Announcements

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!

The beautiful “Laulima” quilt will be raffled at the June 5th CalRTA Division #58 meeting. All proceeds go directly towards scholarships for graduating WCCUSD students. For each $1.00 donated, one randomly numbered entry will be submitted in your name to the raffle. Laulima, is a Hawaiian word meaning many hands working together. The quilt is made from Hawaiian shirts and other fabrics.

Please scroll below the quilt to see how you may purchase tickets. Good Luck!

Chances to win the Laulima quilt are available in the following ways: 
– Buy tickets at the February, April, and June Div #58 luncheon meetings
OR
– Send a check ($1.00 for each chance) payable to WCCRESF by May 30th, 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 chance) by going to the “Fundraising and Raffles Tab” on the left side of the website home page and clicking the Donate button by May 30th. Please make a note in the “instructions from buyer” section that the donation is for electronic quilt raffle tickets.

This year’s fourteenth annual scholarship quilt was designed and made by Janet Smith, former Scholarship Board president, and current lead for the Division #58 Retired Teachers Joanna Sykes Teachers Grant. Once again, the Scholarship Board extends a huge thank you to Janet for her art and dedication to the students and teachers of WCCUSD.

At the final meeting of the year on June 5th, 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. Congratulations, Joanne!

The Retired Educators Scholarship Fund Board has announced the 2024-25 Continuing College Education Scholarships.

The following 2023 Scholarship recipients have received $1,000 for their second year of college. Congratulations Jaden Banks (Southern University A & M), Jordan Irwin (Sonoma State), Sophia Lee (UC San Diego), Srihita Panati (Contra Costa College), and Maricela Taylor-Ortiz (UC Berkeley). These outstanding scholars join their 2022 scholarship colleagues who are now juniors and have qualified for a second round of their Continuing College Education Scholarship for their third year of college: Kylee Hu (UC San Diego), Anjelika Khadka (UC Davis), Hillary Khuu (UC Berkeley), Jacob Klein (UC Davis), and Eveling Rodriguez Torres (UC Merced).

How it works – recipients of an original graduating senior 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 40 scholarship recipients receiving $2,500 awards were celebrated at the CalRTA Div #58 luncheon meeting on June 6. They 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 student 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 final meeting of the year, the winning electronic ticket for the 2024 Scholarship Quilt, “Networking,” was announced. Retired Helms Middle School teacher Pamela Bostelmann, was the lucky winner. Click here to see the quilt and information about it.

The 2024 scholarship recipients will be celebrated at the Div. #58 luncheon meeting on June 6. 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. Congratulations to each and every one of these outstanding students!  We wish them well in the next step of their educational path. Click here to see the list of awardees.

Good News – 2023 Retired Educator Scholarship recipients are encouraged to apply for a continuing scholarship. Five $1,000 scholarships will be granted for a second year of college/trade school to support students in furthering their education. And even more good news – these scholarships may be extended to the third and fourth years of college if criteria are met. Click here for information and the application form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Alma Perez Hernandez is the 2024 grand prize Hawaii trip winner!  Alma is a Kennedy High School, San Francisco State, and Cal State East Bay graduate.  She started teaching at Chavez Elementary nine years ago.  It is a job she truly enjoys. Being able to support students in their academic journeys and help alleviate their financial burden is something that she is proud to be a part of.  Alma learned about the Retired Educators Scholarships when her sister, Joceline Perez Hernandez, was awarded a scholarship in 2018, and has been a yearly donor ever since. Joceline attended Middle College High School and graduated from UPenn in 2022!

Congratulations to all of the raffle winners and a huge thank you to all who bought tickets, donated prizes, and supported this year’s raffle. Click here for the list of prize winners.

The scholarship application for seniors in the Class of 2024 is now available. Applications are due to your School Site Scholarship Coordinator and your school’s Scholarship Board Liaison by FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2024. Click here for all of the details.

Note to all seniors: Over the years, 807 graduates from the schools that you attend have been awarded scholarships. We encourage you to apply and join the growing list!

The “Networking” quilt will be raffled at the June 6th CalRTA Division #58 meeting. All proceeds go directly towards scholarships for graduating WCCUSD students. For each $1.00 donated, one randomly numbered entry will be submitted in your name to the raffle. Instructions for purchasing tickets are listed below the photo of this beautiful quilt.

The “Networking” Quilt Raffle will be held June 6th

You may purchase chances to win this vibrant, one-of-a-kind art quilt in the following ways: 
– Send a check ($1.00 for each chance) payable to WCCRESF by May 30th, 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 chance) by going to the “Fundraising and Raffles Tab” on the left side of the website home page and clicking the Donate button by May 30th. Please make a note in the “instructions from buyer” section that the donation is for electronic quilt raffle tickets.

This year’s thirteenth scholarship quilt 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. 

UPDATE: The scholarship quilt raffle was held at the CalRTA Division #58 Scholarship Awards Celebration on June 6th. Congratulations to the lucky winner – retired Helms Middle School Teacher, Pamela Bostelmann.

The Retired Educators Scholarship Fund Board has announced the very first group of Continuing College Education Scholarship Recipients. The following 2022 scholarship awardees received $1,000 for their 2023-24 college year. Congratulations – Kylee Hu (UC San Diego), Anjelika Khadka (UC Davis), Hillary Khuu (UC Berkeley), Jacob Klein (UC Berkeley), and Eveling Rodriguez Torres (UC Davis)!