Every year, driven by a commitment to advance and enhance teacher training, the San Fernando Valley division of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) awards generous scholarships to students at California State University, Northridge’s Michael D. Eisner School of Education. The goal is to help new generations of California public school teachers thrive.
“Almost all of our members have attended CSUN — doing their undergraduate and master’s work and teaching credentials there,” said Greg Messigian, president of CalRTA’s Division 19, which covers the Valley region. “These scholarships are our way of paying it forward, and we feel very proud of the fact that we’re assisting future teachers, especially those coming out of CSUN.”
CalRTA is the preeminent statewide advocate for pension protection and retirement security for California’s credentialed public-school employees, but its mission, noted Elyse Artin, Division 19 scholarship chair, also includes supporting public education in local communities.
“As retired teachers, we dedicated our careers to strengthening California’s public schools, and we’re focused on continuing that legacy,” she said. “The CSUN scholarships are an investment in the future of classrooms and their ability to set students up for success.”
Funding for the scholarships comes from rank-and-file members of Division 19, who are often inspired in their giving by other CalRTA colleagues. The division has given $600,000 to its CSUN endowment since 2019.
The CalRTA scholarships include one in memorial of Joan Berg, who instructed the association to direct her estate gift toward scholarships. Her gift inspired other members to do the same, including a significant gift from Barbara Pine.
That money goes to students like Laura Bousman, a 2025 CalRTA scholarship recipient. Bousman received her BA from UCLA in 2003 and spent two decades as a film and TV producer and nonprofit professional. Today, she is working toward her credential in special education at CSUN.
“My husband and I have two children, both of them with disabilities. When our kids were starting out in public schools, we didn’t know anything about their rights or the resources available to them, and the special ed teachers were absolutely incredible,” Bousman said. “I fell in love with the discipline and knew I wanted to pursue it as a career.”
As she was contemplating where to enroll for her credential, Bousman said CSUN was an obvious choice.
“I grew up in the Valley, and CSUN has always been a beacon of learning and impact,” she said. “Most of the educators I know went there, and the very best special ed teachers I know have their degrees from there. Of course I chose CSUN—it was a no brainer!”
For Bousman, the CalRTA scholarship is make-or-break.“These funds pay for my tuition, which is critical because all of our money goes to therapy, neuropsychiatric evaluations and other things for our kids,” she said. “I literally could not be going to school if it weren’t for this scholarship, and I am so incredibly grateful. I can’t wait to get into the classroom and help other families like mine.”
