Follow Your Bliss
2023 Recipients
Jenny Uribe is an 11th-12th grade counselor at Cristo Rey San Jose High School. Cristo Rey High School is composed entirely of first-generation college students, and under Jenny's leadership, Cristo Rey has had 100% of its students be eligible to apply to universities over the last four years. Jenny's commitment to keeping her students at the center of all she does has helped remove barriers in the already difficult college application process.
Caleb is a 6th-8th grade teacher at Willie Brown Middle School in San Francisco. He teaches a Mastering Cultural Identity Course which draws on African American culture to support students as they explore their identities. Caleb sees his students as holistic individuals, taking care of their needs both inside and outside of the classroom, and helps his students find their voices through writing.
Jaeve Luuhoang is a 6th-8th grade teacher at Sunrise Middle School in San Jose. Jaeve would like to honor her parents with this award as a tribute for the sacrifices they made when coming to the United States to give their children the chance to live and prosper with more than they ever had. Jaeve plans to use her grant to redesign her classroom in a way that encourages harmony with nature, self-discovery, and deep friendships.
Manuel Covarrubias is a community educator at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill. Manuel is passionate about encouraging youth to explore science, math, and robotics. He plans to use his grant money to purchase the necessary kits, equipment, and supplies to effectively teach underserved students with the proper software and tools.
Katie Berg is the principal of George C. Payne Elementary School. Katie's focus on social emotional learning is just one of the many tangible ways that she hopes to impact future generations and turn students into well-rounded individuals. With this grant, she is excited to gift every student their favorite book to get them started and inspired for the school's summer reading challenge.
Marc Gordon is an 11th-12th grade teacher at San Leandro High School. Marc has been dedicated to the development of today's youth ever since pursuing his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley. Marc wrote the proposal to add AP Environmental Science at San Leandro High School and established the Eco Club to encourage sustainable behaviors. He hopes to serve as living proof to marginalized youth that they can overcome any barriers in their educational journey.
Kerry Sommer is a first grade teacher at Edenvale Elementary in San Jose. Kerry has been part of the Edenvale community for eight years and looks forward to using her grant to give her students access to "mirrors and windows" – the chance to see themselves reflected in the classroom and give her students diverse perspectives and experiences.
Matteo Enna is a Kindergarten teacher at Stipe Elementary in San Jose. Matteo's goal is to reach as many people within his community as possible. Through his anti-racist workshops, kindergarten classroom, and district-wide Young Black Scholars Club, he is committed to trailblazing his own path and hopefully inspire the next generation of teachers that will follow their bliss into a classroom of their own one day.
Lori Garmany is a community educator at Don Callejon Elementary School in Santa Clara. She hopes to use the funds from this grant to help bolster the work she is doing in the Life Skills program, which works with students with moderate-to-severe learning disabilities on functional academics and Iife skills, such as cooking, art, and community safety.
Jeannette Ramirez is the principal of Fiesta Gardens International School in San Mateo, a dual language immersion magnet school dedicated to promoting fluency, literacy and academic excellence in both English and Spanish. Jeannette and the Fiesta Gardens team always put their students first and encourage them to become well-rounded citizens in our society.
About Dr. Harry Edwards
The Dr. Harry Edwards "Follow Your Bliss" grant was created in 2017 by the 49ers Foundation for full-time educators across the Bay Area who exemplify a commitment to their students, families and communities to lead the future generation with purpose, passion, dedication and love.
The award's namesake stems from the first step in Dr. Edwards' Blueprint for Academic Achievement and Success: "Follow Your Bliss - Explore and consider paths that might lead not just to achieving a career interest but to realizing your calling – the educational option and emphasis that for you lies at the confluence of talent, passion, productive potential, and opportunity."
The award honors educators across the San Francisco Bay Area who lead the future generation with purpose, passion, dedication and love. The recipients of this award receive a $2,000 stipend for in-classroom materials and resources for the next academic year, mentorship of the recipients and his or her fellow teachers led by Dr. Edwards, and formal recognition at a Levi's® Stadium event with family and colleagues.
Dr. Harry Edwards' success as an athlete, a sociologist and an activist can be attributed to a strong work ethic, a work ethic he had to develop at a young age growing up in East St. Louis. In 1960, Edwards packed his bags and moved to the west coast to attend San Jose State on an athletic scholarship. Edwards went on to earn the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and a University Fellowship to Cornell University where he completed a masters and a Ph.D. in sociology.
Dr. Edwards has always been a catalyst for change. In 1968, he was the lead organizer behind the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR). John Carlos and Tommie Smith, Olympic athletes from San Jose State, took part in this movement when they raised their fist in Black Power salute when they received their medals on the Olympic stand during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico.
In 1986, Edwards also began his work with the 49ers developing programming and counseling methods for the entire organization. He worked closely with head coach Bill Walsh to develop the Minority Coaches' Internship program, which was later adopted by the NFL in 1992 and still exists today as the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
