UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School hosts 2022-2023 Fellowship Breakfast

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - "Education: What Does Change Look Like?" was this theme of this year's annual event, which marks a proud and emotional milestone for teacher candidates enrolled in UCSB's Gevirtz School.

“What does change look like?” asked the School's Dean, Jeffry Milem, in his comments. “To me, it looks like visionary and generous people who are willing to help the next generation get launched with fellowships and support them in doing their best work. It looks like institutions who believe that everybody has the potential to be amazing. It looks like young fellows who selflessly give share their intellect and hearts for the greater good. Change looks like everybody in this room.”

This year, the Gevirtz School honored 62 students during Friday's breakfast ceremony, awarding funds for excellence in a range of areas, including: students showing great academic progress and excellence in community service; the first in their family to attend graduate school; critical thinkers and risk-takers and those students pushing boundaries in education.

The Fellowships include:

• The Alumni Fellowship in the Department of Counseling, Clinical & School Psychology, funded by CCSP alumni, helps support students in the department who show great academic progress and excellence in the area of community service.
• The Delaine A. Eastin Fellowship supports students pursuing an MA or Ph.D. in Education who show academic promise and are the first in their family to attend graduate school.
• The Dr. Sabrina Tuyay Memorial Fellowship that acknowledges teacher candidates in TEP who have shown a commitment to providing thoughtful literacy and English language instruction to elementary and/or special education students. This Fellowship honors Dr. Sabrina Tuyay, who was passionate about helping teachers become critical thinkers and risk takers, leaders willing to push boundaries so that all students can optimally learn to read and write and think.

Recipients said receiving a fellowship is an immense financial help, as most do not work and focus solely on the student teaching during the program.

"I am so grateful," said Genecaret Cardoso, the recipient of the Dr. Sabrina Tuyay Fellowship. "I am the first one in my family to pursue a graduate degree. And both of my parents worked in the fields. My mother was a migrant worker in Texas and Wisconsin, my dad picked strawberries in Santa Maria. So, being here at UCSB is such a wonderful opportunity."

Brenda Villa, a first-generation student and a mother of three living in Oxnard, received two fellowships: The Vivian Gurrier "Hope" Fellowship, which honors longtime Gevirtz School staff member, Vivian Guerrier, and recognizes candidates who persevere in spite of hardships. And, the President's Educator Fellowship, which supports UC-prepared educators who plan to teach in high-needs schools in California.

"When times get hard as an educator, I will reflect back on the ceremony that was very inspiring by the superintendent, by our dean. It touched my heart very deeply," said Villa.

Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, served as keynote speaker. She expressed that she was "humbled and honored" to be part of the ceremony.