This week's notable humans include San Rafael resident, retired SFFD lieutenant, and dedicated volunteer John Chung; San Francisco author and historian Beth Winegarner whose work aims to remember the forgotten; and Walnut Creek's Anya Gupta, 16-year-old founder of Key Future News.

At just 16, Walnut Creek’s Anya Gupta is a dual-enrolled high school and Diablo Valley College student and founder of Key Future News (KFN), a youth-focused news nonprofit with nearly 200 videos on YouTube. According to The East Bay Times, Gupta launched KFN to simplify news for Gen Z, covering topics like tech, politics, and future careers.

Gupta writes, films, edits, and promotes her content independently while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She also serves on the Contra Costa Behavioral Health Board and plans to grow her team and audience on social media. Gupta hopes to attend Berkeley’s Haas School of Business after she graduates from Diablo Valley College next year with the ultimate goal of building an informed and empowered community of young people.

I decided to name the channel Key Future News in the aspect that KFN news is the ‘key to your future,’ That’s what we’re going for now — predictions of future industries, what your future will be like, interviewing professionals on their predictions, things to do and know right now to change the future.

San Francisco author and historian Beth Winegarner's work aims to remember the people of San Francisco who’s history has been long forgotten. Her most recent project documents the lives of the forgotten girls who were incarcerated in the city’s Magdalen Asylum, once located where SF General Hospital now stands.

KQED writes that the institution first opened in 1856 by the Sisters of Mercy as a refuge for sex workers and later evolved into a place where “wayward” girls — often petty offenders, unsupervised teens, or anyone deemed “morally suspect” — were confined. Winegarner’s research was sparked by sensationalized newspaper clippings that she found while researching her 2023 book San Francisco’s Forgotten Cemeteries and grew into a larger effort to transcribe registers, collect census records, and name those the system sought to shame or erase.

The girls’ stories are often heartbreaking or surprising: one ten-year-old stole a purse to buy dolls and candy; another traveled alone, stayed in fine hotels, and rode horses in Napa. Some were institutionalized for racist or arbitrary reasons, like being present in a home where a Black man was present or being labeled “incorrigible” — a term Winegarner believes often masked neurodivergence.

Babies born there were routinely sent to a nearby Catholic orphanage with high infant mortality. Most girls did embroidery rather than laundry, and few left without adult help or marriage. Winegarner aims to restore their identities and ensure they’re not forgotten.

San Rafael resident John Chung has been honored with the 2025 Richard O’Brien and Mary Ferrario O’Brien Public Service Award for his extensive volunteer work in youth sports, music, and public service.

According to Marin Independent Journal, Chung, who is a retired San Francisco Fire Department lieutenant, has supported San Rafael’s school music programs for over a decade, helping with concerts, providing technical expertise, and organizing transportation and equipment for student performances. He also managed the sound system for the school district’s annual HeadsUp Carnival for 10 years and launched fundraisers to help sustain arts and athletics programs.

Chung’s background in music includes his longtime role as manager of the professional jazz fusion band Hiroshima, which helped him develop skills in production, sound, and logistics — knowledge he generously shares with local schools.

Chung also stepped in to coach the San Rafael High School boys’ golf team in 2023 to prevent it from disbanding, despite his children never having played on the team. Under his leadership, the program has grown, and he continues to lead innovative fundraising events such as home concerts and speaker series.

In addition to his youth-focused efforts, Chung serves on the San Rafael Fire Commission and volunteers during major incidents. City officials praised his unwavering dedication and the positive impact he’s made throughout San Rafael.

Image via YouTube