Fund: Dr. Vera Machado Martinez Endowed Graduate Student Scholarship Fund Department: SOE Dean's Office Dept D01000 Purpose: Graduate Student Support Background: Originally from Colton, CA, Dr. Vera Martinez completed an MA in Sociology at CHASS in 1971 and her PhD at GSOE in 1979. She went on to become a represented and sought-after education administration leader with positions at UCLA, Santa Monica College, Fullerton College, and Orange County Head Start. An educator at heart, she seeks to make an impact on the Inland Empire's future education administrators. Fund purpose: This Fund shall be used to provide support for students in the Graduate School of Education who seek to become change-agents and leaders in the Inland Empire. Criteria and Selection: This fund will suppoprt GSOE credential students who are the next generation of education administrators and leaders. In recognition of Dr. Vera Machado Martinez's life and career as a trailblazer and educator, the Donor's preference is to award the scholarship to Latina students and/or students from the Inland Empire, most especially students from the cities of Colton, Riverside, and Sand Bernardino, who seek to become administrators and/or pursue education leadership positions in the future. Students should demonstrate their commitment to being change-agents and leaders in their home communities via a personal statement that will be reviewed by a committee selected by the Dean or their designee. In year when there is no candidate who meets the criteria, awards will be held until the following year.