With an enrollment of more than 2,500 students, Cal State Fullerton's College of Education is the fourth largest teacher preparation institution in the
23-campus California State University system

January 18, 2007 :: No. 112

Sixth-grade teacher Kimberly Hennessy and Deborah Osen Hancock, emeritus professor of secondary education, have different reasons for donating to the Cal State Fullerton College of Education’s new Founders Wall.
           
Hennessy is indebted to the College of Education and its faculty for the “superior preparation” she received for her career in teaching; Hancock wanted to memorialize her late husband, Lewis, who earned two degrees at Cal State Fullerton and taught at middle schools for 25 years.
           
The two are among the 531 individuals who donated funds for the wall, which commemorates the establishment of the College of Education in 2004, and honors alumni and faculty members. Located inside the Education-Classroom Building in the dean’s complex, the wall will be unveiled Saturday, Jan. 20, during a 10:30 a.m. dedication ceremony.

The college’s Founders Wall fundraising campaign raised $50,000 for an endowment for student scholarships and $3,000 toward the cost of a college alumni newsletter to be launched this spring.
           
Donors contributed $100 each to have their names, or those of alumni and faculty members, etched on a plaque for permanent display on the wall. Alumni who graduated in 2004 or before, as well as faculty members, were asked to contribute to the special tribute.

The Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union gave a $25,000 donation to subsidize the creation and mounting of the wall.
           
“The generous contributions of our alumni, our faculty and the credit union to the Founders Wall resulted in not only a permanent symbol of their support to the College of Education, but also produced an endowment fund that will benefit future generations of students and prepare them for a career in education,” said Claire Cavallaro, dean of the College of Education.

A CSUF graduate who earned a B.S. in child development (1987), a multiple subject credential (1989) and a master’s degree in education-elementary curriculum and instruction (1992), Hennessy donated to the effort for several reasons.
           
“First, I want to support the College of Education. I learned so much at CSUF; I want to give back,” said Hennessy, who lives in Orange and teaches at Glenknoll Elementary School in Yorba Linda.
           
“Second, I hope to support future teachers by contributing to the college. Third, my own daughter has an interest in teaching. I would love for her to attend CSUF for quality preparation for her career.”
           
Hennessy, an Edwin Carr Fellow — a designation from the college that honors educational leaders — added that she is proud to have received her teacher training at the university.

“The reputation of the College of Education is exceptional. The faculty is outstanding. I believe I received the very best education possible.”
           
Hennessy recalled the encouragement and support she received from the College of Education faculty, especially Ruth Yopp-Edwards, professor of elementary and bilingual education, whom she credits for building her confidence and for serving as a role model during Hennessy’s first semester of student teaching.
           
“I think of what she taught me about dealing with students, developing curriculum and continually seeking more information about our profession. She prepared me well for my career.”
           
Hancock, a Fullerton resident, retired in 1992 after more than 30 years in education. She served as a dean of education at Cal State Bakersfield, as director of an academic partnership program for the California State University Office of the Chancellor, and professor of secondary education and reading at CSUF. Her late husband, whom she met in a linguistic class she taught, earned master’s degrees in reading and counseling at CSUF, as well as a secondary teaching credential. Once a Baptist minister, he changed his career to education and taught for many years at middle schools in Watts and the San Fernando Valley.
           
“The wall is a nice way to recognize him for his contributions in education,” said Hancock, who has been a longtime CSUF supporter, including giving to the President’s Scholars program. “He was a phenomenal teacher.”
           
Cal State Fullerton is the only teacher preparation university in Orange County accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. With an enrollment of more than 2,500 students, it is the fourth largest teacher preparation institution in the 23-campus California State University system. Formerly housed with other programs on campus, the College of Education was established on July 1, 2004 as the university’s eighth college.
           
Saturday’s 10:30 a.m. dedication ceremony will be held on the second-floor patio of the Education-Classroom Building.

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