Awards Recipients
Outstanding Classified Staff Award
2021 | Roslind Young | Roslind is an integral part of the chemistry department at Cañada College. During the pandemic, she created a lab kits so students can do laboratory work at home, allowing us to be the only community college in the Bay Area to do so and effectively meetingthe needs of our students. She is an effective team player, a good listener, and has great interpersonal skills. Roz also serves on PBC, represtenting classified staff faithfully and fearlessly. |
2020 | Allison Hughes | Allison is an incredible resource to Cañada’s faculty and staff as our Instructional Technologist, and her work during this time of upheaval and transition to completely online education in the wake of a global pandemic has been truly outstanding. As a result of Allison’s hard work and dedication, our college has a treasure trove of resources for this transition to online education. She has been like a lighthouse while faculty find themselves in the stormy seas of converting their face-to-face classes to online platforms. We are lucky to have a technologist as a resource, and even more so, we are lucky to have Allison Hughes. |
2019 | Loretta Davis | Loretta takes it upon herself to provide exceptional support and service to administrators, faculty, staff, and students. She discerns quickly their individual needs and moves efficiently to provide key information, recommendations, or direction.Fondly known as the ‘go-to’ person for most things at our college, she receives requests every day from faculty and staff who call upon her experience for information and advice. “Loretta always provides excellent service to our students and staff and welcomes everyone with a smile. She goes above and beyond when helping students,” shared a faculty member. Our fellow colleagues always commend her hard work, dedication, and professionalism. |
2018 | Mayra Arellano |
Mayra Arellano exemplifies hard work, collaboration, and student-centered service. Across the county, Cañada is well represented by her detailed knowledge, enthusiasm, and smiling face. Despite a full calendar of outreach events, she is always willing to step up to attend an event where potential Cañada students may be or to support events on campus. She pursues collaboration with any organization where a shared effort will better serve our students. As a Manager, she has trained an amazing group of student ambassadors, who proudly represent her and this school, providing warmth and information about Cañada wherever they go. She provides these students with opportunities for growth, gives them thoughtful and timely feedback and grows them as leaders on our campus. |
2017 | Soraya Sohrabi | Soraya Sohrabi is recognized for going out of her way to assist and advocate for students. She is able to draw from a wealth of knowledge through her work in A&R, Transfer Center, Outreach, Articulation and Counseling. She is further recognized for her work with the Student Recognition Reception, the Student Transfer Educational Program (STEP) and her service on Curriculum Committee, PBC, SSPC, Honors, Accreditation and as a regional representative for Transfer Center Directors to the CCCCO. She is very generous with her time and support for students and colleagues. |
2016 | José Garcia | José Garcia is recognized for serving as Visual Communications Coordinator with patient, supportive, kind, and helpful grace. His work is excellent, impactful and enhances our college's reputation within our community. José responds to every request, planned or sudden, with the same enthusiasm, speed, and responsiveness. In a large, well-funded institution, an entire team of employees would be shouldering the same workload that José is in charge of. Even in a comparably sized school as our own, it would take three people to somehow accomplish the work that José somehow manages every day. |
2015 | José Peña | José Peña is recognized for the knowledge, service, and commitment he provides as Curriculum and Instructional Systems Specialist. Aside from working extra time to meet deadlines, his commitment shines when he stops his work to attend to constant requests for help, to address a current need or question, to participate in a meeting, or to constantly improve the flow of instructional information and materials. Having been ingrained as an important cog in the Cañada College family for three decades, he has seen what can work versus what can be improved for the future, whether it is for a special event or a revised instructional plan. |
2014 | José Romero | José Romero is recognized for his notable service in Admissions and Records, CBET and EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs/FFYSI. José is commended for going the extra mile to ensure that students receive vital financial support. Long hours, volunteer work, personal sacrifice and advocacy both on campus and within the community characterize Jose’s work ethic. José has been instrumental in increasing participation rates in CalWORKs, enhancing the CalWORKs Work Study program, and improving services for former foster youth. His dedication to improving the educational opportunities of low-income and first generation students is highly admired. |
2013 | Gloria Peña | |
2012 | Maria Lara | |
2011 | Dottie Shilo | |
2010 | Georgia Clark | |
2009 | Joan Murphy | |
2008 | Maggie Souza |
Outstanding Faculty Award
2021 | FT | Lezlee Ware | Advocating for equity and inclusion in both word and deed, Lezlee co-founded Black Students Matter, spearheaded the Ethnic Studies creation, and is working to establish the UMOJA program at Cañada. Even amid this Pandemic, students continue to share what an amazing teacher she is and how, in spite of this unprecedented year of racial and political strife, Lezlee continues to be an anchor for them, making them feel safe, valued, and hopeful in their educational pursuits and future endeavors. Now more than ever, she deserves to be recognized and honored for her superlative service to her students, our college, and the district. |
2021 | PT | Jan “Juanita” Lawrence | Jan was nominated for her excellent teaching, work developing and teaching the Spanish-language
ECE course sequence, outstanding professional work in early childhood education, and
ability to build relationships with students while we are all online. Juanita is highly
committed to student success and utilizes a relationship-based approach to her teaching.
Through the years Juanita has worked full time as a director in several highly regarded
Early Learning Centers. One interesting, international, multi-year project she designed and ran was an early
education literacy program in rural Mexico. As a Montessori trained teacher, she used
a local venue to create a play-based literacy experience for children and their families,
with the goal of supporting their early academic success. She consistently participates in dept meetings and advisory committee meetings as
well as District-wide Education Department meetings and trainings. |
2020 | FT | Raymond Lapuz | Ray's contributions to Cañada College have demonstrated exceptional teaching, a passion for the success of our students, and a history of professional contributions to the mission and goals of Cañada College. Lapuz was instrumental in bringing UC Berkeley’s Faculty Learning Program (FLP) to our campus. The FLP program was designed by UC Berkeley STEM faculty as a professional learning program for all university and college instructors of STEM courses. Over the last few years, Lapuz has continued the momentum and peer support for FLP and expanded the program on our campus to include non-STEM faculty. His dedication to securing grant funding, recruiting faculty participants, and vision to expand this professional development program across the district are just some of the ways in which Lapuz has impacted the quality of teaching and learning on this campus. |
2020 | PT | Cathy Lipe | Cathy Lipe has been an outstanding contributor to the Cañada College community since she started here over 10 years ago. This recognition is an excellent way to acknowledge her achievements. Cathy has taken her faculty position as MESA Coordinator and expanded it to encompass all sorts of student-centered programs, many of which she conceived and brought into existence. While her official duties are for the MESA program to serve low-income STEM students, she reaches out to any student that crosses her path. |
2019 | PT | Kiran Malavade |
Kiran Malavade has been an integral part of the English department for many years and has always been a fantastic and caring educator and contributor to the well-being of the department. Most recently, her efforts to help figure out how to best serve student needs in the aftermath of AB705, her consistent, proactive, and unpaid participation in department meetings and decision-making processes, and her general generosity with her time and resources have set her apart. |
FT | David Eck |
As a faculty member David is amazing in that he is not only a brilliant scholar but also an outstanding professor in a subject area that is notoriously difficult. Those who served on his hiring committee witnessed his ability to develop philosophy lessons that were entirely approachable without lowering his standards. His tenure committee continues to comment on this, and his students do as well. Generally speaking, most people find philosophy interesting but avoid philosophy courses because of their difficulty; after speaking to students about his classes we have found that is not the case with David. He is quite simply a master in terms of creating ways for students to understand difficult subject matter. |
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2018 | FT | Doniella Maher | Doniella Maher has worked tirelessly to support activities related to the English department and various student groups and support services across campus. While serving as the department coordinator for English, Doniella keeps our department organized and active, from leading tutor training, coordinating meetings among English faculty and support services like ESO Adelante! and academic counselors, arranging the Humanities and Social Sciences Awards Night, preparing the English department’s program review, serving on multiple committees such as ACES and Academic Senate, proudly supporting AFT efforts on campus, and inspiring and mentoring students and other instructors alike. |
2017 | PT | Elizabeth Barile | Elizabeth Barile is recognized for excellence in teaching chemistry and mentoring students. Through outreach of chemistry magic shows to underrepresented students and to the Redwood City community, Elizabeth models the shows the passion and potential of women in science. She is a mentor to our NSF scholar students and, as faculty co-advisor to the InterVarsity student club, helps students develop their leadership skills, practice inclusivity and promote social justice. |
FT | Dani Behonick | Dani Behonick is recognized for her tenacious work ethic and dedication to student success. She goes beyond the call of duty providing students with the support they need to succeed. Without fail Dani steps up when opportunity and need arises to work with colleagues within her department and across campus. She takes initiative in developing new courses to meet student needs whether in women's health or across disciplines and divisions. Dani's leadership as local Curriculum Chairperson and District Curriculum Chair has elevated the practices and discourse of these bodies. | |
2016 | PT | Sarah Harmon | Sarah Harmon is recognized for her devotion to teaching Spanish and Linguistics, her support of academic excellence through the Honors Transfer Program, her support of teaching and learning through instructional design, and her service through accreditation, Planning & Budgeting Council, and Academic Senate. Sarah's dedication and efforts are is widely recognized as beyond the call of duty. |
FT | Lezlee Ware & ElizabethTerzakis | Lezlee Ware and Elizabeth Terzakis are recognized for embodying justice and advocacy through serving as AFT chapter co-chair for eight years. Without their undying dedication to this work and without the integrity that they brought to their positions, the body politic would be much the worse for wear. We are all in their debt. | |
2015 | PT | Kristen Parks | Kristen Parks is recognized for her commitment to excellence in teaching, ongoing professional development as an educator, and involvement in professional activities related to political science and immigration reform. Kristen is commended for serving on the Curriculum Committee as well as advising and organizing activities for the DREAMers club. Her leadership in coordinating the College for Working Adults has significantly contributed to the success and acclaim of this program. |
FT | Denise Hum | Denise Hum is recognized for “a tenacious work ethic” and “always doing what is right for students and the college.” Denise is commended for her efforts to improve student completion in math through her consistent involvement in Math Jam, extensive tutoring throughout the year, and innovative curriculum development that led to an accelerated pathway to Calculus. Denise leads the team currently involved in the Reading Apprenticeship for STEM and also collaborates with colleagues in grant-writing efforts to continue the successful initiatives of the STEM Center. | |
FT | Michael Hoffman | Michael Hoffman is recognized for his extensive and ongoing professional development related to teaching, sharing that training with colleagues to bring about improvements in the math program. Michael’s commitment to student success is further demonstrated through his efforts to help ESL students overcome their fear of math, providing tutor training, advising of the Math Club and the creation of a Math Club scholarship for students involved in math tutoring. His leadership of ACES and his role in the creation of faculty-staff collaborations for student success has gained significant acclaim |
Exemplary Program Award - ASCCC
2019 | nominee | COLTS Academy |
2018 | nominee | CWA |
2015 | nominee | COLTS Academy |
2014 | winner | Math Jam |
Hayward Award - ASCCC
2020 | nominee | Rebekah Taveau |
2018 | nominee | Rebekah Taveau |
2017 | nominee | Elizabeth Barile |
2015 | nominee | Kristen Parks |
2014 | nominee | Anniqua Rana |