Dear VIA alumni and friends,
It is with profound sadness that I share that VIA’s founder, Dwight Clark, passed away peacefully in Palo Alto on February 22, 2026, at the age of 92.
As many of you know, Dwight was one of the most humble and thoughtful people you could meet, and at the same time a true visionary and entrepreneur. He founded VIA at a time when few people crossed borders to learn about others and about themselves. In 1963, he began by leading a group of freshmen from Stanford University to volunteer in Hong Kong, encouraging them to ask a simple but profound question: “What kind of person do I want to become?”
The idea of bringing people across the Pacific to build cross-cultural understanding and empathy while reflecting on their own purpose and responsibility remains at the core of VIA’s mission today.
I encourage you to take a moment to watch this video recorded for our 50th anniversary and hear Dwight share, in his own words, how VIA began, what inspired him to start it, and what he believed these experiences could mean for the lives of those who took part.
I first met Dwight in 1991, when I joined VIA’s American Language and Culture (ALC) program at Stanford as a college student from Japan. Like many of us, I was drawn to his warm, quietly charismatic presence, and his deep belief in the power of cross-cultural learning. Over the years, Dwight became not only a guiding figure for VIA, but also a personal mentor to me. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve VIA for the past 20 years and now to help lead the organization that he created.
As I write this message, I am in Hong Kong for VIA work, the very place where Dwight led VIA’s first volunteer program in 1963. Being here at this moment brings a deep sense of connection to how VIA began and the path Dwight set in motion. What started with one group of students and one person’s conviction has grown into a global community, with countless people shaped by his vision and now serving as thoughtful, empathetic bridges between cultures.
Dwight, may you rest in peace. Please know that your vision, your questions, and your spirit will continue to guide and inspire all of us for generations to come.
With deepest respect,
Kazutoh Ishida
VIA Executive Director
