Bemhret Adnew and Grace Martinez, students in Gevirtz School’s Teacher Education Program at UC Santa Barbara, are the 2023 recipients of the John Dewey Fellowship. Generously supported by donors including the Cushman Family Foundation, the John Dewey Fellowship recognizes graduate students for the accomplishment of being the first in their families to attend college and for their commitment to higher education despite personal obstacles.
Bemhret Adnew is working on and M.Ed. and his Single Subject Teaching credential in History/Social Science. He completed his undergraduate degree at UCSB, and is glad to do his Master’s degree here, as well. Apart from his studies, he likes to play basketball with friends and go on walks and hikes with his dog. Bem’s family is very important to him as they encouraged him to be a teacher and to pursue graduate school, and he believes that he would not be here today without them.
Grace Martinez graduated from UC Riverside in June 2022 with a BA in Education, Society, and Human Development, with a concentration in Community Leadership, Policy, and Social Justice and a minor in Spanish. She is working on and M.Ed. and her Single Subject Teaching credential in World Languages - Spanish. She became interested in becoming a teacher because she loves working with students, especially multilingual students, to help break the barriers and inequities that stunt them from reaching their full potential. Her love for Spanish and teaching influenced her choice to pursue her credential in Spanish and to educate students on the diverse cultures the world has to offer.
