Kegley Institute accepting nominations for Wendy Wayne Ethics Awards

Awards honor CSUB alumna, beloved Bakersfield community member

By California State University, Bakersfield

September 19^th, 2022

The Kegley Institute of Ethics at California State University, Bakersfield is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Wendy Wayne Ethics Awards.

The awards typically recognize two individuals, a youth and an adult, who inspire through their ethical commitment and actions to improve the lives of others in our community. Nominations are being accepted through Nov. 28, 2022. Applications can be submitted online via the KIE website.

The awards honor CSUB alumna and beloved Bakersfield community member Wendy Wayne, who was a dedicated volunteer and ethical leader in the Bakersfield community. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer, a nurse at Kern Medical Center and as an advocate for child education with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.

“Through these nominations and our awards, we identify and support both young and experienced ethical leaders in our community,” said KIE Director Dr. Michael Burroughs. “Fortunately, the Bakersfield community is full of tremendous people, and it’s an honor and a privilege to acknowledge their efforts through this initiative.”

Adult winners receive $5,000 for a charitable donation to an organization in their name while youth winners receive a $5,000 college scholarship. The generous support of Kaiser Permanente and Adventist Health Bakersfield help make these awards possible.

The 2022 Wendy Wayne Ethics Awards had two recipients in both the adult and youth categories. The adult awardees were Jayme Stuart and Dixie King. The youth awardees were 17-year-old Alex Fan and 18-year-old Neftaly Gonzalez. Natalie Velasco, 22, earned an honorable mention in the youth category.

A celebration dinner for the 2023 awardees will be held on March 25, 2023, in conjunction with the second annual Wendy Wayne Day of Service. The Kegley Institute will work with the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) to provide volunteers to address service needs relating to food insecurity.

“Wendy Wayne touched the lives of thousands of Kern County residents through her legacy of noble work,” said CAPK CEO Jeremy T. Tobias. “As an organization who also seeks to help people and change lives through our 17 programs and services, CAPK is honored to partner again with the Kegley Institute of Ethics on the Wendy Wayne Day of Service in March 2023. We look forward to celebrating the nominees who embody Wendy Wayne’s spirit of ethics and dedicated community service.”

During the inaugural Wendy Wayne Day of Service, more than 40 volunteers assembled nearly 900 boxes of food for local seniors to be distributed by CAPK.