The CEO of the Long Beach 49ER Foundation expressed her thanks this past January to Dr. Faustino Bernadett and his wife Dr. Martha Bernadett for their recent donation that was made through their donor advised fund for $10,000 to “The Beach”. The donation supported the Rosi Pedersen Student Teaching Endowed Scholarship.
In the letter, the CEO highlighted that their support provides their campus community with more opportunities to learn, create, explore, discover, collaborate and innovate. Philanthropic giving also has a powerful symbolic component reflecting their hope for the future and confidence in the university’s capacity to reach its ambitious goals. For these and so many other reasons, each gift made to Cal State Long beach is deeply valued and appreciated.
So, who was Rosi Pedersen who the Student Teaching Endowed Scholarship was named after?
Rosi Angela Salandini Pedersen spent her high school and college years in Long Beach, graduating from Millikan High School and then attending California State University, Long Beach, where she studied education.
After retiring in 2007, Rosi worked at the Molina Foundation and at Long Beach State as a student teacher supervisor. She was also a leadership coach for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, mentoring new principals.
Volunteering was important to Rosi, and she participated in many charitable and civic groups. Rosi was a long-time member of CAMEO, the professional group of Assistance League of Long Beach, where she served as their chair for two terms. Inspired by her deep faith, Rosi also volunteered with the confirmation program at St. Barnabas Catholic Church.
Despite her busy career and civic involvement, Rosi always had time to help her friends and family and treasured these relationships above all else. An avid reader and member of multiple book clubs, Rosi loved sharing her favorite books with friends and family. Many lives were touched and enriched by Rosi and by her passion for education, mentorship, and civic responsibility.
The College of Education (CED) expresses gratitude to all scholarship donors who continue to enhance the quality of education students experience at CSULB.
Impact
The Rosi Pedersen Student Teaching Endowed Scholarship was created by her husband, Curt Pedersen, to honor Rosi’s dedication to student teaching and her legacy as an educator. This scholarship will support the full tuition of one future teacher, during their student teaching semester.
This past year a student named Victoria received The Rosi Pedersen scholarship. During the summer before her final semester, Victoria did not know whether she would be able to stay afloat financially.
“This scholarship is very much a life preserver. The sacrifices a pre-service teacher have to make in order to be credentialed include taking time off of work and relying on financial aid, and in some cases (mine), relying on student loans. This scholarship will decrease the amount I will have to pay back in the future, and for that I will forever be grateful” - Victoria N., Single Subject Credential – Social Sciences.
Dr. Faustino Bernadett and his wife Dr. Martha Bernadett are glad to be able to make a positive impact with students like Victoria. They look forward to continuing to support the 49ER Foundation in the future.
About Dr. Faustino Bernadett:
Dr. Faustino Bernadett was an anesthesiologist in Long Beach, California with a career that spanned over 20 years. He took pride in being able to aid hundreds of patients with pain management and relief during and after medical procedures. He received his medical degree from University of California San Francisco School of Medicine.