Isaac Saxonov’s (18 | Piedmont, California) love for coding started when he was introduced to Pyret, a niche coding language, by his middle school science teacher. Remembering how great it felt when he was able to create his first piece of code and seeing his creative thoughts come to life on a screen, he began to wonder about how his peers felt when they discovered their passions. Unfortunately, as Isaac learned, many kids and young adults are unable to afford typical enrichment opportunities and may lose the interests they didn’t know they had. Wanting to help youth have the chance to find their passions, Isaac launched BayRise in 2021.

BayRise, whose team is comprised of high school students from across California’s Bay Area, enables youth between the ages of 6 and 20 to explore diverse areas of interest ranging from computer science and physics to arts and crafts. Through free classes, over 80 students have had the opportunity to cultivate new passions that will hopefully last a lifetime. Outside of the courses, which are funded through donations and grants, Isaac and his team lead programs that allow them to connect with the wider community including trash pick-ups and bimonthly warming events supporting people who are unhoused. For Isaac, BayRise’s work is not just about the number of people in his classes, but it’s also about seeing them take what they learned to create their own projects and initiatives!