Written by Hannah Cheng (Class of 2027), Anna Huang (Class of 2026)

On March 1st, 2026, a wonderful evening unfolded. Fifty years ago, the Instilling Goodness and Developing Virtue school was founded by the Venerable Master Hua in a small building in San Francisco. Fifty years later, people in the community are now gathered at the Buddha Hall in the City of the Ten Thousand Buddhas, with all the current students, the founding teachers, and alumni. Students are fascinated to witness this moment as the school’s history reaches fifty years, and are excited to learn from and shoulder the legacy passed down from the first generation of the school. 

That evening, the students were honored to welcome Heng Ching Shr, Carol Ruth Silver, Lee Bradley, Richard Bradley, Terri Nicholson, and Roger Kellerman to the Buddha hall, where parents, teachers, and other community members also gathered to share in the event. The story telling brought the audience together to the vivid experiences upon the establishment of the school. 

The teachers and alumni shared many touching experiences. Through their stories, the students learned valuable lessons and benefited greatly. We are deeply grateful for the efforts of those who came before us—as the saying goes, “One generation plants the trees, and the next enjoys the shade.” It is this very spirit that has brought the school to where it stands today. We hope that in the next fifty years, IGDVS will continue to grow and flourish even more.