Kegley Institute announces 2024 Wendy Wayne Ethics Award winners

Awards honor CSUB alumna, beloved Bakersfield community member

By California State University, Bakersfield

February 13^th, 2024

The Kegley Institute of Ethics (KIE) at California State University, Bakersfield has announced the recipients of its 2024 Wendy Wayne Ethics Awards.

The awards recognize adults and youth who inspire through their ethical commitment and actions to improve the lives of others in our community. This year’s adult awardee is Ron White, with Martha Gonzalez and Dani Munoz receiving honorable mentions.

The youth awardee is Abigail Rodela, with Claudio Zavala and Erick Plata Torres garnering honorable mentions.

These 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 childhood education with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.

“Like Wendy Wayne, this year's awardees have recognized areas of need in our community and thrown themselves wholeheartedly into finding solutions,” said Interim KIE Director Dr. Nate Olson. “They each have worked to serve those who find themselves in vulnerable situations, and, in doing so, have improved our community for all of us. The Kegley Institute of Ethics is honored to present them with these awards.”

White will receive a $5,000 charitable donation in his name while Rodela will receive a $5,000 academic scholarship.

A celebration dinner will be held on April 13, which is also the date of the institute’s Wendy Wayne Day of Service. The institute will work with volunteers and the Community Action Partnership of Kern to assemble food packages for members of the community.

Here is more information on this year’s awardees:

Ron White

White has over 30 years of experience in managing nonprofit organizations. He is currently the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Golden Empire, the local chapter of the worldwide nonprofit that supports communities by building affordable homes.

White has served in several local clubs and committees, including the Bakersfield East Rotary Club, the Kern Alliance of Nonprofits and the City of Bakersfield Parks and Recreation Project Advisory Committee.

He is also involved in the Transformative Climate Communities grant that the City of Bakersfield received from California Climate Investments, which supports initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy as well as improve public health and the environment.

White has received the Ambassador Award from the Kern County Shrine Club and is also a four-time Beautiful Bakersfield Humanitarian of the Year nominee. He has also been active in Kern County’s youth sports community. He was the executive director for the Golden Empire Youth Football Association for over two decades.

“I’m deeply humbled and honored to be selected as a 2024 Wendy Wayne Ethics Award recipient,” White said. “Wendy was truly a pioneer and trailblazer in her field. I had the distinct pleasure of benefiting from her wisdom and gracious counsel on more than one occasion as someone entering a life of community service many years ago. Wendy embodied the spirit of giving and her impact will be felt by our community for generations to come. I proudly welcome the opportunity to follow the path that Wendy so clearly and thoughtfully carved out!”

Martha Gonzalez

Gonzalez is a first‐generation CSUB alumna in her final year as a graduate student in the university’s Master of Social Work program. She is the community outreach coordinator for JJ’s Legacy, which advocates for organ, eye and tissue donation. The nonprofit is focused on increasing the number of registered donors and providing support to donors and recipient families.

In her role, Gonzalez meets with organ recipients, assesses their needs and links them to the organization’s programs and community resources. She is also an adviser for the organization’s Got the Dot Leadership Club, a year-long program aimed at educating high school students about the importance of registering to be an organ donor.

After graduating with her master’s degree, she hopes to become a social worker serving transplant residents in Kern County so she can continue to help that population in the community.

“I am deeply grateful and honored to have been selected as an awardee and would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to the selection committee and to my nominator, Mrs. Lori Malkin,” Gonzalez said. “To be recognized in this way is a true privilege, and I am honored to be a part of an organization that strives to create a positive impact in our community. Working alongside a group of remarkable women who, like me, are personally connected to the cause of educating our community about organ donation and increasing the number of registered donors has been an enriching experience. A special thank you to Dr. Wendy Wayne, who continues to inspire us to spread kindness through community involvement.”

Dani Muñoz

Muñoz is the interim executive director for The Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, a nonprofit organization serving the LGBTQ+ community in Kern County that provides a hub of safe spaces and services for this population.

Muñoz has been a tireless advocate for the local transgender and non-binary community, especially youth and young adults. They are heavily involved in developing programming and curriculum to educate and support this population. They also helped establish a Young Adult Council at the center, allowing youth to have a voice in the programming and service decisions being made.

“I am proud of the work I have done with The Center in the last six years, and I am so grateful to be able to build safe, empowering spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and adults!” Muñoz said. “I am continuously inspired to keep learning, growing, and advocating for myself and for my community. It is an honor to be seen in this work, thank you for the recognition with this award.”

Abigail Rodela

Rodela is a youth community organizer volunteer for the Kern County chapter of the faith-based grassroots organization Faith in the Valley, which aims to support San Joaquin Valley communities through social justice and health equity initiatives.

Her work is focused on supporting the city of Taft and surrounding rural communities. Rodela has given piano lessons to migrant children as well as done outreach to encourage residents to participate in workshops provided by the organization.

Rodela also helped organize a town hall last year to discuss renovating Ford City Park, which attracted more than 200 community members.

She is also involved in CSUB’s Philosophy for Children program and has helped bring it to Taft. Through the program, university faculty and students visit local libraries to lead groups of children in philosophical discussions. The goal of the program is to help children develop their critical thinking and collaborative learning skills.

Rodela is also an active leader at CSUB. She has been a student fellow of the Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Fellowship, a consortium of colleges and universities that provides students with training on how to navigate challenging political and cultural conversations and reduce political polarization through civil dialogue.

“Historically, within my cultural heritage, my ancestors established what is widely recognized as the very heart of our existence and survival despite historical oppression: communidad — an ethics of community that seeks profoundly for the collective well-being, growth and respect for the people who make you, you,” she said. “Receiving this award is a humbling and honorable moment for me, because when I receive this award, I am acknowledging that my people and comunidad are integral aspects of who I am, and it is my firm belief that they are receiving this award with me.”

Claudio Zavala

Zavala is a freshman at CSUB, where he is majoring in business administration. He is the first in his family to attend college. He currently works for the Community Action Partnership of Kern, where he packs and distributes food for the food bank.

Diagnosed with autism at a young age, Zavala has overcome many academic challenges throughout his life. He earned notable accolades in high school — such as the Seal of Biliteracy for proficiency in both English and Japanese — and was also active in his school’s Japanese Club, eventually becoming president of the club.

Zavala has a passion for supporting the community and addressing food insecurity in Kern County. He is active with volunteer work and community service. After graduating from CSUB, he would like to continue serving the community as a small business owner providing resources and services that help those in need.

“Even though I didn’t win the scholarship award, I’m still more than happy to accept this honorable mention award with pride,” he said. “I see this as an opportunity to improve myself, enhance my current assets and continue going down my current path to achieve my dream and future goals. I will try harder in the future and continue to make the community and the people around me better through my own strength, optimism and, above all, kindness.”

Kegley Institute announces 2024 Wendy Wayne Ethics Award winners

Erick Plata Torres

Torres is a program coordinator fellow with the Youth 2 Leaders Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on helping Kern County youth get into college.

He has been a leader in the organization’s Cash for College workshops, helping students apply for financial aid. He has also been actively involved in educational camps for students from low-income and underrepresented groups.

Prior to coming to CSUB, Torres was president of Bakersfield College’s Latinos Unidos Por Educación (LUPE) Club, helping provide resources for DACA and other undocumented students.

He has also held leadership positions at CSUB, including as the director of transfer students for Associated Students, Inc. Torres has helped the Transfer Resource Center organize events and has helped run information booths.

Torres was also a 2022-23 Kegley Institute of Ethics student fellow. As part of the fellowship, he spearheaded an ethics project focused on supporting DACA students.

“First and foremost, I would like to thank all of those who thought of my work in the community and nominated me for the Wendy Wayne Ethics Awards,” he said. “Although I have never expected anything in return for helping others, it’s a warm and rewarding feeling receiving this honor. It tickles me knowing I’m causing impact in my community. Thank you!”