Ann Lippincott (third from left) with the 2023 Marika Ann Critelli Memorial Scholarship for Community Service Fellows: Madison Smoak, Elaina Leddon, Kailey Casey
UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School has awarded Kailey Casey, Elaina Leddon, and Madison Smoak the 2023 Marika Ann Critelli Memorial Fellowships for Community Service. This fellowship is designated for Teacher Education Program (TEP) credential candidates who demonstrate a personal dedication to bettering the lives of others through volunteer service – either through their own efforts and/or by providing opportunities for K12 students to engage in activities that benefit either local or global communities of people.
Kailey Casey is a Teacher Education Program candidate pursuing her single subject credential in History along with her Master’s in Education. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2021 with her Bachelors in History. Kailey cultivates an excitement for the past in her students by working with them to make it come alive in the present. She empowers students to advocate for their own learning, to do research on topics that suit their interests, and to connect to those things that matter to them in modern, everyday life. Kailey’s interests include sustainability, crafting, and creating stories, which she weaves into her teaching to create an encouraging and dynamic environment.
Elaina Leddon is from San Diego, California. She decided to pursue teaching in special education because she believes there should be more disability representation in higher education and academia. In order to help students get there, she decided to work with K-12 students ranging from mild to moderate disabilities. Elaina did her undergraduate work at UCSB majoring in Sociology and Psychology/Brain Sciences. A fun fact about her is that she is a first-generation college graduate and never changed her major throughout her college career.
Madison Smoak is currently pursuing a Master’s in Education and Single Subject Teaching Credential in English. She received her B.A. in English at Westmont College in the Spring of 2021. Madison has served as Education Coordinator at the community learning centers after-school programs on the Westside for the past year and a half. Some fun facts about Madison are that her love for reading and writing led her to edit a book and write for the Santa Barbara Independent, she lived in Jerusalem as a child, and she loves running or laughing with her closest friends. Madison is inspired to connect youth and the Santa Barbara Community with new voices through storytelling and literature, in honor of her grandmother and father who are both admirable educators.
This endowed scholarship honors Marika Ann Critelli, the daughter of beloved emerita Gevirtz School of Education faculty member Ann Lippincott. Marika grew up in and around the school’s Teacher Education Program. Her mother’s colleagues remember Marika as a small child – yet unable to read and write – happily “filling out” TEP applications while her mother taught class. When she was twelve years old, Marika began her own recycling business, with the Gevirtz School as one of her first clients. For the rest of her too brief but highly accomplished life, Marika Critelli was guided by a deep desire to serve her fellow human beings and improve the world we all share. This fellowship recognizes and encourages graduate students, who, like Marika, see the potential for positive change in this world and act accordingly, inspiring others with their commitment and creativity.