Supporting Future Scholars at Cal State East Bay

Our branch is proud to continue supporting the Renaissance Scholars Program at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB)—a program dedicated to helping former foster youth succeed in higher education.

This year, we awarded $1,000 scholarships to three exceptional young women who have shown remarkable determination and academic focus. In addition to their scholarships, each recipient received an AAUW Student Associate Membership and a thoughtful and generous Back-to-School gift basket.

Two recipients attended our Welcome Luncheon, where members had the chance to hear their inspiring stories. Below are brief bios of all three of our Scholarship Recipients:

Bobbie Byrd is a senior this fall and plans to graduate in the Spring of 2026 with a major in Sociology. After graduation, Bobbie hopes to attain a Master’s Degree in Social Work and work as a clinician with people who suffer from mental health, addiction, or homeless issues. Bobbie currently lives in Pittsburg and works for Contra Costa County as a Substance Abuse Counselor. She has worked for several agencies in this area as a counselor as well as leading both AA and NA groups. She is also an active member of her church and participated in several ongoing volunteer activities in the community. Bobbie has two adult sons and a 4 year-old granddaughter.

Justine Overmyer is also a senior this fall with plans to graduate in the Spring of 2026  with a major in Psychology. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a Master’s Degree in Social work and focus on working with children and families involved with the foster care system. Her own experiences have inspired her to gain skills in order to offer support and guidance to girls especially, within this system. Justine has demonstrated strong academic skills and made the Dean’s List for Fall term 2024. Justine lives in Oakley and is a single mother of three young children. In addition to her parenting responsibilities and academic commitments, Justine works with a housecleaning business and has volunteered at a local food bank.

Ruth Clay is a first year student this Fall in the Master of Social Work program at CSUEB. She was a previous recipient of our Scholarship in 2023, in addition to other honors and awards that year, and graduated in the Spring of 2024. After completing her MSW, Ruth hopes to work for Oakland Unified School District in supporting unhoused youth. Since graduation in 2024, Ruth has continued to work as a Para Educator for Oakland Unified working with young adults with learning and/or behavioral disabilities. This school year, Ruth has begun working as the lead teacher with high school students with similar needs. Ruth has volunteered for many years at the Alameda County Food Bank and with a committee offering support for homeless individuals. Ruth is also a talented artist and musician, playing several instruments and working in different artistic media. She and her teen-age son live in Oakland.

Susan Walker-Christensen, Loranne Weir, Ashley Cherry, Helen Rozman
Local Scholarship Committee