Efrain Alvarez and Sofia Carrillo have been named 2022 Dorman Commons Fellows. Established in memory of Dorman L. Commons, past president of the California Board of Education, this fellowship supports financial aid for graduate students who are classroom teachers or professional educators returning to work on advanced degrees.
Efrain Alvarez is a first-generation Mexican-American graduate student pursuing his Masters of Education, as well as an educational specialist credential in moderate to severe disabilities in UCSB’s Teacher Education Program. He completed his undergraduate studies in Sociology at California State University Northridge. Alvarez has a desire to serve and advocate for families in the disabled community. He hopes to use his bilingualism to serve Spanish speaking families who have been underserved.
Sofia Carrillo is a first-generation graduate student in the Teacher Education Program, pursuing the Education Specialist Credential with focus on Extensive Support Needs and a Masters of Education. She received her BA in Liberal Studies, Teaching and Learning Emphasis, from CSU Channel Islands in 2020. Carrillo found her passion for teaching while working as a teacher assistant in Latino populated schools and hopes to become a teacher who is culturally relevant, because being a woman of color herself she understands that all people can attain success regardless of ethnicity, race, or gender.