Decades after CSULB, retired teachers are planting seeds for tomorrow’s educators

Barbara Ellis '64, '65 spent 36 years teaching high school and junior high English in the Long Beach Unified School District. She's retired now, but that doesn't mean she's done.

Ellis serves as scholarship chair for Division 3 of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA). She's one of dozens of Cal State Long Beach alumni who are members - or have been members - of Division 3, which includes Long Beach, Lakewood, Bellflower and Seal Beach.

"I want to be a part of helping young people, who will make wonderful teachers in the classroom," said Ellis, whose name, along with her late husband Robert Ellis '58, are on CSULB's College of Education building 1, which was renamed in 2015 in honor of the Ellis' generous gifts to the college, mostly for scholarships. "I want to be a part of making their dream come true."

Since 1996, CalRTA's Long Beach division has contributed more than $549,000 in scholarships for Beach students who aim to go into teaching. Scholarships have also gone to Long Beach City College and Cerritos College students who aspire to transfer to CSULB and eventually become educators.

The scholarships reflect the achievements of Beach alumni in their chosen fields, who then give back to their community of teachers and aspiring teachers.

This year's cohort of 26 scholarship recipients includes 17 education students at CSULB, while nine are community college students who have expressed interest in transferring to The Beach.

Not just for money

Experienced teachers know probably better than anyone that teaching at the K-12 level isn't always the most lucrative profession, and when you are student teaching, you might not get paid at all.

But they also know that it's an invaluable vocation, it carries its own rewards and it's worth keeping the tradition and profession alive.

"Most teachers do it not for the pay, but for doing something they think is important for the generation they're working with," said Robert Hedges '70, who spent 35 years in the Long Beach Unified School District as a teacher and an elementary school principal. He retired in 2006 and now serves as treasurer for the Long Beach division of CalRTA.

"The same is true for our members throughout," Hedges said. "There's a commitment to helping people and helping the community."

From left: Charlotte Hamilton, Barbara Ellis '64, '65 and Raven Moon sit on a bench outside the College of Education.

Every year on the third Friday of September, CalRTA's Long Beach chapter hosts a scholarship luncheon, where new scholarship recipients are introduced to the general membership. The luncheon is the only formal opportunity for CalRTA members to meet the new scholars. But it's also a chance for retired teachers to tell their stories, bond with and give advice to the next generation of teachers.

Multiple CalRTA scholarship recipient Charlotte Hamilton has had a relationship with the nonprofit organization since her first semester at LBCC, where she received associate's degrees in history and anthropology. She has since transferred to Cal State Long Beach, and anticipates obtaining her bachelor's degree in history in December, with a minor in anthropology. She aims to get her teaching credential next year.

She says the members of CalRTA are the "best role models you can have."

"They've put their support in me as a student, and it has been so helpful," she said. "I think that's a testament to them being educators - they're so experienced, they know the academic journey."

Scholarship recipient Raven Moon is working toward obtaining her teaching credential, and hopes to become a special ed teacher. She's interning at Webster Elementary in Long Beach while completing the remainder of her coursework at CSULB.

"It's especially an honor to receive (the scholarship) from teachers, because they know how hard this job is, and to feel recognized by them is very special. They know how dedicated you have to be."

Ellis said CSULB's College of Education is doing an outstanding job preparing the next generation of educators.

"I think the preparation they're receiving is just perfect for the times we're living in," she said. "They know the real world."

CalRTA scholarship winners for 2026-27 gather outside St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in Long Beach during the annual Division 3 scholarship luncheon.