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 his or her 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 winner will be chosen by the California Student Aid Commission and announced in the spring of 2020. The award, which includes a plaque and $1,500 check will be presented at the awardee’s high school.

The Nomination Period for the 2019-20 Award is Now Closed

Questions: Please contact Susanne Cieri at susanne.cieri@csac.ca.gov

To nominate someone who deserves state-wide recognition by his/her peers to be the next Arthur S. Marmaduke Award High School Counselor of the Year Award Winner, review the criteria below and follow the guidelines.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility for the Arthur S. Marmaduke Award is open to all California high school counselors who meet the following criteria:

• Fully certified and credentialed and work with high school students
• Have been counseling at their current school for at least one school year
• Have been a counselor for at least three years

Candidates for this award need to demonstrate superior skills, dedication, and results in helping students seek and receive financial aid.

Due to the school specific questions on the nomination form and scoring criteria we cannot accept candidates from county offices, Cal-SOAP, or counselors who serve multiple school sites.

Nomination Process

1. Please submit online Nomination Form by link or scanning QR code below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/97NW9Y3

2. Submission Deadline: January 31, 2020.

Nomination Form Guide: 2019-20 Nomination Form Template

•  The nominator should be knowledgeable about the school and the counselor being nominated
•  When filling out the application, be as specific and detailed as possible
• Google Chrome has not been found to be compatible with this site.

Scoring & Selection Process

Candidates will be scored based on the following criteria:

• Involvement in financial aid and college events/activities
• Impact on FAFSA/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 in April or Early May.

2018-19 Recipient: Meagan Holmes (West High School)

Meagan Holmes, a high school counselor at West High School in Bakersfield, California, has been recognized as the 2018-19 Arthur S. Marmaduke High School Counselor Award Winner.  Mrs. Holmes was raised in Walnut Creek and Chatsworth, California.  She graduated from UC Santa Barbara, and earned her master’s degree in School Counseling from the University of LaVerne.  Mrs. Holmes began her career as an educator in 1990, where she was hired as a Social Studies teacher at West High School in Bakersfield, California.  In her 14 years at West High School, she has become an integral part of the school’s mission to prepare students for college.

Mrs. Holmes was presented with the award on May 29, 2019, at a ceremony which included a joint California Senate and Assembly resolution; a commemorative plaque, and a cash prize of $1,500.00 sponsored by the Education Credit Management Corporation (ECMC).  Honored guests in attendance were Senator Shannon Groves (R – Bakersfield), Assemblymember Vince Fong (R – Bakersfield), along with the California Student Aid Commission (Commission) Commissioners, Juanita Doplemore, and Alejandro Lomeli.

Mrs. Holmes was nominated by West High’s Vice Principle, Ryan Coleman. Mrs. Holmes was surprised that she was receiving an award during the senior assembly. Mr. Coleman celebrated several of Mrs. Holmes’ achievements at West High such as:

• Developing a program to help feeder schools improve their West High School A-G requirements – an improvement from 17% to 29% in an 11-year span; 
• Organizing two annual Cash for College events, in collaboration with CSU Bakersfield, Bakersfield College, Taft Community College, and Cal – SOAP;
• Assisting in establishing West High’s College signing party;  
• Implementing lessons for AVID classes on topics such as: College and Career Readiness, Financial Aid, and information about the CSU and UC systems.  These events target students who are on track to be first generation college students.

“Having such talented high school counselors in California makes the selection difficult. Every counselor is deserving of recognition for their hard work. This year, the Commission has selected Mrs. Meagan Holmes. We have heard from her colleagues and the students she serves, and we can see her impact on the Bakersfield community. The Commission knows that she is the right recipient this year,” said Marlene. L. Garcia, Executive Director of the Commission.

Mrs. Holmes spoke with conviction to the seniors of West High School. Her eyes welled with tears as she received her award and addressed the 2019 senior class. “I just love kids, I love my job and I’m passionate about first generation students going to college,” she said. “I advocate for children and their families, especially those who are undocumented, she continued.

The Arthur S. Marmaduke High School Counselor Award nominations are sought annually by the Commission and named after the first and longest serving Executive Director of the Commission, Arthur S. Marmaduke.  He 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 Marmaduke Award

Year	Name	School	County
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