A Life of Service, Honored at the Highest Level!

In a room filled with fellow Lions and the quiet gravity of shared purpose, a simple ribbon and medallion carried a weight far beyond metal. It marked a life of service. It recognized a leader whose work radiates outward—from local halls and kitchens to statewide initiatives and international commitments. When Tisha Cardoza received the International President’s Award, presented by A. P. Singh, the honor felt both a surprise and an inevitability. Surprise, because such awards are rare and discretionary. Inevitable, because Tisha’s devotion to service has long set the standard.

The International President’s Award is among the highest distinctions in Lionism—bestowed personally by the sitting president to those whose leadership and service extend well beyond their local club or district. It recognizes exceptional dedication to the mission of Lions Clubs International, including strong support for the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), and tangible impact across communities and causes during a specific presidential year. It is, in essence, a tribute to service that scales—rooted locally, felt globally.

For Tisha Cardoza, service is not a résumé line; it is a way of being. An American of Portuguese ancestry with deep roots in the Azores, she carries forward a diasporic ethic shaped by island resilience, mutual aid, and a fierce commitment to community. In California, she has poured her heart and soul into civic life—serving and leading across numerous statewide organizations, building bridges, mentoring volunteers, and ensuring that service remains inclusive, practical, and humane.

At the center of this work stands the Selma Portuguese Azorean Association, where Tisha is widely known as the heart and soul of the Portuguese Hall. There, heritage and service meet: cultural celebrations become opportunities for giving; traditions become vehicles for solidarity; and the doors remain open to neighbors in need. Her leadership has helped the Hall function not only as a guardian of Azorean-Portuguese identity, but as a living hub of generosity and civic engagement for the wider community.

Within Lionism, Tisha’s influence has been equally expansive. As president of CVLLC and a tireless advocate for Lions’ programs, she has exemplified what it means to serve beyond boundaries—championing initiatives that support sight, health, disaster relief, and membership growth, while strengthening the connective tissue that binds clubs, districts, and communities. Her work reflects the spirit of the President’s Award itself: discretionary, yes—but grounded in measurable impact, ethical leadership, and sustained commitment.

To honor Tisha Cardoza is to honor a tradition of service carried across oceans and generations, translated into action here and now. The medal she received marks a moment; the service behind it marks a lifetime. In recognizing her, Lionism affirms its highest values—and the Portuguese-American community in California sees one of its own celebrated for what she has always done best: show up, lead with compassion, and make service a shared calling. Tisha is an amazing person, one fo those exceptional human beings who do not seek recognition—yet, deservingly so, recognition finds them.

Well deserved. Way to go, Tisha.

We are honored to inaugurate this new segment in Novidades (the islands and the diaspora) with a distinction given to Tisha Cardoza.

Vision Statement

Roots of Distinction envisions a living archive of Portuguese-American lives whose impact has been recognized beyond the boundaries of ethnicity—by American institutions, civic organizations, foundations, and national movements. Rooted in California and shaped by Azorean and Portuguese diasporic history, this series affirms that quiet dedication, ethical leadership, and sustained service are forms of excellence that deserve public memory.

This series seeks not spectacle, but substance—honoring lives that embody service as vocation, community as responsibility, and heritage as a source of moral compass rather than nostalgia.

Mission Statement

The mission of Roots of Distinction is to document, celebrate, and contextualize Portuguese-Americans in California who have been distinguished by American organizations—or whose lifetime of service merits recognition in its own right.

Through literary profiles, essays, and public-facing chronicles, the series will:

  • Honor service beyond ethnicity, highlighting individuals whose leadership resonates across cultural, civic, and institutional boundaries
  • Preserve diasporic memory, particularly Azorean and Portuguese contributions often overlooked in mainstream narratives
  • Inspire future generations, offering models of engagement rooted in humility, perseverance, and collective good
  • Bridge community and country, showing how Portuguese-American identity enriches American civic life
  • Affirm visibility without self-promotion, recognizing excellence that often unfolds quietly, steadily, and over decades

At its core, Roots of Distinction is an act of cultural stewardship: ensuring that lives shaped by migration, service, and belonging are named, remembered, and passed forward.