Alumni Spotlight: Dylan Gong

Dylan Gong leading Lincoln Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in the 2023 Oakland Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade.

Photo credit: kqed.org

“Home.”

It’s one of the first words that pops into Dylan Gong’s head when Lincoln Square Park is mentioned. Of course it makes sense once you realize that Dylan’s dad is beloved Lincoln Recreation Center director, Gilbert Gong, who has been at the helm for over twenty years. Home is the perfect description for what Dylan calls “the mecca of Oakland Chinatown.” Dylan’s sentiments echo those of countless others who spent time at Lincoln.

Dylan went through Lincoln’s well-known after school and summer programs. When he aged out, he became a volunteer. He also found comfort in the sports programs offered at Lincoln. “I felt like it was a place where I could go out and express myself,” he says. Dylan mentions Lincoln Square Park as a huge source of allowing him to have the best childhood experiences possible. He cites three specific examples as some of his fondest memories - biking with recent summer camp participants to San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge and back; Friday nights at Lincoln playing volleyball with family and childhood friends; and learning how to swim during childhood summers. On top of all of the sporting memories, Dylan credits the youth programming - including participation in a Boy Scout troop sponsored by the center - with helping him to build character and professional manners.

Dylan’s positive experiences with Lincoln Square are yet another example of why this capital campaign project is so important. His childhood memories have lasted his entire lifetime and he wants the same for the next generation.