Terrance L. Stone, the founder and CEO of Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy (YVYLA), has been named the 2023 recipient of California State University, San Bernardino’s President’s Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the campus upon a non-alumna/us of the university. Stone is also the president of Terrance Stone School and Community Consulting and president of The Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce High Desert Chapter.

The award will be presented by CSUSB President Tomás Morales at the university’s annual President’s Dinner on Thursday, November 30 at the Mission Inn in Riverside.

Stone is a national- and state-certified gang intervention and prevention specialist who has reached more than 185,000 at-risk youth through YVYLA. He has helped defuse conflicts between gangs and has created an award-winning workforce development program that provides training and jobs for young people.

“Terrance Stone is an inspirational and strategic leader who has dedicated his talent and life experience to empowering young people and helping them discover their true purpose. He is truly deserving of the President’s Medal, which recognizes the extraordinary service and outstanding contributions he has made to enhance the well-being of others,” said President Morales.

An established community leader and role model, Stone has received numerous awards for community service, leadership and innovation. He was recognized with the Dreamers, Visionaries and Leaders Project (DVL) Icon Award in 2018; District 40 Assemblymember James C. Ramos honored YVYLA as one of the Inland Empire Nonprofits of the Year in 2022; and in 2023, Stone was honored with the Village Award by the Black Faculty, Staff, and Student Association (BFSSA) of CSUSB for making an indelible mark on the community.

The depth and breadth of Stone’s professional affiliations are far-reaching and include: past member of the San Bernardino County District Attorney Office Community Commission; a member of the San Bernardino City Chief of Police African American Advisory Committee; a San Bernardino County Superior Courts gang consultant; a member of the Board of Directors of the Cooperative Economic Empowerment Movement; a San Bernardino Countywide Gangs and Drugs Taskforce Board Member; and a member of the San Bernardino County Equity Element Committee (Racism is a Public Health Crisis), to name only a few.

About Cal State San Bernardino
California State University, San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in Inland Southern California. Opened in 1965 and set at the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, the university serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually. The university offers more than 70 traditional baccalaureate and master’s degree programs, education credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate program in educational leadership. Every one of its eligible academic programs has earned national accreditation. CSUSB reflects the dynamic diversity of the region and has the most diverse student population of any university in the Inland Empire. More than 80 percent of those who graduate are the first in their families to do so.

For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit the Inside CSUSB news site.