 |
| Student CTA leaders Jeremy DeNieva and Janet Berg sign the unity banner presented to Rodriguez High School students. |
Members of Student CTA (SCTA) — an organization of college students pursuing careers in education — presented a banner of support for students at Rodriguez High School in Fairfield following racially motivated incidents that occurred there recently. The banner, unfurled during Unity Week, read: “We, the members of the Student California Teachers Association, extend our support and encouragement to the students of Fairfield’s Rodriguez High School’s coalition. Continue to advocate on behalf of your classmates and teachers to promote social justice.”
Speaking at the unity presentation were SCTA President Vielka Elvebak, UC Berkeley; SCTA North Regional Vice President Cristal Lopez, CSU Monterey Bay; and CTA Secretary-Treasurer Dan Vaughn.
Elvebak told the crowd gathered at the event about her immigrating to the U.S. at a young age.
“At 14 I came to this country from Ecuador and entered high school,” said Elvebak. “It was a scary part of my life because I didn’t know the language or the culture. The school, the students and the teachers made it possible for me to obtain my high school diploma and to be successful because they welcomed diversity and they welcomed me as a newcomer.” She now attends UC Berkeley, the first of 14 children in her family to attend a four-year college.
Vaughn applauded one of Rodriguez High’s sports teams for making the playoffs, saying it’s that type of unity that’s necessary to reach a common goal. “Just as a team has to work together to accomplish their goals, all of you need to work together to eliminate intolerance and hatred. CTA, along with SCTA, completely supports the students and staff in their work to do just that.”
During the event, Rodriguez High School coalition students unveiled the SCTA banner and displayed it on campus where SCTA members and others could sign comments of support to demonstrate that Rodriguez students are not alone in their work to address social justice.
Lopez spoke about entering the credential program in the fall and how she will be looking for a job as a teacher this time next year.
“My goal is to become an educator who teaches students about unity, multiculturalism, diversity, acceptance and respect for others,” said Lopez. “I want to be an educator who empowers and motivates students to find and use their voices to speak out. I want my students to know the importance of unity at a young age. I want them to know that it is through unity that social change is possible.”
Dave Earl Carpenter
Information on SCTA is available at www.cta.org/membership/SCTA.
