Out And About September 2025
Find out what is happening in Sacramento during the month of October!
Self-Made
When Vivian Kerr discovered a memory book from 12th grade at her childhood home in Arden, her answer to the question “what do you want to be?” surprised her.
“It said, ‘I want to be a writer, actor, director and producer,’” Kerr says. “Those are the four things I’m doing now. That’s nuts. I feel very lucky. I’m connected to everything I ever wanted to do.”
Kerr recently released her first feature film, “SCRAP,” which she wrote, produced, directed and starred in. The project culminated years of building confidence in a notoriously unforgiving industry.
Fresh Eyes
Peggi Kroll Roberts confirms her identity in art. She says, “The ultimate purpose of painting and drawing is finding yourself. Otherwise, you’re an artist stuck in someone else’s format.”
Kroll Roberts will never be stuck in a stranger’s format. For six decades, wanderlust and curiosity carried her near and far for jobs and experiences.
She began as a fine arts major at Arizona State University. From there, she followed her mother and studied fashion illustration at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena.
New Direction
John Moran is the first male to lead St. Francisc High School in its 85-year history, but his goals transcend gender.
“Of course I want us to be the best all-girls Catholic school, but I also want to extrapolate that to be the best school of any type, period,” he says.
The Brooklyn native plans to achieve excellence by strengthening current offerings at St. Francis while adding new programs that attract students with different backgrounds and interests.
“I want to have something for everyone, and I want each student to have a variety of choices of opportunity to become well-rounded people,” Moran says.
Money Talks
Here’s what happens when 100 or more women each donate $1,000 and pool the money.
They define “power in numbers.” And they make a difference with transformational grants.
The dollars, gathered by a group called Impact100 Greater Sacramento, support nonprofits in five focus areas: arts and culture, environment, health and wellness, education, and family.
“One thousand dollars helps, but when we collectively pool our resources together, we’re able to do even greater things,” chapter President Sarina Paulson says. “It’s really good to know as a member that yes, I donated $1,000, but 391 other women also donated $1,000, so collectively my $1,000 has morphed into $452,000 (with a matching campaign). I went to six site visits this year and I can tell you firsthand the good that is going to do.”
JapanTown Lives
The historic Nisei War Memorial Community Center is returning to life, thanks to dozens of local volunteers.
The restoration of the Downtown center—known as Nisei Hall—is led by Debbie Eto and Dr. Michael Luszczak.
Eto is vice president of the Japanese American Citizens League, which bought the building with VFW Nisei Post 8985, a Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter created for Japanese American veterans after World War II.
