Dr. Michael Olenick, Chief Executive Officer of CCRC, has a new scholarship in his name at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). The Michael Olenick Ph.D. Scholarship Fund, made possible by the partnership with and major contribution of Columbia Bank, will be awarded to scholars in the Master of Arts in Early Childhood Educational Psychology Program. Degree graduates will be qualified to pursue various career paths centered on early education, advocacy, research, and beyond. The vision for the scholarship recipients is that their knowledge and skills will positively impact children, families, and communities in true alignment with CCRC’s mission to cultivate well-being.
CCRC’s Board of Directors gathered in August to formally announce the scholarship. An air of excitement and anticipation was palpable among the meeting attendees, who collectively agree that equipping the workforce is the foundational step to creating equitable and thriving early learning environments, shaping policy, and strengthening child outcomes. Dr. Olenick, widely known for his deep commitment to high quality early learning and care, was the unanimously board-selected title for the new scholarship.
Adrian Stern, Chairman of the Board, said, “The board as a group couldn’t think of another way to say thank you to someone who has donated so much of his time and energy than to go ahead and prepare people to become scholars in the field. Our hope is that this program will go on for a long period of time and we will see the entire industry with Olenick scholars.”
Board Secretary Joannie Aguayo and Dr. Jan Fish, CSUN Professor Emerita, shared the announcement with a poem highlighting the work of Dr. Olenick and hope for student outcomes.
“In a land full of learners with dreams in their heads
Where hope sprouted wings and big futures were fed
Came a man with a mission so bold and so great
It’s Dr. O seeking children’s best interest in every state.
He said, “Let’s do more.”
Let’s ignite new trailblazers
Let’s help future scholars with important fundraisers
Let’s lift up the ones who will teach and will lead
Who will counsel and nurture and meet children’s needs.”
Recently, Dr. Olenick had the opportunity to meet with the class of 2026. The students shared their excitement over the financial support and their futures in education. For some, it meant being able to participate at all, having determined that the financial hardship would prohibit them from pursuing their master’s degrees. For others it will be their steppingstone to a doctorate program. And overall, there was a consensus among the class of the good that will come from receiving a master’s in early education. Helen Quevedo Lopez, a grantee who is also currently working as a substitute teacher for LAUSD said, “It’s more for everyone else’s future. I am working right now for the future of the kids that will be born or even my kids. I’m going to have the knowledge and the finances, and nothing is going to stop me from giving the kids what I wish I would have had as a first-generation Hispanic.”
The Michael Olenick Scholarship fund will be one of the main fundraising pillars of the agency, along with evergreen campaigns like our literacy and holiday drives.
Learn more about the Master of Arts in Early Childhood Educational Psychology Program here.