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CalHope_Courage, 1220 Monterey St, Hollister, CA (2026)

05/22/2026

Dorian and Andrea added their names to the growing list of end-of-year CalHOPE Courage Award winners through the years.

Congrats to all of our past winners. Thank you for sharing your stories!

05/14/2026

Presented monthly since February 2022, the CalHOPE Courage Award honors student-athletes at California colleges and universities who have overcome stress, anxiety, and mental trauma associated with personal hardships and adversity. , who was recognized in September 2025, and .darghali, a January 2026 honoree, were selected from the 14 monthly recipients for their journeys that best represent the spirit of the award.

A $2,000 donation will be made to support mental health services for students at California Lutheran University in Dorian’s name, while Andrea requested that her donation to support mental health services go to two organizations close to her heart, Katie’s Save and Female Footballers.

We’re thankful to the Associated Press for helping to share their stories. Read more in the link in our bio.

05/13/2026

Congrats to 2026 CalHOPE Courage Award winner .darghali!

Dorian, who recently completed his freshman season at Cal Lutheran, is being honored for his leadership and growing influence as a student-athlete mental health advocate.

During high school, the Northridge native began experiencing severe anxiety, leading to isolation and recurring panic attacks. His first anxiety attack struck moments after stepping onto the pitch for Chatsworth High School, a place that once offered calm and confidence quickly became a source of fear and physical distress. Like many athletes, Dorian felt pressure to hide what he was going through, worried that acknowledging it would be seen as a weakness and jeopardize his opportunities and playing time.

Over time, he realized he wasn’t alone. Teammates quietly shared their own struggles with anxiety, depression, burnout, and the pressures of balancing academics and athletics. Recognizing that these challenges were widespread motivated Dorian to act.

Drawing from his experience with advocacy, he became a vocal leader in the movement to strengthen mental health support for student-athletes. He authored an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times, urging California to adopt mandatory mental health training for coaches, similar to Ohio’s model, and he has supported legislation, such as AB 2411, which empowers youth mental health boards and challenges harmful norms that discourage male athletes from seeking help.

In his freshman season at Cal Lutheran, Dorian appeared in four matches as a forward and scored his first collegiate goal on October 25, 2025, against Caltech, tying the game 3-3 with less than five minutes remaining.

“Opening up showed me that I wasn’t alone, and that talking about mental health doesn’t make you weak. It gives you the strength to keep going and to help others do the same,” said Dorian.

Dorian was selected from the 14 monthly CalHOPE Courage Award recipients. A $2,000 donation will be made to support mental health services for students at California Lutheran University in his name.

04/28/2026

Congratulations to April CalHOPE Courage Award winners ._a and .

Over five semesters, Destiny has competed in four sports – water polo, swimming, diving, and women’s basketball – for one of the top athletic programs in the state, including a #1-ranked basketball team in Northern California and the program’s first-ever 3C2A State Championship.

But her greatest test came in October 2023, when she experienced the sudden loss of her teammate and closest friend, Kayla, in a tragic car accident. Rather than withdrawing, the Stockton native chose to confront her pain. She leaned on teammates, coaches, and campus mental health resources, taking proactive steps to process her grief and rebuild.

Through that journey, she discovered strength in vulnerability and purpose in perseverance, continuing to excel athletically while progressing toward her academic goals.

Now preparing to transfer to the University of the Pacific, Destiny’s journey reflects the power of resilience, healing, and hope.

Midway through his freshman season in 2023, Rhys began experiencing serious health issues.

On the morning of the Roadrunners’ final game of the season, he was rushed to the emergency room. After weeks of testing, he was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.

The diagnosis marked the beginning of an intense and uncertain battle for the Redding native, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Facing months of grueling treatments, Rhys had to confront fear, isolation, and the mental toll that comes with fighting cancer. Through it all, he approached recovery with the same determination he brought to the field, relying on faith, positivity, and the support of his teammates, friends, and family.

Despite ongoing treatments, Rhys returned for summer workouts in 2024 and worked relentlessly to rebuild his strength.

Rhys returned to the field and played a key role in the team’s success over the next three years as the starting fullback, contributing to 27 wins, two bowl game victories, and a playoff appearance.

Now cancer-free, his journey reflects not only survival, but the courage to keep moving forward.

04/27/2026

CalHOPE Courage Award winner moved to the states from Nigeria alone as a teenager. Since then he’s navigated loneliness, an adoption, school change and injury while trying to acclimate to life in the U.S.

He’s the definition of courage, bravery and resilience.

04/25/2026

CalHOPE Courage Award winner has met anxiety, loneliness and emotional fatigue with remarkable grace.

04/24/2026

Congratulations to March CalHOPE Courage Award winners and !  While balancing the demands of college athletics and academics, Gali commutes nearly an hour each way from her home in Lompoc to Santa Barbara City College. At home, she navigates the emotional strain of her father’s recent arrest and its impact on her family and overall sense of stability.

Beyond her home life, Gali grapples with the fear of immigration enforcement activity impacting her community. As a proud Mexican American, she carries not only her own concerns, but also the emotional weight of friends and neighbors living in uncertainty. These experiences have brought moments of anxiety, isolation, and emotional fatigue.

Basketball has become her refuge. Even on overwhelming days, Gali views time in the gym as a space to reset, refocus, and find strength. Her ability to channel adversity into purpose has helped her maintain a 3.6 GPA while remaining a steady, compassionate presence for her teammates.

At just 15, Michael left his home in Nigeria to pursue opportunity in the U.S. on his own. His early life was marked by hardship, including food insecurity and family illness, creating chronic stress and anxiety that forced him to mature quickly.

In the U.S., he faced a new challenge: isolation. While attending boarding school in Utah, he often spent holidays alone, navigating loneliness, self-doubt, and a sense of not fully belonging. Although later adopted by a supportive family and able to complete his high school education in Arizona, the emotional weight of his past and the expectations he carried remained.

His freshman season at CSU East Bay brought another test when an injury forced him to redshirt. Being sidelined challenged his identity and mental health, bringing frustration and uncertainty.

Instead of breaking him, the experience strengthened him. Michael developed patience, self- awareness, and resilience, learning to prioritize his mental well-being while trusting the process.

This season, Michael appeared in five games for the Pioneers, who recorded a 32-1 record and a California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament championship.

04/22/2026

Devin Williams had a rough childhood. But his renewed faith and participation in basketball have helped him overcome the physical and mental hurdles he’s had to deal with at home.

Congrats Devin on winning a CalHOPE Courage Award Scholarship!

04/21/2026

Congrats to CalHOPE Courae Award Scholarship winner !

Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, instability shaped much of Devin’s childhood. His family moved frequently, sometimes living in overcrowded apartments, and financial stress was constant.

In 2018, his mother was arrested after a physical altercation with neighbors, beginning years of incarceration that left him and his siblings without stable care. They faced evictions, housing insecurity, and time in the foster system. During this period, he developed anger issues, substance use problems and struggled emotionally. From eighth grade through the first semester of his junior year, he often acted out, including being suspended from basketball after losing control during a game. He wasn’t myself, and the pain he carried affected every part of my life.

The one constant source of support was his grandmother. She listened without judgment and helped quiet the negative thoughts in his head. When she passed away from heart problems in March 2024, Devin felt completely lost and questioned everything. His stress, anger, and substance use worsened.

In late December 2024, Devin reached a breaking point and decided he had to change. Reconnecting with his faith gave him structure, discipline, and purpose. He began making better choices, improving his grades, controlling his anger, and removing himself from negative environments. Basketball became a positive outlet and a place to rebuild himself. He began playing in eighth grade and joined his first organized team as a freshman. Devin earned Defensive Player of the Year honors for four consecutive years, recorded two triple-doubles, ranked top 25 nationally and top 12 in California for blocks, and emerged as a team leader.

Through adversity, Devin learned discipline, self-control, and resilience. And his journey forward is just beginning.

04/17/2026

Good luck to CalHOPE Courage Award winner Xander Sielken and CSU Monterey Bay during the rest of their baseball season!

04/07/2026

Congrats to CalHOPE Courage Award Winner .sielken!

When Xander Sielken left Hawaii for California in 2023 to pursue college baseball at West Valley College, he expected challenges, but not to suddenly support himself entirely.

During his redshirt freshman year, he was unexpectedly cut off financially and became responsible for rent, food, and daily expenses with no safety net. Determined to stay in school and on the field, he balanced full-time academics and baseball while working multiple jobs, including valet parking, cutting hair, and baking and selling homemade banana bread.

The pressure intensified in spring 2025 when he broke his hamate bone during one of his best seasons. Surgery forced him home to Hawaii for two months of recovery, where isolation and financial stress mounted. During this time, his four-year relationship also ended.

When it was time to return to California, he couldn’t afford the flight. In a powerful show of support, his teammates pooled funds to bring him back. Still recovering, he returned for the playoffs and delivered with a 3-for-4 performance in a key elimination game, helping West Valley finished second in the state.

“Those moments tested me in ways I never expected,” he said. “There were times when the stress, injuries, and uncertainty felt overwhelming. But I leaned on my faith, stayed focused on my purpose, and reminded myself why I started playing this game. The support from my teammates, coaches, and friends meant everything to me. They showed me I wasn’t alone. That experience changed my perspective and helped me become a stronger person and teammate.”

Now at CSU Monterey Bay, he has continued his rise, starting all 22 games at third base and batting second while hitting .337 with 27 runs scored for the 21-5 Otters (as of 3/25).

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