Posted by Sue Gochis on Jun 18, 2018
 
 Another Sunriser has made the news for outstanding contributions to the community.    Hot on the heels of Jon Winston's District award from last week, Mary Gaukel Forster was recently honored at the 2018 Central Coast Heroes Breakfast which was held last Friday, June 15th at Twin Lakes Church.   American Red Cross Heroes are ordinary people whose actions embody the values of the Red Cross, and demonstrate the potential that is in all of us.  Whether they’re stepping up during a medical emergency to provide assistance, or helping others through a lifetime of volunteerism,  these heroes reflect what is best about our community.   Mary was presented with this year's Education Hero award.  Education has been Mary's passion both in her career days as well as her post-retirement endeavors.   In  Forster’s household, retirement is a running joke. She may be even busier than she was during her more than 40 years as an educator and administrator, a career in which she regularly went above and beyond to help local English learners and continuation schools. In “retirement,” Forster is the executive director of Your Future is Our Business, an organization that links local and regional employers with Santa Cruz County schools and, in the process, improves students’ employment prospects. Forster is also involved with the Transition Age Youth Program for the local Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) organization, the Youth Violence Prevention Taskforce, and Santa Cruz County’s 5-year Alcohol and Drug Prevention Program.
 
 
The Sunrise Rotary Club is certainly proud of our fellow Rotarian, Mary Guakel Forster, the 2018 Central Coast Education Hero!