LaTysa Flowers-Jackson has been named as the inaugural recipient of a first-of-it's-kind endowed scholarship fund. This is the first endowed scholarship for SOE’s new undergraduate program, and LaTysa is the first recipient. 

LaTysa is an undergraduate student in the School of Education where she is working towards her degree in Education Society and Human Development with a concentration in Social Justice. She also works full time at the YMCA of San Diego as Association Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Director. Her background includes experience in special education advocacy, mental health support with an emphasis on trauma informed and culturally responsive family and children services.

Upon receieving her degree, LaTysa  would like to work in policy and legislation for Education Equity specifically for children and youth who are impacted adversely due to medical diagnosis or public systems involvement (i.e.  foster care and juvenile justice). She is currently a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for a local agency in San Diego. She hopes to create more opportunities for CASA's who come from communities of color.

As a transfer student, this scholarship will help LaTysa offset the cost of commuting, summer classes, and possible internships. 

The Karen B. Kyhn and Stanley N. Fix Endowed Scholarship marks the first endowed undergraduate scholarship at SOE. The undergraduate major was launched in 2017 and has grown to enroll over 600 students annually. This fund will support SOE undergraduate students selected at the discretion of the SOE Dean. Karen and Stan's gift was matched by the UCR Trustee Beyond Brilliant matching funds.

Kyhn is an alumna of UCR, where she completed her bachelor’s degree, teaching credential, and master’s degree. She began her career in education as an elementary teacher in the Menifee School District, where she taught for 18 years and was initially only one of 12 teachers at the district’s first school site. She spent the rest of her career working as an advocate for teachers and students in Riverside County, ultimately finishing her career as the Executive Deputy Director of the CTA in their northern California headquarters. Upon returning to southern California Karen began looking for ways to pay-it-forward and give back to the educational community where she got her start. 

Kyhn is a lifelong advocate for education and is passionate about increasing access to education by bridging the gap that exists between students and reaching their educational goals. In creating this fund, it is her intention to support the students in the rapidly growing undergraduate major in the School of Education at UCR.

LaTysa, Karen, and Stan had the chance to meet for the first time at SOE's Donors & Scholars Reception this spring.