For Immediate Release:
March 28, 2025
Contact: Krystinne Mica, CAE
Email: krystinne@asccc.org
 

Academic Senate for California Community Colleges Announce the 2024-2025 Hayward Award Recipients

Sacramento, Calif. — The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) proudly recognizes the recipients of the 2024-2025 Hayward Award. Sponsored annually by the Foundation for California Community Colleges, this prestigious honor celebrates outstanding full-time and part-time faculty who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their students, college, and profession. This year’s three exceptional honorees were formally recognized at the California Community Colleges Board of Governors meeting on March 25, 2025.

The ASCCC extends its congratulations to this year’s awardees and acknowledges their invaluable contributions to California’s community colleges and their lasting impact on student achievement.

2024-2025 Hayward Award Winners

Stacey Marie Svilich, Feather River College

Stacey Marie Svilich is a dedicated educator and student support professional at Feather River College, where she serves as an Academic Success Coach and Student Equity Specialist. She empowers marginalized students through mentorship, personalized success plans, and strategies to overcome educational barriers. She promotes inclusivity and DEIAB principles across her teaching and collaborations with faculty and staff. She is actively involved in various committees like DEIAB and Student Intervention. 

Outside the college, Stacey works with the Yamani Maidu Community for land acknowledgment practices, organizes events like the California Native American Heritage Day, and participates in state and national professional organizations. She is a “distinguished educator whose unwavering commitment to students” inspires faculty and the broader academic community.

Dr. Leila Safaralian, Mira Costa College

Dr. Leila Safarlian has dedicated over 20 years to promoting equity in mathematics education through teaching, leadership, and community engagement. She has led initiatives like AB 705 to create equitable math placement policies and developed programs such as Exito in Math and Bridge to Success in Math, which support underrepresented students. As a leader in college governance, she has collaborated across departments to enhance student success and reduce financial barriers, including promoting zero textbook cost resources and establishing scholarships for underrepresented STEM students.

Her work has earned regional and statewide recognition, including the SDICCCA Region Equity Champion award and an Honorable Mention from the California Community College Board of Governors for her Bridge to Success in Math program. She was honored with the 2023 Leon Baradat Award and named 2024 Faculty Woman of the Year. Her tireless efforts have left “a legacy of positive change at MiraCosta College and beyond”.

Diane Bushnell, Sierra College

For over 25 years, Professor Bushnell has championed access to education for historically underrepresented populations. She has developed CTE pathways for Dual Enrollment, co-created internship programs, and partnered with Meristem to bring neurodiverse students to Sierra College. She also created a non-credit pathway for undocumented and neurodivergent students, developed stackable CTE certificates through REACH, and played a key role in the Veterans Statewide Entrepreneurship Program. She founded the ENACTUS Club and won the Chancellor’s Office Project in Entrepreneurship Grant.

An original member of the Equity Task Force and an active participant in initiatives like NACEP, CIWEA, and CAEP, she works to ensure students from diverse backgrounds have access to high-demand careers. Through her leadership roles at Sierra College, she has secured millions in funding for student success and continuously enhances her knowledge to support students’ educational journeys.

Please join the ASCCC in congratulating the 2024-2025 Hayward Award winners on their outstanding service to California community colleges and their continued dedication to student and faculty success. For more information about the ASCCC Hayward Award for Excellence in Education, please visit the ASCCC website at asccc.org.

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The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) is dedicated to advancing public higher education in California. Representing faculty from the state's 116 community colleges, ASCCC collaborates with academic senates and statewide partners to develop effective policy recommendations. Through leadership, empowerment, and professional development, ASCCC upholds the principles of participatory governance to enhance student learning and promote equitable educational opportunities. Please visit us at asccc.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.