February Branch Meeting:

Meet our Cuesta and Cal Poly College Scholarship Recipients!

When: Monday, February 10th, 7:00 PM via Zoom 

(Zoom link will be sent via separate email)

Cuesta Re-Entry Scholarship winners April Arnold, Tanner Fry, and Jenna Hufford and Karina Saldivar, the 2024-25 awardee of the AAUW SLO Branch Lynn S. Janeway Memorial Scholarship, will talk about and answer your questions about their academic and career goals.

All have already expressed deep appreciation for the opportunities that these scholarships have provided for them.

Please attend to show your support and see our efforts as a branch at work in transforming lives.

President's Message

Our February Branch Meeting will be held on Zoom on Monday, February 10 at 7 pm. Evites have gone out. We are looking forward to hearing from several of our college scholarship recipients - three students from Cuesta College and Cal Poly student Karina Saldivar, our Lynn S. Janeway Memorial Scholarship winner. Karina is also featured in this month's newsletter; you can also check back to our May 2024 newsletter to re-read about our Cuesta Scholarship winners. And we will be joined by a couple of 2024 Tech Trekkers, too. Let's have a great turn out to congratulate and hear from these very deserving students!

Last month, several of our members met with the Five Cities - Pismo Beach Branch for a joint in-person January Branch Meeting to welcome Sophia Zekria, a fairly recent Afghan immigrant and now an entrepreneur with her own business, KOR Kitchen SLO. Thank you to Jean Slater and the rest of the Five Cities - Pismo Beach Branch for arranging her presentation and for hosting us! Just an FYI, we will have another joint meeting in April, this time hosted by the Morro Bay Branch, so be on the lookout for that opportunity, too!

Now let me briefly turn to more serious issues. Near the end of her presentation and in response to an audience question, Sophia sadly reported that other Afghans approved to immigrate to the US had now been put on hold and would remain in Pakistan per the directives of the new administration. She also expressed some concerns for the uncertainty of her and her family's own situation. For me, the anti-immigrant actions, the divestment in world aid, and the significant restrictions on women's and LGBTQ rights under the new administration are very troubling and fly in the face of all that AAUW represents.

Eleanor "Ellie" Smeal, recent Presidential Citizens Medal winner, Afghan women's rights advocate, Ms. publisher, and president and a cofounder of the Feminist Majority Foundation, further alerts us to the troubling pardoning of 23 anti-abortion extremists who violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. She writes that this and other actions taken starting January 20th are meant to "rollback our rights and strip away at our democracy." She further observes, "Over my 55 years of feminist activism, I have witnessed moments that seemed insurmountable. Yet here we are, stronger, louder, and more determined than ever. But progress is not a straight path. If there is one lesson history teaches us, it is this: small voices, united in purpose, can topple the mightiest of structures. Ordinary people with extraordinary hope have proven that change is possible, even against overwhelming odds."

February is Black History Month. With attacks on DEI in education and employment settings, it is important to take the time to recognize and honor the work and contributions of Black Americans to the history of this country. I would like to take this space to honor the award-winning poet and activist, Nikki Giovanni, who I had the privilege to hear speak when she visited Cal Poly; she passed away in December 2024 at the age of 81. Check out her self-penned short bio and various video pieces at her website. Some of her poems, can be found here, courtesy of the Poetry Foundation. Finally, and most recommended, I encourage you listen to and see her moving read of her poem, "Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea (We're Going to Mars)"

Here are its starting lines:

         We're going to Mars for the same reason Marco Polo rocketed to China,
         for the same reason Columbus trimmed his sails on a dream of spices,
         for the very same reason Shackelford was enchanted with penguins,
         for the reason we fall in love;

         it's the only adventure. 

For me, there is irony, poignancy, and strength in this poem that prompt thoughtful reflection in celebration of the life of Nikki Giovanni and in commemoration of Black History Month in the year 2025.

In solidarity,
Debra Valencia-Laver 
President

Meet Lynn S. Janeway Memorial Scholarship Awardee Karina Saldivar

Karina Saldivar, the 2024-2025 recipient of the Cal Poly AAUW SLO Branch Lynn S. Janeway Memorial Scholarship, is earning her Spanish major and a Political Science minor (or major!) with an expected graduation date of June 2025. A graduate of Cuesta College, where she also served as a Cuesta Senator, Karina transferred to Cal Poly in Fall 2023.

Karina reports that majoring in Spanish "offers me the necessary insight and knowledge to further advance in what I wish to accomplish. Spanish has been a major component in my life, and being able to communicate effectively with diverse cultures, races, and groups offers me the privilege to serve my community. From early on I knew that I had a desire to further advance the opportunities that have been given to me, and I feel a drive to progress relationships between non-native English speakers and native English speakers. I love the ability to be a bridge, and for that reason I have chosen Spanish as my major."

When asked how she sees herself contributing to the AAUW mission while a student at Cal Poly and after graduation, Karina wrote:

"I was a student at Cuesta absolutely lost in where I was headed and what I was doing in terms of academia. I had very little support my first few years, and at times felt absolutely isolated until I began taking action to better my outcome. At the beginning, I attempted little things that pushed me out of my comfort zone, such as raising my hand in class, or staying behind after class ended to have one-on-one time with my professors. There was a teacher from the Spanish department at Cuesta named Edith Lopez who talked to me about what it is like to be a minority in every aspect of her life and work.

From there I chose to be that person that helped others, to help myself. Through MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlan), I began boothing on campus to get other students active and out of their heads, hoping they’d see others like themselves and less of their phones and laptop screens. I began boothing at Mujeres de Acciones events, talking to young female students who desire guidance and leadership. I still work with them, to lead them from HS to higher education. As my courage rose, so did my affairs outside of school, and from there I began volunteering at SLONoor as an interpreter and community engagement voice for people, but especially women. As I finish my last year at Cal Poly, I am profoundly aware of the work needed to advance gender equity in a world catered to men and their established philosophies, and the fight will continue outside of these institutional walls."

A first-generation student who works part-time to support her education, Karina was honored to be chosen and looks forward to meeting our members at our February 10th Branch Meeting via Zoom. Please attend to meet and support Karina and our Cuesta scholarship awardees!

January Meeting Summary

Sophia Zakaria shares her story

Thirteen SLO Branch members joined with members from the Five Cities-Pismo Beach Branch to welcome speaker Sophia Zekria, Afghan refugee, immigrant, and entrepreneur as she presented her life story and talked about her current catering and personal chef business and her Saturday lunch spot, KOR Kitchen SLO, currently housed at 4750 Allene Way in San Luis Obispo. The audience was riveted by her story of perseverance, hope, and courage.

In the US, Sophia and her family were hosted by SLO4Home for their first year plus, which is a non-profit that helps refugee families relocate to the area. Once here, they worked hard to acclimate to the area by getting settled, improving their English, and finding work. There have been many challenges and some setbacks, which continue to this day. Still, Sophia is determined to find success here for herself and her family. Kor Kitchen is part of that path.

Sophia also described some of the food she loves to cook – lamb qabuli palow, shor nakhod, and saffron milk cake were some that stood out! The branches in joint and in part are looking for ways to support Sophia and KOR Kitchen as she looks for a new location in the next couple of months. We all hope to be able to taste her wonderful sounding food in the very near future! Stay tuned!!

SLO Branch Members

Susan Updegrove describes the SLO4Home program

Remembering Shirley Erickson

Please join us for a celebration of Shirley Erickson’s life.
Her Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM, Saturday, February 22, at:

First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo

981 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

The church is at the corner of Marsh and Morro Streets, kitty-corner from Barnes and Noble. Parking is available across the street from the church, at Pacific Premier Bank. There is also a parking garage at 871 Marsh Street, in the block before the church, between cross streets Chorro and Morro (the garage entrance is on the right, before reaching the post office). 

A reception with refreshments will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the church, FPC SLO, are appreciated.  

Please let us know if young children are coming, so that childcare can be provided. 

Please RSVP to: llericksson@gmail.com and mindymmt@gmail.com

If anyone would like to help by baking some cookies for the reception following the service, please let DD know. You can drop them at her house, and she can get them over to the church the day before so they can be plated.

Why AAUW Public Policy Priorities Matter

Nancy Major, Member AAUW California Public Policy Committee

Why do AAUW’s Public Policy Priorities matter? They shape the actions that we take as an organization, socially and legally.  AAUW’s mission is to advance equity for women and girls. Our Public Policy Priorities guide how we encourage active citizenship toward the goal of advancing our mission. There are four branches to our Public Policy Priorities: Economic Security, Equal Access to Quality Public Education, Social and Racial Justice, and Increased representation of Women in Leadership roles. Each of these priorities is further broken down into several action-oriented subcategories, such as enforcement of Title IX and passage of the ERA. Our 2023-25 priorities can be found at https://www.aauw-ca.org/public-policy-priorities-ppp-revised/.

As active participants in society we can help shape the laws and society that govern us, such as healthcare, environmental policies, sex education, curriculum and book banning, housing, childcare, voting rights, immigrants’ rights, sexual harassment, domestic violence, racial and LGBTQ discrimination, and Title IX enforcement. We “advocate” or promote our mission through research, education and lobbying for legislation on the international, national, state, and local levels.

History has shown that our advocacy has made a big impact on national, state and local laws. In California alone, you can see the laws that AAUW sponsored, authored, and/or promoted, including those that were passed in the most recent session by going to AAUW California Bill Tracking Report 2024 - Google Sheets. AAUW is also doing impactful work internationally, working to curtail human trafficking and promote civil and human rights for all immigrants, including through participation in the UN Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Over the next four years, there will be a lot of opportunities to use this legislative advocacy to push back against attempts to overturn long standing human rights and civil rights protections. 

Our Public Policy Priorities also shape our efforts to push forward programs that break through educational and economic barriers for women such as speaker programs, scholarships, oversight of local school boards, leadership and salary training, STEM opportunities for students, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs.

Why do our Public Policy Priorities matter? They make us the most effective advocates for our collective mission to protect and expand gender equity. At the branch and individual levels, we can take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to operationalize our Public Policy Priorities, and through this work to actively promote AAUW’s mission. AAUW as an organization relies on the branches to stay informed and to keep track of where our Public Policy Priorities may fall short, to form coalitions with local allies who have similar missions, and to assign branch members to focus where we can have the most impact.

AAUW FUND 2024 Fellowships and Grants – California Awardees: Videos Now Available

Thanks to your fund donations, this year there were 31 California recipients of the various AAUW Fellowship and Grant Awards. Their names are listed HERE.

The CA AAUW Fund committee has posted the recipients' videos (when available) on the website. If a video has been posted, you will find it noted at the end of the recipient's information. The note indicates to which of the three videos it was added. Keep checking back as more videos are added daily!

You are encouraged to check out the videos. There is such a wealth of talent – watch, learn, and enjoy! While you won’t be able to see all the speakers in person, you can learn something new from these amazing Fellowship and Grant recipients and share your new wealth of knowledge.

If you’re motivated to see a speaker in person, Dr. Mayra Puente, will be presenting at the Santa Barbara IBC meeting and luncheon, which takes place on Saturday, February 8, 11:30 am to 2:00 pm at the Craft House at Corque in Solvang. Several members have already planned to attend. Please contact Shelly or Debra if you’d like to join us!

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS - CERTAINTY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Elaine Johnson, CA AAUW Nominations and Election chair, nominating@aauw-ca.org

One thing is certain, that we are living in uncertain times. Our challenges are great which means it is important to support unity and strong leadership within our organization. This spring we will be electing a president-elect, chief financial officer, and three board members. Click HERE for more information about the various positions to be filled. The application deadline for candidates is March 1, 2025. Click HERE for the application.

Every member with an email address will receive an email invitation to vote. The voting period will be April 26th-May 16th. Consider applying or nominating someone for these critical positions!

Dine Out

Our January Dine Out was held at the Madonna Inn Copper Cafe and I am happy to say, it was well attended. We had 8 attendees, which included 3 spouses.

On Wednesday, February 19th, at 6pm, we will be meeting at the newly re-opened Alex's BBQ in Pismo Beach. Many of you, who have lived here for quite a few years, might remember the original Alex's, which was located on Shell Beach Road a few miles away from its present location. It closed and then burned down. This new Alex's has a familiar menu from the previous one, and they will do separate checks for us. I was informed, when I made the reservation, that one of the owners is from the original restaurant, and the main chef has returned to run the kitchen. The NEW Alex's BBQ is located at 790 Price Street. You can check out their menu on their website. It's easy to find. You head south on 101, get off at the Pismo/Highway 1 exit, and at the stop sign, turn left. The restaurant is about a mile down Price Street on the left hand side. There is some parking on both sides of Alex's and lots of parking in the center area of the street.

Please email me if you plan to attend. I won't be able to attend, as I am taking a few days to visit my cousin in the Bay Area for her birthday. If you need a ride, let me know, and I will try to arrange one for you. I made a reservation for 8, but that can easily be changed. I will be confirming our reservation on Monday the 17th, before I leave. One of our group will take the lead on Wednesday at the dinner.

I will need one of our members to step forward for the March 19th date. I will be gone on my birthday to cruise down the Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans. You will be responsible to choose the restaurant, make the reservation, and email our group members. I leave on the 13th and can send you the names of members who have attended. I can write the newsletter article if you let me know the restaurant chosen by the 23rd of February, or you can write the article and send it to Erin by the end of February yourself. If no one comes forward, the group will just skip March and meet again in April.

Esther Pudlo
Dine Out Coordinator

Brown Bag 'N' Books

This group gathers monthly, September through May on second Tuesdays. On February 11, DD Patrick will lead a discussion of Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes. Moyes has a knack for humor, well-defined characters, and plot twists. We meet in the library room at the Laguna Lake Mobile Estates on Prefumo Canyon Road in SLO.

Please note that we’re switching the books and presenters originally scheduled for February and May on our lineup for the year. We’ll discuss Percival Everett’s James in May.

Questions? Reach out to Gina Kirk.

February Birthdays

Pat Gagala Feb. 6th

Charlene Hopp Feb. 9th

Diane Reynolds Feb. 28th 

Gail Wakefield Feb. 23rd