Arthur S. Marmaduke High School Counselor Award

The nominations for the 2024 awards are now open! Nominations are due by October 31, 2023.

The Arthur S. Marmaduke Award is an annual award recognizing an outstanding California high school counselor who demonstrates exemplary skills in helping students fulfill their dreams of going to college. Each year, the California Student Aid Commission solicits nominations recommending a California high school counselor who demonstrates effectiveness for serving students in preparing for and pursuing their higher education. The candidate may be nominated by their District and County leadership, fellow school counselor/teacher, school principal, or another site administrator.

Arthur S. Marmaduke was the Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission for 25 years from 1960 to 1985. The award was established in 1985 in his honor as the longest-serving executive director in the history of the Commission, which was founded in 1955. Mr. Marmaduke also served as the first President of the National Association of State Grant and Aid Programs.

The annual winner is chosen by the California Student Aid Commission and announced in the spring time. The award, which includes a plaque and $1,500 check is presented at the awardee’s high school or virtually via Zoom.

Arthur S. Marmaduke High School Counselor Award

The California Student Aid Commission will announce the winner in Spring 2024.

Marmaduke Award nominations are solicited annually by the California Student Aid Commission and is named after one of the longest running executive directors of the Commission, Arthur S. Marmaduke. Mr. Marmaduke served the Commission for 25 years from 1960 to 1985 and the award was established in 1985 to carry on his legacy of making education beyond high school financially accessible to all Californians.

Past Recipients of the Arthur S. Marmaduke High School Counselor Award

Year	Name	School	County
2022-2023	Paula Riesenbeck	Chaparral High School	Riverside
2021-2022	Norma Murillo	Orange Cove High School	Fresno
2020-2021	Yia Le	McLane High School	Fresno
2019-2020	Jorge Montijo	Panorama High School	Los Angeles
2018-2019	Meagan Holmes	West High School	Kern
2017-2018	Beau Menchaca	Century High School	Santa Ana
2016-2017	Lynda McGee	Downtown Magnets High School	Los Angeles
2015-2016	Jesse Barajas, Jr.	Gridley High School	Butte
2013-2014	Andrea Goodwin	Los Angeles High School for the Arts	Los Angeles
2012-2013	Warren Popp	Keema High School	Sacramento
2011-2012	Dr. Dario Villa	Montgomery High School	San Diego
2010-2011	Lisa R. Golden	King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science	Los Angeles
2009-2010	Michael Badouin	Chino Hills High School	San Bernardino
2008-2009	Twila Rutherford	Fort Bragg High School	Rancho Cordova
2007-2008	Rebecca Jauregui	Lodi High School	Lodi
2006-2007	Robin Sroka	Woodrow Wilson Classical High School	Long Beach
2005-2006	Sally Pace	Woodlake High School	Woodlake
2004-2005	Michelle Khayat	Valley High School	Sacramento
2003-2004	Sue Ann Joy	San Rafael High School	San Rafael
2002-2003	Henry Bailey
2001-2002	Barry T. Baker
2000-2001	Barbara McCune
1999-2000	Hector Armas
1998-1999	Linden Beckford
1997-1998	Charlotte Downing
1996-1997	Douglas R. Mercer
1995-1996	Carmen Starr
1994-1995	Jean Flores
1993-1994	John Mandell
1992-1993	Janice Reinstein
1991-1992	Raymon W. Kirk
1990-1991	Jack Wright
1989-1990	Eleanor Richards
1988-1989	Enriqueta V. Chavez
1987-1988	Tony Gelfuso
1986-1987	Michael Sullivan
1985-1986	Marcine Landon

Eligibility Criteria

The nominee must:

• Hold a Pupil Personnel Services Credential and work with high school students.
• Have worked as a school counselor, and/or district administrator of school counseling programs for at least three years. 
• Have worked as a high school counselor for at least one year at their current high school. 
• Maintain high moral standards in their personal and professional conduct.
• Work at a single school site. High school counselors who serve multiple
• school sites cannot be accepted due to the school-specific questions on the nomination form and scoring criteria.

Criteria for recognition:

• Service as model citizens of their community, the school counseling community, and their broader professional community. They maintain high moral standards in their personal and professional conduct.
• Responsibility for high school counseling innovations or further development of programs to support all students’ career, personal/social, and academic development. 
• Demonstration of leadership, advocacy, and collaboration in their work and promote equity and access to opportunities and rigorous educational experiences for all students to maximize student achievement.
• Superior skills and dedication to promoting the importance of financial aid to students, families, and the community.

Nomination Form and Guide

• Google Chrome is not compatible.
• Complete the Nomination Form by October 31, 2023.
• The California Student Aid Commission will announce the winner in Spring 2024.

Nomination Form

Arthur S. Marmaduke H.S. Counselor Nomination Sample Form

Scoring & Selection Process

Candidates will be scored based on the following criteria:

• Involvement in financial aid and college events/activities
• Impact on FAFSA/CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) completion rates (rates over the past 3 years will be considered)
• What they do to help students maintain eligibility and prepare for college
• What they do to support and interact with underrepresented and 1st generation families
• The personal comments from the nominator and the student testimonies

*Bonus Points are possible for those nominees who coordinate/promote Cash for College events*

To evaluate all the nominations, the California Student Aid Commission (Commission) convenes a selection committee consisting of Commission members, a member of the California Department of Education, a high school counselor, and Commission Staff. Using scoring guidelines aligned with the nomination questions, along with consideration for FAFSA/CADAA completion rates, committee members identify the nominations that best address the prompts and distinguish themselves as exemplary.

Once a winner is selected, the Commission will contact both the nominee and the nominator to coordinate a date and location for the award ceremony.

Arthur S. Marmaduke Award Videos – Prior Years

Paula Riesenbeck 2022-23