Arthur S. Marmaduke High School Counselor Award
Recognizing and honoring excellence in a California High School Counselor
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.
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
