The Woodside High School Foundation hosted its annual auction night on April 18, 2026. The event was themed like a Masquerade ball. Adults in attendance had the opportunity to place bids on everything from graduation tickets to house decor items. However, the most widely discussed bid was fundraising for the Fund A Need program.
The Fund A Need program includes a college-readiness program that helps students improve test scores, essay writing and narrow down the decision of where they want to attend university. Mark Niu was the video journalist behind the Fund A Need video ad that played at the auction event.
“The SAT courses helped [students] improve their scores by 20, 30, 40 points,” Niu said. “One person I interviewed improved by 100 points and took it twice. One hundred, 200 points on an SAT really gets you into different schools, and that changes the course of your life.”
The foundation aimed to highlight the Fund A Need program during its auction night. A video was played at the beginning of the event.
“They put together a video that is almost like a mini movie,” Melissa Land, board member and Chair of the Auction Committee, said. “It’s an 11-minute video that really tells the stories of students [who] were supported and impacted by the college access program, and I think that really meant a lot to everybody who’s seen it.”
Niu not only has professional experience in videojournalism, but he also has a personal connection to Woodside High School: his son. According to Niu, despite not knowing anything about the Fund A Need program, he saw the importance of supporting his community.
“I was glad to be able to contribute my skills, but also bring a certain passion at the same time to it,” Niu said. “Knowing that this is important for the success of our kids and to give kids opportunities, I think this was something a little different from my experience [as a journalist]. I felt a certain attachment to the people I interviewed, and hoped that they would do well.”
According to multiple members of the auction committee, the Fund A Need took precedence over the auction night. It was the reason everyone was really there.
“When the auctioneer was doing his thing, we started with Fund A Need first,” Auction Board Member Leanna Staben said. “It meant that the entire room was listening and attentive, and we were really focusing on why we were really there, which was to fundraise for the college access program.”
For the auction committee, it was important to spotlight the need for donations to the College Access Program (CAP) within Fund A Need, because donations to the annual campaign don’t support it.
“Without private funding, CAP will not continue to exist,” Woodside High School’s foundation website states. “Unfortunately, donations to the Foundation’s Annual Campaign do not cover the College Access Program costs … yet!”
According to Niu, individuals’ donations can have a far greater impact than they think.
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Niu said.
“I hope that people realize that their dollar, to fund a program or series of programs, actually goes a really long way,” Niu said. “It helps the school’s reputation, and it helps individual student, and it helps their families too.”
