Welcome

The UC Davis Redwood SEED Scholars are welcomed to UC Davis as full-time NON-DEGREE students, and supported with peer mentors in academics, social inclusion, health and wellness, residential living and employment. Redwood Seed Scholars take part in internships both on and off campus with the goal of competitive, integrated employment. They live alongside other UC Davis students in on-campus housing and participate in campus clubs and organizations. Self-determination and choice will be the seeds we plant at the beginning of the program and what will guide us for the full four years.

Diana Pastora Carson M.Ed. has been an elementary educator for over 30 years, and co-teaches a Disability & Society course at San Diego State University. She is a consultant and educator on diversity as it relates to disability, and is the author of several articles and books including Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity Work in K-12 Schools & Communities, and children’s book, Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights. Diana is known for her powerful keynote presentations and educational workshops related to disability awareness and inclusive teaching practices. Her disability awareness work in schools has earned her statewide PTA recognitions in the areas of advocacy and outreach, as well as her elementary school’s designation of Teacher of the Year. In addition to a TEDx Talk and podcast, Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana has been featured in several articles and other podcasts. She served two terms on the Board of Directors of Disability Rights California, and currently serves as a board member of Disability Voices United. Although Diana experiences disability herself, she credits her passion for this work to her brother, Joaquin, who endured years of segregated schooling and subsequent institutionalization. She takes the most pride in knowing that after many years of fighting for his release, Joaquin now lives a life of self-determination, inclusion and quality, in the community, as her next-door neighbor.

Andratesha Fritzgerald, Ed.S. is the author of Antiracism and Universal Design for Learning: Building Expressways to Success (CAST, 2020), winner of a Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association. She has served extensively in education as a teacher, curriculum specialist, administrator, and director. As an international speaker, presenter, and facilitator, Fritzgerald exhibits an audacious perseverance that calls organizations to evolve into inclusive antiracist safe zones for all learners. Andratesha is a book nerd, Jeopardy enthusiast and imagination expert who loves writing and dreaming out loud with her husband, two children and committed educators who believe in academic success for all. She is the founder of Building Blocks of Brilliance Educational Consulting Firm. For more information, go to www.buildingblocksofbrilliance.com and @FritzTesha on Twitter.