A social worker for the Milpitas Unified School District was among those honored at a Black History Month celebration hosted by District 24 Assemblymember Alex Lee.
Nicole Steward, a school-linked services coordinator and homeless/foster youth liaison for Milpitas Unified, has more than two decades of social work practice in nonprofits and accountability work in K-12 education.
“Nicole is dedicated to meeting the need for an equity-based, trauma-informed lens in the worlds of social services and education to better help us understand the needs of those we serve,” reads a press release from Lee’s office.
The Feb. 15 event was co-hosted by San José-Evergreen Community College District Board President Tony Alexander, Fremont Vice Mayor Desrie Campbell and Milpitas Unified School District Board President Chris Norwood.
Others in Lee’s district who were recognized at the celebration included Glynis Mason, principal of Ardenwood Elementary School in Oakland; Dr. Zettie D. Page III CEO and Interim COO at Bay Area Community Health, a federally qualified health center serving Alameda and Santa Clara counties; Dr. Samantha Rainer, principal of Summerdale Elementary School in San Jose; and Mizpah Brown-Rich and Kerry Rich, founders of Joshua’s Gift in Fremont, a nonprofit that supports the needs of neurodiverse families and works to develop a society that embraces individuals on the autism spectrum.
Lee’s office also feted the Black Leadership Kitchen Cabinet of Silicon Valley, a consortium of community-based organizations that supports Black community members in Santa Clara County.
“I am proud to recognize my district’s exceptional leaders in celebration of Black History Month,” Lee said in a release. “Their contributions in educating our youth, supporting those with disabilities, and tackling racial and health inequities are an inspiration to all of us.”
