Sun’s volunteer of the year award goes to…

For her volunteer work teaching English at La Luz Center, educator Joyce Moldovan has been honored with The Sun’s second annual Spirit of the Valley Award. The award celebrates the volunteer who has provided extraordinary, unpaid service over a significant period of time to a community cause in the Sonoma Valley.

“It’s not a glamour job,” she said of teaching ESL to aspiring students, “but it’s the best job.”

Moldovan moved to the area 12 years ago after living, and teaching, in Wisconsin and Virginia. Learning Spanish became a hobby after visits to Mexico, and classes at Vintage House. When the La Luz opportunity opened up three years ago, she jumped right in.

“Volunteerism is a part of my life since retiring,” she said. “It’s important.”

The students are primarily young adult women, and Moldovan enjoys being part of their quest to learn. “They are eager to learn, and enjoying themselves,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to go there and be part of it.”

Particularly gratifying, she said, is the sense of how the classes, and other La Luz services, are bringing people together. “You can see communities forming,” Moldovan said. “There are some wonderful opportunities for people to get help.”

‘Joyce is a Gem’

Moldovan was nominated for the award by Eduardo Vasquez, Volunteer Coordinator & Client Resource Associate at La Luz Center, who wrote this tribute essay:

Joyce Moldovan, a two year ESL veteran volunteer, offers all of us in the classroom superior support in working toward our mission: to connect with the broader surrounding community through the acquisition of the English language. Joyce cares deeply for our students. She understands the curriculum and uses her teaching expertise to provide lessons that fit each skill. She has worked with groups of English students in our Level One curriculum every Tuesday and Thursday morning since January of 2013.

As a former science instructor, Joyce embodies the qualities of that perfect teacher. She possesses the skills to create and execute lessons for each class that adhere to the targeted functions for that day. Most lessons entail making specific materials that enhance learning and/or leading real life exercises that students may transfer to the outside world. By the end of each academic year, her students are prepared to progress to the next level.

Dependability, kindness, assertiveness, and steady dedication describes Joyce as the strong volunteer that she is; and this is only one of her volunteer positions in daily life. Joyce also participates in a preschool environment, works tirelessly on events that raise funds to finance a girls school in Peru, and works with the board at the Sebastiani Theatre, just to name a few.

Joyce thinks beyond the walls of Booker Hall here at La Luz Center when considering the needs of our students. She is making plans for our class to participate this fall in the Sonoma Vintage Parade and has been instrumental in planning and negotiating for this week’s upcoming field trip to the students’ “first movie theater ever” experience at the Sebastiani Theatre. She even arranged for the class to be transported by the Sonoma Valley Wine Trolley. Both of these businesses have been touched by Joyce’s requests and have volunteered their donations to make it a free morning of spectacular firsts for our students.

Joyce is gem in the classroom and a beautiful person to know. I would like to acknowledge her every effort in and out of the classroom where she makes Sonoma a better place to live.

The 2015 award finalists

Virginia Bertelsen

Since 2008, Virginia and her talented golden retriever Isiah, have delivered compassion and unconditional support to the children at WillMar Family Grief & Healing Center… they have shared hope, love and tenderness — and a lot of tail-wagging — with children grieving the death of a loved one… this reliable duo creates a calming presence and sense of safety for the children as they share their deep feelings and thoughts of loss and sadness.

Jennifer Rochlin
Interim Executive Director

Alane McCrea

“To the students at Woodland Star Charter School, Alane McCrea, is known as the Garden Goddess… after working more than 30 years as an Adoptions Social Worker, you can find her on campus most days busily attending to one task or another even when school is not in session… She organized the Garden Group, rallied support and set out to transform a barren space into the beautiful, multi-functional garden that students and wildlife love and enjoy.”

Sheila Reilly,
Director, Woodland Star Charter School

Deanna Schwab

“Deanna has served on the all-volunteer board of directors for Pets Lifeline for over 6 years… when needed she dedicates her expertise and veterinary services for the lost and abandoned animals in the shelter’s care… she donates generously in every aspect of giving to help animals in need.”

Marianne Joske
Pets Lifeline Volunteer/Events Coordinator