Jenkins and Kuhn Fund Winners

The Jenkins Fund for Teaching Excellence and the Kuhn Fund for Positive Difference are enabling once-in-a-lifetime experiences for Berkeley faculty and staff members. Many of them shared how they are bringing their globe-trotting adventures back to their classrooms at Berkeley.

VOLUNTEERING AT AN ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IN THAILAND

Ms. Antonia Palmeri—Middle Division History Teacher and Kuhn award recipient—spent 10 days volunteering across northern Thailand, the bulk of it at Chang Land Elephant Sanctuary, where she worked as a mahout (an elephant caretaker and trainer). Ms. Palmeri cleaned elephant enclosures, collected food, made medicine balls, and took the elephants out for walks.

Ms. Palmeri says she will seamlessly incorporate her time in Thailand into her Global Studies curriculum—in fact, her students were immediately curious about and inspired by her trip: “Since they understand the importance of impact and volunteering as Berkeley students, it really clicked with them. I could see them starting to think about what they’re passionate about and how they can turn that into something positive for the world. I believe that sharing my experience and showing how you can combine passion, hard work, and making a difference will undoubtedly inspire students to consider similar experiences in the future.” 

DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATIONS IN MEXICO

Señora Krystin Vega—Lower Division Spanish Teacher and Jenkins award recipient—says attending Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico had been a personal bucket list item for a long time, and because of the Jenkins Fund, she was finally able to check it off. Now, she gets to share her special experiences with her students at Berkeley.

Señora Vega says she strives to lead thoughtful conversations among her Lower Division students, so they understand why Day of the Dead is deeply meaningful in Mexican culture: “Most children only know about Day of the Dead because of Disney’s ‘Coco.’ I want my students to understand this is a real-life ceremony. All religions speak about death in their own ways, and I appreciate that Day of the Dead celebrates life—while loved ones, both people and pets, may not be with us anymore, we still carry them within us.”

TRAILS PRESERVATION IN ALASKA

Near the famous Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska, Ms. Monica Salgado—Lower Division Science Teacher and Kuhn award recipient— worked alongside the U.S. Forest Service, cutting back overgrowth and “re-vegging” native plants. In addition, Ms. Salgado worked with local volunteers who preserve local trails. All throughout her journey, simply observing nature became a highlight: she saw six bears, a pod of orcas, and humpback whales leaping from the water. Ms. Salgado says the entire experience was humbling: “I will never hike down a trail again and take for granted the stones beneath my feet or the trees that grow around its edges. Experiencing Alaska alongside the locals that live so closely with the land was a life-changing experience.”

Ms. Salgado says she’s bringing lessons from Alaska back to Berkeley, especially to her classroom at the Pagidipati Center for Science, Engineering, and Technology (C-SET): “We teach our students to respect and care for the earth, and I can now provide a firsthand testimony as to what that actually means.”

150,000+ LIBRARY BOOKS IN WALES

Dr. Tito Basu—Upper Division English Teacher—says the Jenkins Fund helped his childhood dream come true: getting the chance to sleep in a library! He spent a week at Gladstone’s Library, a residential library in Wales where guests may explore its famous reading rooms and, of course, stay the night. The library boasts over 150,000 books, pamphlets, journals, and other documents—many of them, extremely rare or over 100 years old.

Dr. Basu says he pored over philosophy and history books every morning, then switched to studying theology in the evening. When he needed a break from some of the more serious texts, he could head to the library’s fiction room to enjoy a range of contemporary novels. This means he spent almost every moment soaking up all that this extraordinary collection had to offer. Dr. Basu says he is so grateful for his experience, and without question, he will bring his studies back to his classes at Berkeley. He recommends that his fellow faculty and staff apply for the Jenkins Fund and turn their own longtime dreams into a reality: “You get to design your own individualized professional development that suits your passions and interests.”

Supporting our faculty and staff has always been one of Berkeley’s biggest priorities, and we are so proud to grant these exceptional enrichment experiences to our dedicated teachers, thanks to the generosity of the Howard Jenkins family and the Jason Kuhn family. Other recent experiences have included:

DANIEL ALLEGRI

Upper Division World Languages Teacher

Took part in a summer immersion program in Chinese education at Middlebury College

NANCY ANSINELLI AND SABREENA JERU-AHMED

Lower Division Fine Arts Teachers

Conducted an in-depth Vincent Van Gogh exploration in Amsterdam

ANGELIKA DES ROSIER

Executive Assistant to the Headmaster

Volunteered at a wildlife sanctuary in the Amazon rainforest

LANCE LOMANO

Upper Division Science Teacher

Witnessed a total solar eclipse in Texas

SHAY SMITH

Upper Division History Teacher

Volunteered at a mission in Portugal

EM SUKIJBUMRUNG

Assistant Director of the Berkeley Academy

Taught English in Thailand

COURTNEY WALKER

Middle Division Librarian

Attended a library seminar at the University of Oxford in England