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Kegley Institute announces 2026 Wendy Wayne Ethics Award recipients

Awards honor CSUB alumna and beloved Bakersfield community member

By California State University, Bakersfield

February 24^th, 2026

California State University, Bakersfield’s Kegley Institute of Ethics (KIE) has announced the recipients of its 2026 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. Ucedrah Osby and Odessa Perkins have received the Impactful Ethical Leader Award. The two youths receiving the Emerging Ethical Leader Award are Tania Castillo and Deanne Manalastas, with Lance Heimforth receiving an honorable mention.

The youth co-awardees will each receive a $2,500 scholarship while Heimforth will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

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.

“Wendy Wayne spent her life working to improve the lives of those in vulnerable positions in society,” said KIE Director Dr. Nate Olson. “I'm elated to be able to recognize impactful and emerging leaders in Kern County who are walking in Wendy’s footsteps.”

The winners will be recognized during a dinner on March 13 and will also be participating in the Kegley Institute’s Wendy Wayne Day of Service on March 14. The institute will work with volunteers and the Community Action Partnership of Kern Food Bank to assemble food packages for members of the community.

If you would like to participate, please email ethics@csub.edu or call 661-654-6263.

Here is more information on this year’s awardees:

ADULT AWARDEES

Kegley Institute announces 2026 Wendy Wayne Ethics Award recipients

Ucedrah Osby

Osby is the executive director of Community Interventions, a Bakersfield-based organization that focuses on supporting Kern County’s most vulnerable communities by addressing social justice issues such as education equity, law enforcement accountability and health disparities. She is also the president of the Bakersfield chapter of All of Us or None, which advocates for the rights of people who are formerly incarcerated.

In 2021, Osby was the first Black woman to be appointed as a commissioner for the Kern County Parks and Recreation Department. Through her leadership representing District 5, she was able to secure more than $10 million in improvements to several parks in the district.

Osby’s community advocacy extends to CSUB, where she helped organize the inaugural Black August Commemoration last summer. The event was created to honor the contributions of Black activists who have made sacrifices in the fight for justice and civil rights.

Osby was also a member of the organizing committee for the Ethnic Studies Department's symposium on mass incarceration last November and was one of its guest speakers.

“I am honored to be receiving the Impactful Ethical Leader Award in my beloved city,” she said. “Love in action is what fuels my leadership, and I absolutely love my community!”

Odessa Perkins

Perkins is the founder and chief executive officer of emPOWERment, a local nonprofit organization she created in 2022 that supports at-risk youth and victims of human trafficking. Perkins is a human trafficking survivor herself, a story she shared in her 2021 book titled “Warrior.”

Perkins has led trainings and workshops on topics relating to human trafficking and domestic violence for students, teachers, law enforcement and other groups. She has worked with Sen. Shannon Grove on legislation that classifies human trafficking of a minor as a serious felony in the state. Perkins is also a member of the California Survivors Coalition, which advocates for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Beyond her advocacy work, Perkins is a counselor for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office, where she works with at-risk youth from elementary age all the way through high school.

“Receiving the Wendy Wayne Ethics Award is a reminder that God can turn pain to purpose, and that walking in integrity, compassion and my truth is in itself a form of service for those whose voices need to be heard most,” she said. “This award is not just for me—it’s for every survivor who chose healing over silence.”

YOUTH AWARDEES

Tania Castillo

Castillo is a sophomore at CSUB who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She serves as an ambassador for the College Assistance Migrant Program on campus, where she provides support and mentorship to immigrant and first-generation students such as herself. Castillo was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager.

Outside of CSUB, Castillo is part of Adventist Health’s Health Scholar program, an internship which gives students an opportunity to work alongside physicians and nurses and receive hands-on field experience.

Castillo received her license last year as a certified nursing assistant through Bakersfield College and is thinking about pursuing her master’s in nursing at CSUB.

“Being recognized with an award that celebrates a legacy of service and ethics is incredibly meaningful,” she said. “This award isn’t just for me, but for everyone who believes in the transformative force of doing what is right and making a positive impact.”

Lance Heimforth

Heimforth is a senior at CSUB pursuing his bachelor’s in kinesiology. He has been actively involved with the Center for Accessibility and Basic Needs since he first came to the university. He began as a volunteer in the Edible Garden before he was promoted to a permanent position as a lead student, which he has held for about two years.

In addition to providing learning opportunities for CSUB students at the garden, Heimforth has helped host more than 30 field trips each year for elementary and high school students.

Heimforth has also volunteered in the community. At a local hospice care facility, he would visit with patients and keep them company through reading or by being someone they could talk to. Heimforth has also volunteered at local 5K runs and local farmer’s markets.

“I didn't know I was nominated until I got the email that I was getting an honorable mention, so at first I was a little confused — but now, more than anything, I feel grateful,” he said.

Deanne Manalastas

Manalastas is a graduate student at CSUB pursuing her master’s in social work. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the university last year.

Manalastas has long had a passion for recognizing and celebrating her Filipino heritage. While in high school, she held several leadership roles in the United Filipino Organization in Delano and served as a folk-dance teacher.

As an undergrad at CSUB, Manalastas helped restart the Kaibigan PASO club on campus — which promotes Filipino culture and history — and served as its president. She also served as a secretary for the university’s Sociology Club.

Outside of CSUB, Manalastas helped establish a youth engagement committee for the Delano chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society. The committee supports young people interested in learning more about and celebrating Philippine history through events such as oral history workshops.

“Everything that I do is rooted in my belief that our society thrives when we uplift and empower one another,” Manalastas said. “I am extremely grateful to be recognized as an ethical leader, especially by those whose integrity and leadership continue to inspire me!”

For more information about the Wendy Wayne Ethics Awards, visit the Kegley Institute of Ethics website.

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Footnotes

Story by Joseph Luiz, writer/marketing and communications specialist; youth awardees photos by EJ Medellin, videographer/photographer; other photos contributed by Ucedrah Osby and Odessa Perkins

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FootNotes

Story by Joseph Luiz, writer/marketing and communications specialist; youth awardees photos by EJ Medellin, videographer/photographer; other photos contributed by Ucedrah Osby and Odessa Perkins

Migrant education champion shaped thousands of students’ futures

Kegley Institute announces 2026 Wendy Wayne Ethics Award recipients

Awards honor CSUB alumna and beloved Bakersfield community member

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