Roselawn Continuation High School social science teacher Donnie Swanson not only met the social and skill requirements as the 2016 Outstanding Student in the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program and recipient of Stanislaus State’s Lenox Crystal Apple Award, but exceeded them.

“Knowing how many people go through the administration program at Stanislaus and to be singled out for my work is really a great honor,” said Swanson, who was recognized at the Dec. 6 Turlock Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting. “It was really a great experience to go through all the coursework and I really learned a lot. I look forward to hopefully putting that into practice someday soon.”

Swanson began the School Administration Program at Stanislaus State in Fall 2015 and finished up with a credential from the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program and a Master of Arts in Education the following summer.

“I do have aspirations of going into school administration,” said Swanson. “I wanted to go to the program at Stanislaus because it has a really good reputation in the area. When I look at Turlock Unified, I see that many of the current administrators have gone through the program at Stanislaus. Knowing that so many accomplished administrators went through Stanislaus, I wanted to do it as well.”

As a School Administration Professor in the Department of Advanced Studies in Education, John Borba said Stanislaus State has rewarded the Lenox Crystal Apple Award for at least two decades. Students are selected based on skill competence, which includes the ability to communicate effectively, plan and organize well and solve problems efficiently, and social competence, which is characterized by excellent people skills and the ability to work collaboratively as part of team.

“Donnie Swanson not only meets our expectations in those areas, but he excels them — particularly in social competence,” said Borba. “He has demonstrated that he has very strong interpersonal skills and he has the qualities that are required in education nowadays to be an effective educational leader. All of his professors spoke very highly of him.

“Plus I believe he has a genuine passion to help all students reach their highest potential,” added Borba.

Borba said that each year an average of 100 students enter the School Administration Program, which includes the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program. Throughout the course of the program, students learn the basics of school administration, including school law and finance, curriculum, instruction and assessment, and community relations.

“We provide them with the fundamentals of effective school administration,” said Borba. “We have outstanding graduates each year.”