Makeda Murray '86 visits Peninsula Bridge students

Makeda with Ned Diamond, CSUS math and Bridge Site Coordinator

Makeda grew up in East Palo Alto, CA and attended CSUS for high school. She related to us how much she loved her Crystal experience and that the long train ride each school day did not bother her a bit. She told of the great importance that formal education meant to her family. Both her parents have college degrees and her grand father was the Mayor of EPA!

While in college at Pitzer, her academic passion was writing screen plays, and she thought her career was certainly to be a famous writer. She took some time away from writing and began teaching 4th grade. She found herself in a room full of wonderful, under-served children with almost suffocating needs; educational and emotional. To begin to satisfy those myriad needs, she founded An Open Door non-profit. http://anopendoor-la.org/home/about-us/ Her sole calling now is to continue working with those under-served youth through her non-profit and to "strenghten the family unit in hopes of improving our society."

She gave the students a handout called E. P. G. B.

Get an Education!

"Knowledge is the foundation that empowers me to make good choices and see positive results."

Live your Purpose.

"What is your passion? What is your dream? Strive to do that which you were born to do. Dream big and never give up."

Give Back

"Everyone can do something to help someone else in need."

Makeda's message and personal experience were inspirational for all of us. Keep up your good work my dear friend.

Gene Gurkoff '94, Tramatic Brain Injury Expert

Gene is currently a post doctoral researcher at UC Davis, and he took time to visit our Peninsula Bridge students this summer and talk to them about the ravages of brain injuries from accidents and sports. Here he is introduced to the students by Ned Diamond, CSUS math teacher and Bridge Site Director.

Gene became interested in the brain while at CSUS in Mr. Paterson's science class and has developed his passion for research, and especially teaching, over the past dozen years at Davis. He hopes to become a full professor and devote his career to teaching about TBI.

With a vivid powerpoint and video presentation, he made several important points that were especially important to his middle school audience. He encouraged the kids to always work hard and take full opportunity of opportunities like Peninsula Bridge. He made a strong pitch for them to go on to college and not to worry about the expense. Only 2 of his 11 current, very diverse doctoral students paid full tuition.

He moved on to some sobering head injury statistics. There are 1.7 million reported brain injuries a year and 50,000 of those patients die. He had some rather graphic pictures and video that caught the students attention, and he finished with, "Always wear your helmet."

Many thanks for Gene's presentation, and believe me, he is a great teacher.

Liz Stewart Maurage '84 visits campus

Liz has lived for the past 19 years just north of Paris in the quaint town of Bovelles. She and her husband, Francois, have two children ages 6 and 8, and Liz teaches English at a local engineering college. We have plans to set up a regular Skype conversation in English and French for some of her students and some of our advanced French students.

When Liz came home to visit her parents recently, I invited her to join Dave and me for lunch and a long stroll down memory lane. Liz was sorry to have missed Dave's retirement party in May, but they used our lunch together to quickly catch up and talk about her important role in our athletic program of the late 70's and early 80's. Dave referred to Liz as a consummate athlete who was always a solid performer in cross-country (Cross-country athlete of the year in 1981), track, basketball and swimming.

Liz has fond memories of Crystal in those days and looks forward to a return visit in February.