By Ruth SOWBY

Glendale teachers didn’t want a big banquet they had to go home and dress up for. How about a free celebration with a sandwiches and fruit buffet at the Glen Arden Club Lounge at the end of their workday? No fuss, no muss. The money saved from the pared-down party on May 30 could go to students of the Glendale Unified School District.  

Hosted by the Glendale Educational Foundation, the event included an informational meeting on the community schools program. 

“This is a celebration of all of you!” said interim executive director Bethany Harrington in her opening comments. She then described the purpose of the community schools program, which is to “strengthen connections” between schools, students, parents and community organizations so that students will develop leadership. One example of leadership and creativity were the student-made centerpieces at each table that included donation envelopes that supporters could fill when taking home a vase and flowers. 

Additional speakers included Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) superintendent Dr. Darneika Watson, and Shant Sahakian, president of the GUSD board of education that represents 25,000 students. Sahakian pointed out that GUSD high schools rank in the “top third” of U.S. high schools, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

The heart of the program was the recognition of the two 2024 Rose Diamond Award honorees. Dr. Suzie Abajian, a Glendale High School graduate, began her career teaching math in K-12. Today, she teaches in higher education.

Heather Abrams is a senior analyst at Salesforce and the president of Friends of Falcon Robotics. She runs robotics and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs at Crescenta Valley High School. Abrams thanked GEF for providing funds for GUSD STEM students.

The two-hour program and buffet ended with a champagne toast celebrating the successful partnership between the GUSD and the Glendale Educational Foundation.