A senior at The Harker School in San Jose is being honored by the City of Cupertino for her work with neurodivergent children.
Sarah Wang is one of two Rising Stars being recognized with a 2026 Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken (CREST) Award. She is a Bay Area co-chapter lead of Colorful Minds, a student-led nonprofit whose volunteers guide children through creative projects at the Cupertino Library.
The CREST Awards are part of the third annual Cupertino Community Service Awards, which celebrate individuals and organizations that have made an outstanding impact in the community. This year’s honorees will be recognized Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Quinlan Community Center.
“Wang is a perfect Rising Star because in just three years she’s become the heart of Colorful Minds’ weekly art workshops, where autistic and neurodivergent kids get a space to create and enjoy community belonging,” Mayor Kitty Moore said.
The Harker senior stumbled upon Colorful Minds through a close friend during her sophomore year while fulfilling the school’s volunteer requirement. Until then, she had participated only in one-time activities.
“Once I tried it out, I knew I was hooked,” Wang said. “At the time of joining, I had no idea how important it would be to me.”
Fewer than a dozen children typically attend each Sunday workshop, and sometimes attendance falls below five.
Activities include rock painting, air-dry clay projects, scratch art, Legos and drawing on whiteboards. Volunteers also organize seasonal activities such as pumpkin painting.
Children decide how they want to participate, and volunteers guide them without pressuring those who prefer to spend time alone, Wang said.
“The space is meant to be calming and free,” she said. “A big deal is knowing when the children want to be left alone.”
Her efforts paid off. The organization received a $1,500 grant through Cupertino’s Community Funding Grant Program for fiscal year 2026-27, according to city records.
“It’s great to have the extra money to provide for the kids,” Wang said.
Moore cited Wang’s funding efforts as another reason the city selected her as a Rising Star.
“That’s the definition of taking extra steps, learning the value of volunteering and making a difference, and it’s why we’re so proud to recognize her,” Moore said.
The work also carries personal meaning. Wang’s cousin is neurodivergent, and she remembers struggling to understand his behavior when they were younger. As she grew older, she recognized that people may need different approaches to communication and self-expression.
“I don’t want neurodivergent children to have to suffer without being able to express themselves,” she said. “It’s also kind of my way of making it up to my cousin in some way.”
Established in 1993, the CREST Awards are now part of the broader Cupertino Community Service Awards, which also recognize members of city commissions and committees.
The city also named Shivika Biswari a Rising Star. Biswari, a lead high school intern at the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, helped organize the Cupertino Night Market, Bay Area Diwali, Cupertino Holi and the Cupertino Education Fair, according to the city.
Honorees in the three other categories are Sunflower Magic, a nonprofit named Organization of the Year; Janet Anvick, Hometown Hero; and Bruce Parsons, Lifetime Achievement.
After graduating from high school next year, Wang plans to remain involved with Colorful Minds. She hopes to study film and animation in college and eventually create children’s movies and television programs with the same care she brings to the workshops.
“Seeing the progress that the children have made is the best feeling ever,” she said.