School Gathers to Honor Mary Jane Brinton

Chancellor and Mrs. Berdahl hosted a reception in May to offer a tribute to Mary Jane Brinton, initiator of the Flanders Fellowship program. Established in honor of Professor Emeritus Ned Flanders, the fellowships are awarded to outstanding GSE students who aspire to work with children and youth in urban schools.

Nearly sixty guests from the School of Education were in attendance to honor Brinton's dedication to the academic achievement of pupils in our most challenging schools. Many Flanders fellows took the opportunity to thank Brinton personally for her support. Two recent fellows, Rodney Gillead and Mary Eunice Romero, spoke about how much the fellowship has meant to their careers. Romero presented Brinton with a piece of her acclaimed pottery, created at her home in Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico.

Dean Garcia presented Brinton with an inscribed golden apple, symbolizing her commitment to the School and the field of education. Many faculty members, together with Professor and Dean Emeritus William Rohwer, expressed their appreciation to Brinton, while her husband and extended family joined in the applause.

Over the years Brinton has given generously to recruit, prepare, and sustain new teachers who are role models for disadvantaged youth in urban schools. And she continues to volunteer her time every week to work with students in the San Francisco Unified School District. A role model in her own right, Brinton is on a mission to revitalize urban education.

Flander Fellows Rodney Gillead, Mary Eunice Romero, with Professor Lily Wong Fillmore