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Generous Alumna Bequest Helps the SOE Support the Whole Student

brittnem — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 21:19:58 +0000

Generous Alumna Bequest Helps the SOE Support the Whole Student brittnem Mon, 09/09/2024 - 14:19 More News James Rowland September 25, 2024

When Barbara Kerr graduated from UCR, she loved the university. “But I love it even more now,” Kerr said. “Because of the way UCR takes care of its students.” Since a concern for the overall well-being of each student is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the UCR School of Education (SOE), it seems natural that Barbara Kerr would bequest 40% of her estate to the SOE. Her gift specifically designates 10% to the Barbara Kerr Endowed Scholarship, 5% to R’Pantry and 85% of the gift for SOE unrestricted funds, a rare and highly valuable contribution to the academic, social and professional success of SOE students.

“I know infrastructure is important, and universities need money for buildings,” Kerr said. “But the gift that I am making will provide vital support that will directly support student success.” Amongst the programs that Kerr’s gift will support are the SOE Research and Writing Support Center and the Community Engaged Learning Program. The writing and support center provides one-on-one support and online workshops to help SOE students advance their research and writing skills. The support center goes beyond academics as it also helps students with professional writing, grant writing and applications for graduate school. It is the only support center of its kind on campus, singularly devoted just to students who are pursuing their degree in Education.

Community Engaged Learning (CEL) is also unique to the SOE. CEL is a degree requirement for each SOE student, requiring 40 hours of community engaged learning before graduation. The CEL team works with each student to identify an opportunity to work and network outside of the classroom in order to connect with the community, develop professional skills and ultimately learn more about their own career ambitions. Amongst the programs where students are placed include RUSD schools, Fight for Autism, Center for Early Childhood Education, Project Access and Coachella Valley Free Clinic.

“We know we are part of a large, prestigious, state university system and we encourage our students to take advantage of all those big university college experiences,” said Joi A. Spencer, dean of the School of Education. “However, at the SOE, our culture is to nurture and support each student in a way where each student gets the best of both worlds: the resources of a major university but the personal attention of a small college.”

The gift from Barbara Kerr will allow the SOE to maintain and build upon its small college culture. For instance, the SOE provides Learning Communities for incoming students and even offers its own student programs such as Somos SOE and Welcome Black to the SOE. “We know our school is unique. But so is each and every one of our students. Barbara’s generosity allows us to offer programs that support the whole student, in and out of the classroom and, for that, we are extremely grateful.” said Spencer.

Kerr acknowledges her life as a teacher as the inspiration for this gift. She worked as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher from 1969 to 1995. She then served as an officer and president of the California Teachers Association, an organization that represents more than 300,000 educators statewide. In 2005, the Los Angeles Times named her the third most powerful person in California.

“As teachers, we want to be remembered for making the world a better place,” Kerr said. “I can’t think of a better way to extend that memory than to support the continuing success of each student who plans to make the world a better place after earning their degree at the UCR School of Education.”

*****

For more information, visit education.ucr.edu

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Making a difference: SOE staff spotlight

cpark077 — Mon, 16 May 2022 17:57:51 +0000

Making a difference: SOE staff spotlight cpark077 Mon, 05/16/2022 - 10:57 More News Chloe Park May 16, 2022

The Inland Empire Alumni Network (IEAN) for the University of California, Riverside is a group of local UCR alumni who promote a sense of community throughout the Inland Empire. They host networking and programming events that enrich student experiences and also promote student-alumni interaction to establish relationships with other Highlanders.

The IEAN for UCR takes part in many volunteer leadership and service projects to represent the Highlander community’s proud and lifelong commitment. Samantha Jobelius, SOE’s enrollment manager, is the current president of the IEAN for UCR and also served in this position from 2016-2018. When asked why Jobelius chose to run for the executive leadership position, she shared, “I want to help the group achieve its mission and vision, and continue to develop my leadership skills. It also gives me a great opportunity to meet and connect with fellow alumni on a regular basis.”

IEAN for UCR Clean Up Group

The group started hosting street clean up events in 2018 when a fellow board member shared her concerns with the trash and dirt she would see on her commute to campus. They partnered with Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful (KRCB), a community program sponsored by the City of Riverside and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce (GRCC), to bring together volunteers and alumni on this venture about once per year.

The group decided they wanted to take on more responsibility and adopt a street, and in 2021, KRCB reached out with an available street and offered it to IEAN. To celebrate the adoption “pandemic style,” the group held multiple outdoor, socially distanced events throughout the year.

Spirit of Volunteerism Award

IEAN was recently honored with The Spirit of Volunteerism Award by KRCB. The award recognizes an exemplary group of volunteers for their outstanding leadership and commitment to community beautification in the City of Riverside. Connie Librenjak, the Executive Director of KRCB, presented the group with their plaque at their January clean-up. Jobelius shared that they see this street as a gateway to campus, and they take great pride in taking care of it.

To find out more about the social, networking, and other events the IEAN hosts, visit their website and follow their social media accounts:
Facebook
Instagram
Website

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SOE honors two alumnae for Teacher Appreciation Week

juliep — Wed, 04 May 2022 19:27:08 +0000

SOE honors two alumnae for Teacher Appreciation Week juliep Wed, 05/04/2022 - 12:27 More News May 04, 2022

In celebration of teacher appreciation week, SOE honored two alumnae with the Excellence in Education Alumni Awards at an intimate reception at The Barn. This awards program, now in its second year, honors alumni currently on faculty at a K-12 school who, in alignment with SOE’s mission, are committed to advancing equitable educational systems and practices in their K-12 work.

Andrea Zambrano and Alejandra Sanchez were nominated by colleagues, and selected by a panel that included Interim Dean Louie Rodriguez, Interim Assistant Dean and Director of Teacher Education Dr. Frances Valdovinos, SOE Community Advisory Board Member and educator at Corona Norco Unified School District Dr. Sussan Ortega, and Dr. Will Greer, SOE Community Advisory Board Member and Director of Equity and Targeted Student Achievement at San Bernardino City Unified School District

“I am honored to recognize two alumnae today who truly embody the mission of SOE to advance equitable educational systems and practices, Alejandra Sanchez and Andrea Zambrano,” said Interim Dean Louie Rodriguez as he welcomed attendees to the celebration. Rodriguez went on to share excerpts of their nomination letters as he presented them with their awards.

Alejandra Sanchez with Interim Dean Louie Rodriguez, Dr. Frances Valdovinos, Dr. Sussan Ortega

Alejandra Sanchez, a 5th grade teacher at Seneca Elementary School, was nominated by fellow teacher and last year’s award recipient, Jennifer Covington.

A Mexican American immigrant, and undocumented student unable to qualify for federal financial aid, Alejandra says that she struggled financially while initially pursuing her bachelor’s degree at UCR after transferring from Riverside Community College. She ended up taking time off to earn money for school, and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, San Bernardino with the financial assistance of the DREAMER grant, a financial award available for undocumented students. She realized teaching was her calling when she began substitute teaching and earned her Master’s plus teaching credential from SOE.

“In alignment with the SOE’s pillars, Alejandra has created a student-centered and supportive learning environment. She promotes structures of opportunity, rewarding students for effort. She is also intentional about building relationships with parents and caregivers, recognizing that these trusted adults are her 'partners for cultivating an inclusive, intentional, and supportive learning environment',” said Rodriguez, sharing parts of the nomination, as he presented her with her award.

Andrea Zambrano with Interim Dean Louie Rodriguez, Dr. Frances Valdovinos, Dr. Sussan Ortega

Andrea Zambrano, a 6th grade dual language immersion teacher at Stone Avenue Elementary, was nominated by her colleague and SOE Community Advisory Board Member Martha Gomez.

Andrea says her driving force as an educator is to service her diverse community, and to connect students and families to services that further develop cultural, linguistic, and academic needs. She’s an advocate for early inclusion and identification of gifted students and is currently a GATE coordinator in her district. She received her bacherlor’s in liberal studies and Master’s plus teaching credential from SOE. She continues to work with the university by coaching and supporting the teachers of tomorrow.

“Andrea inspires her students to develop a sense of collective ownership and humanizing engagement in the face of injusticias in their communities. In fact, after one of her students, Beatriz, returned from a trip to Mexico where she witnessed the injusticia faced by lower-income individuals in public hostels, Beatriz was inspired to launch a fundraising effort to provide basic essentials for the community. Of this story, Martha wrote how this is an example of the educator that Ms. Zambrano is. She actively encourages and supports her students to be the leaders of change our society needs,” Rodriguez shared from her nomination.

At the ceremony, the honorees received an SOE crystal award and a $250 gift card in recognition of their efforts.

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Jonathan Walters #UCR2020

juliep — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 17:01:00 +0000

Jonathan Walters #UCR2020 juliep Tue, 01/26/2021 - 09:01 More News May 27, 2020

Jonathan Walters (M.Ed. and Single Subject English Credential) and his family could never afford to live in one place for very long. He used to ride the bus five hours a day just to get to and from school. Now he wants to help other students earn an education and overcome whatever obstacles might be in their path. Watch the video of his journey below!

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#UCRGrad20: Siqi Wang

juliep — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 18:30:49 +0000

#UCRGrad20: Siqi Wang juliep Thu, 06/04/2020 - 11:30 More News May 14, 2020

Siqi (Suki) Wang, set to earn her doctorate from the higher education administration and policy program, researches innovation and inclusion in higher education. Specifically, her research examines how faculty involvement in entrepreneurial activities influences their instruction, mentoring, and education of students. Suki also studies how to develop innovativeness and entrepreneurship in STEM education that are inclusive to women and student of color.

This past October, Suki received a dissertation grant in the amount of $19,424 from National Science Foundation for the project, "Doctoral Dissertation Research: When Two Worlds Collide: Examining the Influence of Academic Entrepreneurship on the Professional Obligations of Academics.” The grant helped Suki examine university faculty engagement in academic entrepreneurship and its compatibility with the social and educational missions of the public university.

As a student at GSOE, Suki received conference grants from UCR Graduate Student Association and GSOE to present at ASHE (Association for the Study of Higher Education) and AERA (American Educational Research Association) on faculty identity, doctoral education, and academic entrepreneurship in the university. She also chaired sessions at ASHE on the academic profession and work life balance.

When asked what she enjoyed most about being a student at GSOE, Suki said, “I enjoy brainstorming with faculty and students on interesting research projects!”

Suki added, “I like the academic environment and I enjoy doing research and teaching at a university. I am looking for postdoc/faculty positions that can support me to work on interesting research projects and teaching and mentoring students.”

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#UCRGrad20: Emad Alussaif

juliep — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 18:07:27 +0000

#UCRGrad20: Emad Alussaif juliep Thu, 06/04/2020 - 11:07 More News Julie Porter May 14, 2020

Emad Alussaif’s dream is to be a researcher, so when he was applying to doctoral programs, he decided to move from Saudi Arabia to study with some of the nation’s top special education researchers at UCR Graduate School of Education.

Emad’s research interests include designing reading instructions to help improve reading comprehension for students with intellectual disabilities (ID).

“Reading comprehension is a crucial reading skill that all students including those with intellectual disability need to be successful in school and work life. Having problems with reading comprehension can negatively affect students’ academic achievement. Students with ID exhibit deficits in reading skills that make reading comprehension challenging for them. I am interested in implementing a reading intervention that improves students with ID’s reading comprehension, such as identifying the main idea from expository text. Helping them master this skill will assist them to understand the text, to draw appropriate inferences, to study effectively, and to be a better reader,” said Emad.

Emad Alussaif plans to return to Saudi Arabia and help students with disabilities improve their reading skills.

During his time at GSOE, he has worked closely with faculty and presented his research at conferences. Most recently he presented “Improving Reading Comprehension for Students with Intellectual Disability: The Effectiveness of the Main Idea and Self-Monitoring Strategy” at the 14th Annual Conference University of California Center for Research on Special Education, Disabilities and Developmental Risk (UCSPEDDR) at UCLA.

In his dissertation, Emad implemented reading intervention to teach students with ID how to identify the main idea from the text, which has been widely investigated among students with learning disabilities (LD), but little attention has been given to this strategy in improving reading comprehension for students with ID. Thus, the study aimed to address this gap in the literature. Results from the study revealed the effectiveness of the main idea and self-monitoring strategy in improving reading comprehension for students with ID. The findings are promising, and provide evidence that students with ID are capable to learn more complex reading skills and can benefit from reading interventions that have been found to be effective for students with other disabilities such as learning disabilities.

When asked what has been one of his favorite things about the program, Emad said, “The faculty provide us with the tools, methods, and knowledge that shape our way of thinking systematically and scientifically. The professors work closely with you, and they are happy to help you anytime no matter where you from are, what language you speak, or what type of help you seek.”

Now, with his doctorate in hand and a wealth of hands-on research, Emad plans to return home to help students with disabilities improve their reading abilities.

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#UCRGrad20: Ahtziri Hernandez

juliep — Thu, 28 May 2020 19:43:32 +0000

#UCRGrad20: Ahtziri Hernandez juliep Thu, 05/28/2020 - 12:43 More News May 14, 2020

Ahtziri Hernandez ’20, Education

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! How did you decide to become an education major? My goal since high school was to become an elementary school teacher so when the education major was created during my second year, I had to join the program.

Tell us a little about your time at UCR and some of the activities that you participated in. I was in the Honors Program all four years at UCR which led to multiple opportunities and fun activities with my peers. I was also part of CSF, the Catholic Student Fellowship, and for a time Not So Sharp, an acapella group on campus. I enjoyed taking dancing lessons at the SRC when I had extra time. I also volunteered as an Education Ambassador my last two years at UCR to advocate for the major and minor.

How do you feel your experience at GSOE prepared you for your next step? The faculty and staff within the GSOE have been very helpful and down to earth when it comes to preparing students for their next steps. Our advisors are always looking out for us and letting us know of informational sessions. Faculty are welcoming and share research and networking opportunities, constantly. Because of all of this, I have acquired more public speaking skills, I know of more resources I can use, and I feel like regardless of what I choose to do next, I have a community that supports me.

What is your favorite thing about UCR? I love that UCR empowers its students and is not afraid to create critical thinkers and strong future leaders.

What advice do you have for entering undergraduates? Ask all the questions. They are never dumb or unnecessary. When I came in I didn’t know what a “major” was, but by asking different people you eventually find your way. You only need to take the first step and ask!

You’re graduating! What’s next? I have been accepted to GSOE’s Master of Education and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program so I will be back in classes this summer! After this, I hope to be working in the Inland Empire as an elementary school teacher.

Ahtziri (right) with her roommate at UCR Block Party.

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#UCRGrad20: Jennifer Ramos

juliep — Thu, 28 May 2020 19:10:40 +0000

#UCRGrad20: Jennifer Ramos juliep Thu, 05/28/2020 - 12:10 More News May 14, 2020

Jennifer Ramos '20, Education and Liberal Studies
Education concentration: Social Justice, Policy, Community

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! How did you decide to become an education major? Before adding Education as a second major, I was only pursuing Liberal Studies (LBST). Being that LBST was a very broad major and was not entirely focused on education topics, I had heard from a friend who was also a LBST major that she added the education major and she loved it. After taking “Intro to Education,” I soon realized that the topics discussed during this class truly hit close to home, and I developed a passion for learning more about critical ways of perceiving education. It was then that I added the major.

Tell us a little about your time at UCR and some of the activities that you participated in. My time at UCR was a rollercoaster mostly because each quarter and year was so different from one another. My freshman year I dormed in A-I, and this is where I met my friends who I created memories with throughout college. My sophomore year I joined TRIO Scholars which allowed me to have access to resources that helped pave the way of my college journey. I was able to attend professional development workshops and be exposed to career options, I visited graduate schools, and built a community with fellow TRIO scholars and staff.

My junior year, I became a GSOE Ambassador and also had the opportunity to present with a few of my GSOE peers at the Harvard School of Education. We presented to Harvard alumni, scholars, and students. My last year at UCR, I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Spain for four months. During my time abroad, I traveled to seven different countries in Europe and one country in Africa. My last quarter at UCR, I decided to join the UC Center Sacramento program for which I interned at the California Department of Education for the Government Affairs Department (GAD). I learned to further understand education law, and had the opportunity to make connections with many of my team members at GAD. My entire experience at UCR was thrilling mostly because there were so many opportunities that I was able to take, and each year I found myself doing something different and exciting.

What is your favorite thing about UCR? After studying abroad in Spain, I realized how grateful I was to attend UCR. My favorite aspect about UCR, would have to be the GSOE professors and teaching assistants. The GSOE staff and faculty is filled with many folx of color, different cultures, and backgrounds. Seeing and having classes taught by GSOE staff and faculty has helped me gain a sense of empowerment and belonging.

How do you feel your experience at GSOE prepared you for your next step? My experience at GSOE has encouraged me to become a critical educator that fights for equitable education wherever I am at. Growing up in low-income schools that were predominantly populated by minority students, I grew accustomed to the many injustices that occurred in my schools, and after taking several education courses that focused more on social justice I began to realize that the injustices that I saw had vocabulary terms such as school-to-prison-pipeline, banking method, teacher turnaround, and many more terms. My experience at GSOE taught me that I can go back to my community and create change. I never thought I would be eager to return to Bakersfield CA, I disliked the city and that is why I left to Riverside. However, now more than ever I want to stay in Bakersfield because my community needs radical change and I want to create this through the perspective of education.

What advice do you have for entering undergraduates? The best advice that I can give to incoming undergraduates is to constantly tell yourself “I am capable.” You are capable of attending office hours and speaking to intimidating professors, you are capable of applying for that scholarship, going abroad and studying a different language, you are capable of attending conferences at prestigious schools to present your research, and more importantly you are capable of breaking systematic barriers. College can be an uncomfortable space to navigate, and many times you are going to have to push yourself through the uncomfortableness of it all to truly allow yourself to grow and succeed. You will not see change if nothing changes.

You’re graduating! What’s next? As an education major I learned that I can take upon many jobs that pertain to the field. I am currently applying for a job in my hometown in Bakersfield, CA as an early interventionist. During my time as an early interventionist I plan to work on doing research within Bakersfield on community excellence. I aspire to create a documentary to prove the point that Bakersfield has more than just cows, oil fields, and agriculture. I want to conduct interviews with folx who have succeeded and are from Bakersfield. After a year I hope to attend graduate school and receive my masters within education.

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#UCRGrad20: Sarah Juarez

juliep — Wed, 27 May 2020 19:36:30 +0000

#UCRGrad20: Sarah Juarez juliep Wed, 05/27/2020 - 12:36 More News Julie Porter May 14, 2020

When Sarah Juarez told her high school guidance counselor that her goal was to attend graduate school, their response was, “We will see if you can even make it through community college because you are not college-ready.”

Not only did Sarah make it through community college, she earned two associate degrees, was accepted to nine different higher education institutions as a transfer student, and will earn her Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from GSOE this June.

Her road to this point has been anything but smooth, and Sarah’s experience with her high school counselor wasn’t an isolated incident. After transferring from Chaffey, where she received support and mentorship, to a new institution to pursue her Bachelor’s in Psychology, she was discriminated against because of her ethnic and socio-economic background, and two professors told her that she couldn’t make it through graduate school.

“It was a very traumatizing experience, and the reason I decided to pursue a career in higher education. I wanted to keep students from having the same experience as I had, and I grew a passion and mission to help students achieve their academic goals,” she said.

Sarah changed her major from psychology to higher education, and was accepted into the Higher Education Administration and Policy graduate program at the Graduate School of Education at UCR, where she found a community of peers and professors who have inspired her to “dig deeper, think differently, challenge the current norms, and continue striving for greatness.”

“I was very nervous about attending UCR because of my undergraduate experience. However, GSOE has become a home away from home. Every professor I have had here has shown they genuinely care about their graduate students, and I have had my favorite classes here at GSOE,” she said.

Sarah is also GSOE’s inaugural Community Learning Coordinator for the Education, Society, and Human Development undergraduate major, which launched in 2018. Over the past year, she has helped build the infrastructure for the 40-hour community engaged learning requirement, creating partnerships with local non-profits, including Blu Educational Foundation, Cash for College, Growing Inland Achievement, Riverside Unified School District, Early Academy Outreach Program, Create Thirst Academy, and Riverside Arts Academy. She connects undergraduate students with experiential learning opportunities ranging from mentoring, tutoring, and working with local K-12 students on college-readiness programs.

Sarah Juarez earns her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration and Policy this summer.

“Students need to apply what they are learning in the classroom to the real world, especially in the field of education. Many of our students want to be teachers, counselors, mentors, principals, deans, or directors. The sooner they go out into the field and gain experience, the sooner they can commit to a solid plan in how to achieve their career goals,” she says.

She credits this role, and working closely with the GSOE undergraduate advising team, with expanding her experience and understanding of student success programs. It also allows her to be a champion for students.

“I didn’t have many friendly encounters after I transferred, and always preferred to do everything myself rather than asking. This position has allowed me to be a friendly face, and a supportive space for students, so they don’t ever have to experience what I experienced during my undergraduate years. In a way, I am fulfilling my passion for helping students achieve their academic goals.”

Now that she’s earned her Master’s degree, she plans to work towards becoming a director for a career or student services program, such as TRIO, Puente, or Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), at a community college.

“I was a student who was thought to not be college-ready, and I didn’t expect to finish community college the way I did, with the amount of schools’ acceptance letters that I received. I was only able to achieve this through the support of the counselors, mentors, and professors who believed in me at my community college,” Sarah said. “They helped me see my fullest potential, and always believed that I would finish graduate school and come back to serve community college students. I hope to continue what they planted, to help students see their fullest potential, so they achieve their goals, just like I did.”

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#UCRGrad20: Sergio Iribe

juliep — Wed, 27 May 2020 16:17:02 +0000

#UCRGrad20: Sergio Iribe juliep Wed, 05/27/2020 - 09:17 More News May 14, 2020

Sergio Iribe '20, Education and Public Policy
Education Concentration: Community, Policy, Leadership

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation from UCR! What inspired you to study education? I always wanted to work with youth, so I wanted to take steps toward accomplishing that. When I entered UCR, the education major wasn’t offered yet; I started off as a business economic major because I wanted to work with economics for non-profits. After realizing the program wasn’t the right fit, and learning that there were new majors available in education and public policy, I decided to double major in public policy and education, as those presented a better match for me and my goals.

Tell us a little about your time at UCR and some of the activities that you participated in. My time at UCR has been a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I started to get involved during my third year, when I began working with GSOE’s education research group, Center for Educational Transformation. From there, I joined the inaugural Education Student Ambassadors, participated in the UC-Sacramento program, and worked with the School of Public Policy as a Peer Academic Advisor. All of these opportunities had a big impact on me, and really made my time at UCR that much more memorable.

What has been one of your favorite things about being a student at UCR? My favorite thing about UCR, aside from the majors, was being part of Costo Hall. Costo Hall is where many of the programs that help students feel more welcome on campus are located. It is a great resource for students, and I felt that I greatly benefited from these organizations.

Sergio, second from right, with peers during their time in the UC Sacramento program.

What advice do you have for entering undergraduates? My advice would be that whatever you decide to do, do it with a purpose, and NETWORK. You do not have to be a part of a bunch of clubs, in honors, or have tons of internships to gain great experience and connections. Those things obviously help, but you should not feel like “if you aren't doing that then you're failing.” Do things related to the career or field that you are leaning towards. If you are not sure what that is, explore early and often to help you make that decision.

How do you feel your experience at GSOE prepared you for your career goals? I really enjoyed being a part of GSOE because I felt like I grew with the program, as the program itself was new when I transferred into the major. GSOE does a very good job cultivating collaboration and community, as staff, faculty, and students all work together, and if you want to work in education like I do, those things are key. The program helped me gain hands-on experience, while learning the material, by providing me with opportunities to work with students, coordinate events, and pushing me to obtain field hours.

You’re graduating! What’s next? I plan on extending my stay at UCR to earn my Master’s in Education with a Teaching Credential from GSOE! I hope to start my career as a teacher, and then potentially become a principal or work in a school district in some capacity, but who knows. I might end going in another route. It is always good to plan, but you should always be ready to adapt.

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