Announcements

To celebrate our 50^th year, 50 $2,500 scholarships have been awarded along with 5 $500 scholarships for students who have expressed interest in becoming teachers. The 2026 scholarship recipients will be celebrated at the Div. #58 luncheon meeting on June 4th. Students will be submitting short videos along with a photo so that the membership can have an opportunity to “meet” these outstanding WCCUSD graduates through a photo montage presentation.  The WCC Retired Educators always look forward to this uplifting and inspiring presentation. Congratulations to these outstanding students – their teachers are very proud of them, and we wish them all well in the next step of their educational path. A special thank you to the scholarship committee along, with school counselors, who devoted many, many hours going through over 100 applications. Click here to see the list of awardees.

Congratulations to Rachel McLachlan – the 2026 Grand Prize Hawaii Travel Voucher winner. As a dedicated educator and a loyal supporter of the Retired Educators’ scholarship program, Rachel has a special history with the district. Here is a note from Rachel on her win:

“My name is Rachel Peritz McLachlan, and I teach Third Grade at Mira Vista School.  I am so excited to have won the Grand Prize this year – thank you to the Retired Educators! I have been teaching for 27 years, 17 of which have been in WCCUSD.  I not only teach at Mira Vista, but I also attended this school in my own childhood, and my two daughters also attended Mira Vista, as well.  It is my pleasure to support the school community that supported me.  Go Mira Vista Bees!”

Congratulations to all of the 2026 raffle winners – there are many of you! And a huge thank you to all who bought tickets, donated prizes, and supported this year’s raffle. Because of your participation, we are able to award scholarships to many of the graduating students who have excelled and plan to continue their education. Students from every high school in the district are represented. Click here for the complete list of prize winners.

The scholarship application for the Class of 2026 graduating seniors is now available. Applications are due to your School Site Scholarship Coordinator and your school’s Scholarship Board Liaison by Friday, MARCH 13, 2026. Click here for all of the details.

Note to all seniors: Over the years, 889 WCCUSD graduates have been awarded scholarships. We encourage you to apply, share the information with your classmates, and join the growing list!

This year the quilt, named Didgeridoo, has an aboriginal theme. A didgeridoo is an Australian aboriginal instrument and is played using circular breathing. The quilt portrays the didgeridoo using aboriginal patterned fabric sewn in circular blocks.

The Didgeridoo” Quilt Raffle will be held June 4, 2026
at the CalRTA Division #58 meeting. All proceeds go directly towards
scholarships for graduating WCCUSD seniors.

You may purchase tickets to win this beautiful quilt in the following ways: 
– Send a check ($1.00 for each ticket) payable to WCCRESF by May 28th, and mail to WCCRESF, PO Box 703, El Cerrito, CA 94530. On the lower left corner of the envelope, write QUILT. Inside the envelope, along with your check, include your name, phone number and/or email address.
OR
– Purchase tickets electronically ($1.00 for each ticket) by going to the “Fundraising and Raffles Tab” on the left side of the website home page and clicking the Donate button by May 28th. Please make a note in the “instructions from buyer” section that the donation is for electronic quilt raffle tickets.

For each $1 donated, one entry will be submitted in your name to the raffle.

This is the 15th quilt made to support the West Contra Costa Retired Educators Scholarship Fund.  It commemorates the 49th year that this fund has awarded scholarships totaling over one million dollars to high school seniors from the West Contra Costa Unified School District, which includes the cities of El Cerrito, Kensington, Richmond, San Pablo, El Sobrante, Pinole and Hercules, California.

Didgeradoo was designed and made by Janet Smith, former Scholarship Board president, and current lead for the Division 58 Retired Teachers Joanna Sykes Teachers Grant. The Scholarship Board extends a huge thank you to Janet for her art and dedication to the students and teachers of WCCUSD.

The Retired Educators Scholarship Fund Board has announced the 2025-26 Continuing College Education Scholarship awards.

Recipients of an original scholarship are invited to apply for a $1,000 scholarship the following year to go towards a second year of college/trade school to support them in furthering their education. Five scholarships are given and may be extended to the third and fourth years of college if criteria are met.

The following 2024 Scholarship recipients have received $1,000 awards for their second year of college. 

Congratulations Nataliah Cornejo-Ayers (Pinole Valley – UC Berkeley), Analilia Garcia (ECHS – CSU Bakersfield), Doenia Hallaji (DAHS) – UC Berkeley), Aleks Haynes (KHS) – UC Berkeley, and Salma Reyes (RHS – San Jose State University).

These outstanding scholars join their 2023 and 2022 scholarship award colleagues who are now juniors and seniors and have again qualified for the Continuing College Education Scholarship.

2023 CCE Scholarship Awardees:  Jaden Banks (PVHS – Southern University A & M), Jordan Irwin (RHS – Sonoma State), Sophia Lee (ECHS – UC San Diego), Srihita Panati (HHS – Contra Costa College), and Maricela Taylor-Ortiz (KHS – UC Berkeley)

2022 CCE Scholarship Awardees: Kylee Hu (MCHS – UC San Diego), Anjelika Khadka (DAHS – UC Davis), Hillary Khuu (HHS – UC Berkeley), Jacob Klein (ECHS – UC Davis), and Eveling Rodriguez Torres (KHS – UC Merced).

A highlight of the CalRTA Div #58 final meeting of the school year is the introduction of the new scholarship recipients. This year’s 45 scholarship recipients receiving $2,500 awards were celebrated at the luncheon meeting on June 5. The students introduced themselves by video and told their unique and interesting personal stories and college aspirations. Thank you, Ron Toledo, for once again expertly compiling the individual videos into one beautiful presentation.  Click here to view the video and meet this year’s awardees. Congratulations to all! The awards program is here.

At this meeting, the winning electronic ticket for the 2025 Scholarship Quilt, “Laulima” was drawn.  Joanne Lagerstrom, long-time CalRTA member and Scholarship Fund supporter, was the lucky winner.  Joanne taught English and El Cerrito and DeAnza High schools. Click here to see the quilt and information about it.

Good News! The 2024 Retired Educator Scholarship recipients are encouraged to apply for a continuing scholarship for a second year of college/trade school to support their further education. Five $1,000 scholarships will be granted. And even more good news – these scholarships may be extended through the third and fourth years of college if criteria are met. Click here for information and the application form. We are looking forward to receiving your application.

The 2025 scholarship recipients will be celebrated at the Div. #58 luncheon meeting on June 5th. The students will be submitting short videos along with a photo so that the membership can have an opportunity to “meet” these outstanding WCCUSD graduates through a photo montage presentation. This is the luncheon the WCC Retired Educators look forward to all year – and this year is the biggest group of awardees to date. Congratulations to these outstanding students – their teachers are very proud of them, and we wish them all well in the next step of their educational path. Click here to see the list of awardees.

Congratulations to Stephanie Hearne – our 2025 grand prize Hawaii trip winner and long time supporter of the scholarship program! Stephanie worked as the District’s Assessment Supervisor from 2004 to 2023 before becoming the State Reporting Coordinator. She enjoys bowling on the WCCUSD bowling league and spending time with her grandchildren. Stephanie is thrilled to have won the trip and is looking forward to her vacation in Hawaii.

Congratulations to all of the raffle winners – there are many of you! And a huge thank you to all who bought tickets, donated prizes, and supported this year’s raffle. Because of your participation, we are able to award scholarships to many of the graduating students who have excelled and plan to continue their education. Students from every high school in the district are represented. Click here for the complete list of prize winners.

The scholarship application for the Class of 2025 graduating seniors is now available. Applications are due to your School Site Scholarship Coordinator and your school’s Scholarship Board Liaison by Friday, MARCH 14, 2025. Click here for all of the details.

Note to all seniors: Over the years, 845 WCCUSD graduates have been awarded scholarships. We encourage you to apply and join the growing list!