A Turlock Unified School District nurse and head custodian were among seven school employees chosen to represent Stanislaus County in the Employees Making a Difference program at the state level.
The Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Association of California School Administrators Region VII partnered to honor outstanding classified (non-supervisory) education employees in Stanislaus County. Called Employees Making a Difference, school districts throughout the county selected their own honorees and forwarded nominations to SCOE. Twenty-seven outstanding classified staff were honored via a virtual event on Wednesday and seven honorees were selected to represent Stanislaus County in the California Department of Education’s statewide recognition program. The representatives (one from each work-category) announced were:
· Karl Anderson, Campus Supervisor, Modesto City Schools, Security Services Category
· Anne Bowers, Licensed Vocational Nurse, Turlock Unified School District, Health & Student Services Category
· Alexandra Hancock, Instructional Technology Trainer, Modesto City Schools, Technical Services Category
· Cindy Perez, Staff Secretary IV, Modesto City Schools, Clerical & Administrative Services
· Humberto Rodriguez, Head Custodian, Turlock Unified School District, Custodial & Maintenance Services
· Yuphaa Rolicheck, Food Service Worker II, Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District, Food & Nutrition Services Category
· Salome Trujillo, ELL Resource Assistant, Riverbank Unified School District, Paraprofessional Category
Bowers is a full-time licensed vocational nurse at Turlock Junior High School and was nominated for the award by TJHS Assistant Principal Cynthia Velazquez.
“She is a team player and always willing to help…she is student-centered and always puts students at the forefront of everything she does.”
Velazquez said that Bowers has participated in many school district activities, including volunteering to chaperone sixth grade camps and implement the District’s COVID-19 protocols. She also volunteers in the community, working at pop-up health clinics and delivering meals to the elderly.
“She is an unsung hero making a difference every day,” said Velazquez.
In nominating Rodriguez for the award in the Custodial and Maintenance category, Pitman High School Principal Angela Freeman said that “he doesn’t just do his work, he takes pride in his work. He values the people he serves and always has a positive attitude.”
Also during the virtual event, Salome Trujillo from Mesa Verde Elementary School, in Riverbank, received the annual Jane Johnston Civility Award for exemplifying the principles of civility both at work and in her personal life.
“Teachers, principals and superintendents know that the success or failure of any school or district office depends on the competency, passion and hard work of a talented support staff,” said Scott Kuykendall, Stanislaus County Superintendent of Schools. “When I was first hired as an assistant principal, I was told by a veteran principal, ‘There are two people in the district who can make or break you. It is not the superintendent or the board president. It is your secretary and custodian. Take care of them and you’ll be a success.’ That was not only true, but one of the best pieces of advice I ever received.”
Other local school employees honored on Wednesday include:
· James Flippen of Turlock Unified School District
· Nancy Souza of Chatom Union School District
· Fernanda Valadao of Denair Unified School District.
A video presentation honoring the employees is available online at: https://www.stancoe.org/go/EMAD
