Founders Wall Dedication Raises $50,000 for College of Education Scholarships
With an enrollment of more than 2,500 students, CSUF's College of Education is the fourth largest teacher preparation institution in the 23-campus California State University system
January 22, 2007
By Debra Cano Ramos
Sixth-grade teacher and CSUF alumna Kimberly Hennessy, and Deborah Osen Hancock, emeritus professor of secondary education, have different reasons for donating to the 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 people who contributed to erecting the wall, which commemorates the 2004 creation of the College of Education and honors alumni and faculty members.
Looking for their names are campus and community
members whose support of the College of Education was memorialized on
a Founders Wall dedicated Jan. 20. The wall, located inside the Education-Classroom
Building in the dean’s complex, commemorates the creation of the College
in 2004 and honors alumni and faculty members. The college’s
wall 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.
Located
inside the dean’s complex in the Education Classroom Building, the wall
was unveiled during a Jan. 20 dedication ceremony. The college’s wall
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 to have their name, or the name of an alumnus or faculty member, 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 tribute.
In addition, the Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union donated $25,000
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.
Claire Cavallaro, dean of the College of Education
expressed her appreciation for the support of the Orange County Teachers
Federal Credit Union during the Jan. 20 dedication of the college’s
Founders Wall. The local credit union donated $25,000 to subsidize the
creation and mounting of the wall. Pictured, from left, are Rudy Hanley,
president, Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union; Cavallaro; Kristin
Crellin, executive director of school and community relations, OCTFCU;
and Jose Lara, senior vice president of organizational planning and development,
OCTFCU.
A CSUF graduate
who earned a bachelor’s degree in child development (1987), a multiple
subject credential (1989) and a master’s degree in elementary education
(1992), Hennessy donated to the wall 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 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
also recalled the encouragement and support she received from 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 her 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
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 an linguistic class she taught, earned master’s degrees in reading
and counseling at Cal State Fullerton, as well as a secondary teaching credential.
Once a Baptist minister, he changed his career to education and taught for
many years at a middle school in Watts and later in 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 campus 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 (NCATE). 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 in another college, the College of Education was established
on July 1, 2004 as the university’s eighth college.