In 2018, Landed announced our partnership with Extra Yard for Teachers and the Bay Area Host Committee to bring the dream of homeownership to three Bay Area educators. Our first three winners, Stephanie Hardinger, Beti Magana, and Nestor Gonzalez, have all used their grant money to help purchase new homes.
Yesterday, we traveled to San Jose to surprise Jenna Bryon, a second and third grade teacher at Discovery Charter School, with our fourth $25,000 Down Payment Giveaway grant. Teachers and families gathered for the annual end-of-year assembly as Discovery's principal introduced Sofy Navarro from the 49ers Foundation and Kelley Nayo-Jahi from Landed, who surprised Jenna with a giant check.
“Well, this is an exciting surprise!” said Jenna. “I guess we are staying here in the area a little longer!”
Jenna has been teaching elementary school at Discovery Charter for ten years, and she has needed to move five times during her tenure due to housing conditions. Jenna said this grant gives her family newfound hope and excitement as they begin their home search once again:
“I am super excited to tell my husband, and my little growing boy in here is probably hearing all of this excitement, too!” She gestured to her baby bump onstage. “Landed is an incredible company that's helped a lot of teachers. In fact, they've helped two teachers here at Discovery also buy a house... I just appreciate so much that these organizations are working to help teachers stay in the area, where it is so very difficult. I think it shows a commitment to our kids that teachers can stay in the same school and that they can have the stability of a place that they can live and not have to move every two years, as I have done for the 10 years that I've worked here. So, we've made five moves, and maybe this will be the last one. I feel very grateful. Thank you.”
Jenna has the option to combine this grant with Landed's down payment program or other down payment assistance programs to put money down on a home in the Bay Area, and she and her family are planning to use Landed's program. She and her husband hope to close on a home in time to welcome their baby boy.
View the video from Jenna's surprise!
Grand Prize Winners
Down Payment Giveaway for Educators
Round 1
Stephanie Hardinger
Elementary School Teacher
East Palo Alto, California
Round 2
Beti Magana
Spanish Teacher
Santa Clara, California
Round 3
Nestor Gonzalez
Science Teacher
Oakland, California
Round 4
Jenna Bryon
Elementary School Teacher
San Jose, California
Landed helps educators purchase homes by providing down payment funds. Please click here to learn more about our down payment program, or click here to apply now.
