared to the national college enrollment rate for socioeconomic peers nationally, which dropped to 21% in 2022 (National Education Statistics).
■ Our first-generation alumni continue to achieve a college degree attainment rate of 54% as of March 2024, compared to 12.6%, the national rate for their peers (National Education Statistics)(see page 5 for our new Alumni in Action feature).
■ 42% of our graduates attain degrees in S.T.E.A.M. fields, such as biotech engineering, molecular biology, computer engineering and physical sciences (81% earned by women; 19% by men).
As we look ahead to our next 40 years of impact, in support of our 10-Year Strategic Vision 2021-2031, we’ve launched our new Strategic Plan 2024-2026: Building Upon Our Strengths. Thriving With Purpose which includes: Furthering our programming to ensure The Wooden Floor 6 C’s: Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Character and Courage tie to workforce development and life skills required in the 21st Century economy and beyond; Building upon our $2M endowed scholarship fund to grant higher scholarship awards to our most deserving students with a new event on February 27, 2025, called Driving Futures: A College Scholarship Benefit for Students of The Wooden Floor, with Honorary Chairs Will and Cary Singleton at Singleton Classics; and scaling our impact through our new after school community engagement program called Dance Uplifts, which has expanded from nine to 18 school sites within the Garden Grove School Unified District, and eventually to other school districts in North Orange County (see page 3).
Together with you, our loving community of supporters, The Wooden Floor’s Board of Directors, staff, and families, we are working tirelessly to ensure that we uphold our promise to our students: from here you can step anywhere
With gratitude,
Mission Moment
The Wooden Floor is excited to announce the expansion of our new community engagement program for Garden Grove Unified School District students, called Dance Uplifts, from nine school sites to 18, in academic year 2024-2025. Dance Uplifts is an afterschool dance education offering designed to encourage creative expression in addition to physical and emotional wellbeing. The Wooden Floor’s unique creative youth development approach fosters the acquisition of developmental skills and assets known as the 5 C’s: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Character, and The Wooden Floor's added 6th C: Courage
In December, we were also awarded as a Community Hero by the Garden Grove Unified School District for the outstanding work through Dance Uplifts. We are grateful for this positive community engagement partnership and look to replicate this program with other school districts in North Orange County. The Wooden Floor is honored to make a difference in lives of even more children through Dance Uplifts.
Scan QR code to watch video about Dance Uplifts.
Garden Grove Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Gabriella Mafi (Left) with school board members and The Wooden Floor CEO Dawn S. Reese.
Newsfeed
STUDENT HOLIDAY PARTIES
DECEMBER 2024
Our students rang in the holiday season with festive holiday parties, chock-full of delicious food, a pajama party movie screening, and a dance party complete with a DJ. Each student ended the night by receiving a gift that was lovingly wrapped by supporters at our Eat & Wrap event.
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER'S TOP 125 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF 2024
DECEMBER 2024
Our CEO, Dawn S. Reese, was recognized as one of the Orange County Register's Top 125 Most Influential People of 2024. She was honored based on her leadership in developing a partnership with the Santa Ana Unified School District in collaboration with the City of Santa Ana and the Santa Ana Youth Mental Health Task Force, in addition to The Wooden Floor’s community engagement partnership with the Garden Grove Unified School District and the Boys and Girls Club of Garden Grove to implement our new afterschool program offering, Dance Uplifts.
LAW & GOVERNMENT CAREER NIGHT JANUARY 2025
We hosted a Law & Government Career Night featuring three distinguished alumni panelists: City of Santa Ana's new Assistant City Manager, Sylvia Vasquez; Geno Uyuni, Class of 2005, an immigration attorney at the Central American Resource Center ; as well as Viviana Davalos, Class of 2022, a current student at Vanguard University , interning at the Santa Ana Police Department , and soon to enroll in the SAPD police academy. They shared their inspiring journeys, career paths, and advice for students who are exploring careers in law, criminal justice, government affairs, and related fields.
Alumni In Action
Stay up to date with the milestones in our Alumni’s lives after graduating from The Wooden Floor!
Victoria Ocampo Acosta, Class of 2022
Victoria has secured an internship for the summer of 2025 as Strategy and Transactions Summer Associate at EY-Parthenon. Her previous internship was at Warner Brothers Discovery in Alternative Content and Theatrical Operations. Victoria is currently a junior at the University of Southern California (USC), majoring in Business of Cinematic Arts with a minor in Real Estate Development.
Carlos Murillo, Class of 2015 and Jocelyn Magana Murillo, Class of 2017
Carlos and Jocelyn were married on August 10, 2024, at St. Norbert Catholic Church in Orange. Many alumni and staff were in attendance to celebrate the couple. After graduating from The Wooden Floor, Carlos attended Orange Coast College and received an Associate of Science in advanced culinary arts, and now works as a machine operator at Cargill. Jocelyn graduated from California State University, Long Beach, with a BFA in dance and is now a member of the Dance Education Staff at The Wooden Floor.
Do you know of alumni with exciting milestones to share? Please email Info@TheWoodenFloor.org for consideration.
In the First Person:
Alan
CLASS OF 2033
“When I did Dance Free Weeks, I liked dancing and the teachers told me I could do it more, so I said, “I’m going to tell my mom!” When I auditioned, it changed my whole body because of the way we moved!
I like dancing here – it has lots of movements and a lot of excitement for me. I love that I can move whenever I want and whatever I want – my arms, my legs, my head! It is so exciting, like it is a bunch of excitement!
Without The Wooden Floor, my life would not be the same. I learned that you can be happy when you dance. If you were here, you would be happy.”
Alan, Class of 2033
Alan is 10 years old and attends 4th grade at Russell Language Academy in Garden Grove Unified School District. He started at The Wooden Floor this past November after experiencing our community engagement program, Dance Free Weeks. Alan quickly endeared himself to The Wooden Floor's staff when he exclaimed, "This is going to be the best life ever!" during our explanation of services to parents at our Fall Open House.
INNOVATION INSIGHTS
Why Dance?
The Wooden Floor’s mission is to inspire and transform the lives of young people through the power of dance and access to higher education. Over the past 42 years, The Wooden Floor has evolved to become a creative youth development organization that equips students with the resources and skills needed to reach their fullest potential both in school and in life.
The Wooden Floor makes a deep, long-term commitment for up to 10 years in each child’s journey from elementary school to college. Our holistic model serves students year-round, after school, with dance education, academics, college and career readiness, and family support programs, free of charge.
We are often asked why we choose our approach to dance.
It is a commitment to a dance approach that values exploration, discovery, and innovation, which leads to the success of our students in school and life. Dance brings joy and is transformative. That is why dance is the core transformational element in The Wooden Floor’s copyrighted Theory of Change.
Through dance, children engage in:
■ Creative expression
■ Learning to trust in themselves and others
■ Problem-solving and developing self-awareness, curiosity, and attentiveness
Dance creates a sense of community and fosters learning in a collaborative environment. It provides an opportunity to explore and express oneself.
The Wooden Floor’s unique creative youth development approach, centered on dance, fosters acquisition of developmental skills and assets known as the 5 C’s: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Character, in addition to The Wooden Floor's 6th C: Courage.
KNOWLEDGE/ AWARENESS
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
Annual Concert, open houses, and other performance opportunities
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Exposure to guest choreographers, master classes, and company residencies
ACTION = CHANGE
■ Access to the soul through the creative experience
■ An ability to engage in healthy play
■ Learning to trust in oneself and others
■ Encouraging of new paths of thought
■ An embodied sense of community & learning in a team environment
■ Safety to explore and express
■ Increased sense of self through being witnessed by others
■ Developing greater curiosity and attentiveness
■ Creative problem solving
Classes in modern dance, ballet, and improvisation
SKILLS/ STRUCTURE
■ Discipline and self-awareness
■ Physical well-being
■ Presence
■ A ready and adaptable mindset
Step Forward:
BUILDING UPON 40 YEARS OF IMPACT
The
Wooden Floor
Endowment Campaign
Your Legacy Planning
The Wooden Floor launched a special fundraising campaign in celebration of our 40th Anniversary. Step Forward is designed to further grow The Wooden Floor’s Endowment Fund to ensure future generations of students can reach their full potential in school and life.
Contributions to The Wooden Floor’s Endowment Fund create a legacy of your support and ensure the strength of the organization for years to come. The Wooden Floor Endowment supports areas of greatest need and scholarships for our students.
In 2013, The Wooden Floor Legacy Society was launched, and today we have 31 members who have made a planned gift through their estate plans, ensuring their legacy of love and support for our mission lives on well into the future. As part of our 40th Anniversary video, Board Emerita Socorro Vasquez shared:
“Having a legacy program gives the supporters an opportunity to make sure that what is important to them continues, and that we will always be a part of this legacy,” Socorro Vasquez, Board Emerita and Legacy Society Member.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS
Please consider a gift to our Step Forward campaign, to strengthen our important mission to inspire and transform the lives of young people through the power of dance and access to higher education. We are happy to share more and discuss your thoughts on how you can make an impact today with a direct gift, and/or through your estate planning as part of The Wooden Floor Legacy Society. Please contact CEO Dawn S. Reese at 714-5418314 x124 or at Info@TheWoodenFloor.org. With you walking by our side, we will step forward together.
2024-2025 Board of Directors
Jehan Jayakumar,* Board Chair
Founding Partner, Carlson & Jayakumar, LLP
Theresa Allen,* Immediate Past Chair Managing Director, RBC Wealth Management
Joseph Chatelle,* Vice Chair Principal, Mercer
Richard Lee,* Secretary
Market President, Retired, Aetna, Southern California
Yvonne O’Neill,* Treasurer
Certified Public Accountant, O’Neill Financial Management
Wendy Arciero Executive Director, Anaheim Ducks Foundation
Sasha Ayloush,* Director of Sales & Marketing, Hydraflow
Seán Curran, Chair, Department of Dance, NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Michelle Dean,* Community Leader
Jen Dibble, VP, Corporate Counsel, Edwards Lifesciences
Christina Di Rocco, Business Solution Design Manager, Capital Group Companies, Inc.
Brent Funston, Chief Executive Officer, Wind River Group, LLC
Cristina Garcia, Alumni Representative Community Leader
Roxanne Goodman, Controller, Mountain View Services, Inc. and Chem-Pak Products
Naveen Jonathan, PhD, LMFT, Community Representative Clinical Associate Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy, Chair, Marriage & Family Therapy, Crean College of Health & Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University
Jeremy Krout, President/CEO, Environmental Planning Development Solutions, Inc.
Richard LeBrun, Managing Director and Head of Alternatives Business Management, PIMCO Investments, LLC
Sarah Lopez, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer Zocalo Health
Catherine M. MacIver, Community Leader
Kim Nguyen, Vice President, U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management
Maria Ochoa, Parent Representative, Community Leader
Juan M. Pacheco, Parent Representative, Community Leader
Alix Portillo, Assistant Vice President, Compliance Monitoring Officer Genesis Bank
Judith F. Posnikoff, PhD, Managing Director, Martlet Asset Management, LLC
Morgan Ratcliffe, Executive Director, Chief Communications Officer, Providence Health Plan
Dawn S. Reese, CFRE, Chief Executive Officer, The Wooden Floor
Saar Swartzon, Principal Attorney, Cohn & Swartzon, a Professional Law Corporation
Jerry Thode, Chief Executive Officer, J Paul Group, LLC
Shervin Vadood, Vice President, Branch Manager, Farmers & Merchants Bank
Ernesto M. Vasquez, FAIA, NCARB, Partner & CEO, SVA Architects, Inc.
Board Emeriti
Joan Beall, Community Leader
Beth A. Burns, Founder of The Wooden Floor and Artistic Director (’83-’05)
Sharon Hartshorn, Community Leader
Richard C. Hunsaker,** President, Hunsaker Management
Virginia Hunsaker,** Community Leader
Damien M. Jordan, General Manager, Retired, American Funds/ Capital Group Companies, Inc.
Yvonne M. Jordan, Community Leader
Socorro Vasquez, Community Leader
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2025, AT 7:30AM
HILTON ORANGE COUNTY/COSTA MESA 3050 BRISTOL STREET, COSTA MESA, CA 92626
■ Celebrate and support the Class of 2025, The Wooden Floor’s 21st consecutive graduating class to have 100 percent of students on track to finish high school on time and enroll in higher education
■ Join us in recognizing Class Partners who help underwrite the college and career readiness journeys for each of our graduating classes
■ Participate in an inspiring morning that will leave you filled with hope for the future leaders of our community
and
Croul Family Foundation Don Yoder Foundation
Frome Family Foundation
Nancy & Brian Hunsaker
For Kids Foundation Pacific Life Foundation Richard and Elizabeth Steele Endowment Fund
J. Mairena / Office Solutions Segerstrom Foundation Donald & Constance Sperling
UNDERWRITER Theresa & Jonathon Allen Michelle & Robert Kargenian
Carole & Rich Lee
Joe and Michele Chatelle
ENCOURAGEMENT UNDERWRITER
Trish O'Donnell
Judy & David Threshie Richard Ward
Weier Family Foundation
Eat & Wrap
Supporter Sightings
December 2024
Board Member and event Chair Sasha Ayloush hosted our annual Eat & Wrap event, an inspiring way to kick off the season of giving. We thank the guests that joined us in wrapping nearly 500 gifts, one for each student at The Wooden Floor! Guests heard from our student speaker from the Class of 2023, Megan Escobar, who is currently studying global health at University of California, San Diego. We are heartened by the collective volunteer efforts of our supporters, underwriters, board members, and guests for helping us supply gifts, trees, and uplifting spirits for our students and families.
17th Annual Ducks Shopping Spree
December 2024
For the 17th year, The Wooden Floor partnered with the famed Anaheim Ducks players for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday shopping spree at Target Irvine Spectrum. This annual shopping spree sparks joy among our students and reminds them that they are supported and valued by our community. We are grateful to the Anaheim Ducks, the Anaheim Ducks Foundation, and Target Irvine Spectrum for bringing such a memorable event to life.
Snyder Langston Bike Drop-Off
December 2024
For over 25 years, real estate construction company Snyder Langston has been generously donating bicycles to our students. Their employees, joined by employees of Taber Company Inc. lovingly assembled and delivered the bikes, which come with helmets and locks, and are gifted to our students to make their holidays bright. We are so grateful for this long-time partnership and appreciate everyone that comes together to deliver such a meaningful gift to our students!
From Left: Board Member and Eat & Wrap Chair Sasha Ayloush, with Cindy Ayloush and Marlowe and Josh Stone.
From left: Dagny Escobar, mom to Alumna Speaker Megan Escobar (Center), with CEO Dawn S. Reese.
1810 North Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92706-2727
714.541.8314
TheWoodenFloor.org
Follow us @TheWoodenFloor
Please Save the Date!
Join us at the following events to help propel our students and our mission forward.
Driving Futures: A College Scholarship Benefit for Students of The Wooden Floor™
Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 6:00pm SINGLETON CLASSICS, COSTA MESA
The Driving Futures Scholarship Benefit supports the profound, long-term investment The Wooden Floor makes in our students’ 10-year journey from elementary school to college, including The Wooden Floor’s Merit-based College Scholarship Awards.
More information at TheWoodenFloor.org/DrivingFutures
13th Step Beyond Annual Breakfast®
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | 7:30am HILTON ORANGE COUNTY/COSTA MESA
Gather for an inspiring morning to celebrate our 21st consecutive graduating class on track to have a 100 percent college enrollment rate and support our college and career readiness programs.
More information at TheWoodenFloor.org/StepBeyond
42nd Annual Concert
May 29 - 31, 2025 | 8:00pm nightly plus 2:30pm Saturday matinee
IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE
Be inspired by our students as they perform new dance works co-created with leading contemporary dance choreographers, reflecting the organization’s reputation for artistic excellence.
More information at TheWoodenFloor.org/AnnualConcert
Photography by
Sargeant
Creative and Tony Lattimore.
©2025
The Wooden Floor.