March 27, 2025
Contact: Paige Marlatt Dorr
Office: 916-601-8005
Office E-mail: PDorr@CCCCO.edu
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Community Colleges Board of Governors on Tuesday honored three with the prestigious 2024-25 Gerald C. Hayward Award for Excellence in Education.
History Instructor Stacey Marie Svilich of Feather River College, Math Professor Leila Safaralian of MiraCosta College, and Business Professor Denise Bushnell of Sierra College were honored at the March 25 Board of Governors meeting in Sacramento.
The Hayward Award for Excellence in Education program, established in 1989 and named in honor of former California Community College Chancellor Gerald C. Hayward, are presented annually to celebrate outstanding community college faculty members for their commitment to their students, college and profession.
“We are truly honored to celebrate this year’s honorees and the difference they make. They have demonstrated exceptional dedication as student-centered educators, and their contributions have been instrumental. Their commitment to Vision 2030 helps us advance our goals of equity in access, support, and success,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian.
Award recipients are nominated by their college academic senate and selected by representatives of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.
“Congratulations to this year's Hayward Award winners and to all faculty nominated for the award by their college academic senates,” said Academic Senate for California Community Colleges President Cheryl Aschenbach . “The three honorees are incredible examples of dedicated student-centered educators who lead in the classroom and within their profession, who honor the diversity and lived experiences of their students in their teaching, and who are committed to serving their students, colleagues, colleges, and communities.”
This year’s honorees are:
Stacey Marie Svilich is a dedicated educator and student support professional at Feather River College, where she serves as an academic success coach and student equity specialist. She empowers marginalized students through mentorship, personalized success plans, and strategies to overcome educational barriers. She promotes inclusivity and DEIAB principles across her teaching and collaborations with faculty and staff. She is actively involved in various committees like DEIAB and Student Intervention.
Outside the college, Stacey works with the Yamani Maidu Community for land acknowledgment practices, organizes events like the California Native American Heritage Day, and participates in state and national professional organizations. She is a “distinguished educator whose unwavering commitment to students” inspires faculty and the broader academic community.
Leila Safaralian has dedicated more than 20 years to promoting equity in mathematics education through teaching, leadership, and community engagement. At MiraCosta College, she has led initiatives like AB 705 to create equitable math placement policies and developed programs such as Exito in Math and Bridge to Success in Math, which support underrepresented students. As a leader in college governance, she has collaborated across departments to enhance student success and reduce financial barriers, including promoting zero textbook cost resources and establishing scholarships for underrepresented STEM students.
Her work has earned regional and statewide recognition, including the SDICCCA Region Equity Champion award and an honorable mention from the California Community College Board of Governors for her Bridge to Success in Math program. She was honored with the 2023 Leon Baradat Award and named 2024 Faculty Woman of the Year. Her tireless efforts have left “a legacy of positive change at MiraCosta College and beyond.
Denise Bushnell has championed access to education for historically underrepresented populations for more than 25 years. She has developed CTE (career technical education) pathways for dual enrollment, co-created internship programs, and partnered with Meristem to bring neurodiverse students to Sierra College. She also created a non-credit pathway for undocumented and neurodivergent students, developed stackable CTE certificates through REACH, and played a key role in the Veterans Statewide Entrepreneurship Program. She founded the ENACTUS Club and won the Chancellor’s Office Project in Entrepreneurship Grant.
An original member of the Sierra College Equity Task Force and an active participant in initiatives like NACEP, CIWEA, and CAEP, she works to ensure students from diverse backgrounds have access to high-demand careers. Through her leadership roles at Sierra College, she has secured millions in funding for student success and continuously enhances her knowledge to support students’ educational journeys.
The Hayward Awards are supported through a grant from the Foundation for California Community Colleges. Each recipient receives $1,250 and a commemorative plaque. To view pictures of the Hayward Awards presentation, please visit our Hayward Awards photo collection.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 1.9 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; and degree and certificate pathways. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision 2030, a strategic plan designed to improve student success, our communities and our planet. For more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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