Awards
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Learn about all the awards our center has to offer!
Rubi Aguilar Award
Rubi Aguilar is one of the first graduates of the Step-Up Program. Rubi came to the United States with her mother and three siblings from Mexico at the age of seven. Since the age of twelve, Rubi understood the importance of a higher education and strived for the best academically; she even graduated in the top five percent of her high school class.
After graduating from the Step-Up Program Rubi became even more excited about going to college and began researching which colleges to apply for. During her search, she discovered because she did not have a social security number and would have to pay out of state tuition. Devastated, Rubi did not give up on her dream of going to college and instead began working below minimum wage jobs to raise money to pay for her admission fees to a university. Months before graduating from high school Rubi was notified that she was accepted on merit to San Diego State University.
However, Rubi did not stop there, she began speaking to politicians and writing them letters about the injustices against people like herself who did not come by choice to this country, yet still wanted an education. In 2001, the governor of California gave Rubi and thousands of other students in similar circumstances as Rubi the status of Californians and the opportunity to go to college through Assembly Bill (AB) 540. The Rubi Aguilar Award is given to students who despite overwhelming obstacles have worked to successfully achieve their goals.
Recipients of the Rubi Aguilar Award
2004 — Raquel Ramirez
2005 — Carla Cayanan
2006 — Lily Martinez
2008 — Deyce Gomez
2009 — Carmen Monea Jimenez
2010 — Mei Sun Hong
2011 — Roberto Carcamo
2012 — Virginia Morales
2013 — Alejandra Salgada
2014 — Sophia Johannesen
2015 — Jesus Herrera
2016 — Estrella Palmerin
2017 — Rocio Perez
2018 — Sequoia Shelley
2019 — Alonzo Morgan, Jr.
2020 — Yvania Rubio
2021 — Sharlet Cho
2022 — Joselin Leona
Consensus Organizer of the Year Award
Each year the Consensus Organizing Center selects one person to receive the prestigious Consensus Organizer of the Year Award. This award is given to individuals who work effectively behind the scenes and giving others credit for success while bringing people together unselfishly and creatively.
Recipients of the Consensus Organizer of the Year Award
2005 — Karolina Ericsson, ESQ Ericsson Law Group
2006 — Professor Ternot MacRenato, Professor San Diego City College
2007 — Doug Williams, Hoover High School Principal
2008 — Dr. Stephen Weber, President San Diego State University
2009 — Janet Weinstein, Professor California Western School of Law
2010 — Nora Welshans, Outreach Specialist Hoover High School
2011 — Ann Bossler, Price Charities
2012 — Seema Sueko, Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company
2013 — Pamela George, Department Head, Child Development, Camp, Literacy, and Teens Copely Family YMCA
2014 — Sarah Bess Hudson, MSW, EmpowerMEnt at Multi-Agency Alliance for Children
2015 — Hector Borja, Director of Teens, Copley-Price YMCA
2016 — Darren Schwartz, Motiv San Diego
2017 — Lara Blouin, Director, College Avenue Baptist Church Preschool
2018 — Melinda Hohman, Emeritus Faculty, School of Social Work, SDSU
The Ernest and Betty Singer Scholarship
Ernest Singer was a humanitarian, scholar, and advocate for social justice. In 2010, thanks in large part to Ernest’s wife, Betty, and Dr. Thom Reilly, Director of the School of Social Work at SDSU, the Ernest and Betty Singer Scholarship was established to honor Ernest and Betty’s life and support SDSU Master of Social Work students pursuing a Community Development/Administration focus. The scholarship assists recipients as they complete their MSW and helps seed their initial work in community practice.
Recipients of The Ernest and Betty Singer Scholarship
2011 — Hieu Bui
2012 — Jessica Manning
2013 — Alicia Morris & Anne Vollman
2015 — Rachel Ruiz & Amber Sparks
2016 — Gemmaleen Aque, Kaitlyn Dixon & Victoria Kapper