U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, D.-26th Dist. will receive an honorary doctor of law degree and address the Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law’s (COL) graduating Class of 2019 at its commencement ceremony, 10 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.
Brownley will be honored for her more than 25 years of public service and leadership in the local community.
Brownley began her career in public service in 1994 after deciding to run for the local school board as a way to advocate for a better education for her daughter, who had dyslexia, and other special-needs students. She won and was later elected to the California legislature in 2006.
Brownley was first elected to Congress in 2012 to serve the California’s 26th District, which includes the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Camarillo, Newbury Park, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village.
“From the school board to the California legislature and now at the highest levels of government in Washington, I and many other Ventura County residents can attest to Congresswoman Brownley’s exemplary and responsive service to her constituents, in the past or currently, be they students, veterans, seniors, farmers, or victims of the deadly fires that swept our counties,” said Trustee Carmen Ramirez.
Ramirez sponsored Brownley’s honorary degree resolution to the COL Board of Trustees. “She is well deserving of this honor as a maker of laws that benefit our community,” Ramirez said.
On Capitol Hill, Brownley serves on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, including as chairwoman of the subcommittee on Health. Brownley also sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
“I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Board Trustee Carmen Ramirez and the entire leadership of the Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law for this special honor,” Brownley said.
“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to address the Class of 2019, as well as their friends and family, as they mark this momentous occasion. These graduates have worked extraordinarily hard to get to this special day, and I look forward to recognizing this tremendous achievement as they embark on their careers in the law,” she said.
Brownley will join trustees, faculty, staff, family and guests to celebrate the 45 members of COL’s Class of 2019.
Representing the Santa Barbara campus are graduates Joseph Beck, Martin Bender, Kiley Clevenger, Evelyn Cortes, Matthew Haas (honors), Shannon Lofft, Devonnie Mann, Tyler Potter (highest honors), Nicolette Reeves, Keiran Schwoerke, Stephanie Sivers, Samuel Sosa, Stacy Tolkin Lowman, Joan Vignocchi and John Weninger.
From the Ventura campus are graduates Karina Almaguer, Ashley Brown, Megan Cooper (honors), Emily Dixon, Larissa Garcia, Maritza Garcia-Lopez, Laura Garibay, Valarie Grossman (honors), Amy Gunderson, Jonathan Gunderson (highest honors), Kryztofr Kaine, Alessandro Manno, Eddie Martinez, Daniel Moore (high honors), Viktoria Morgan, Bryan Murotake, Sergio Prado, Esther Reynoso, Veronica Romero, Dianne Seaberg, Rogelio Tuazon and Rodrigo Yanez.
Representing the Master of Legal Studies program are Francisco Aragon, Michael Barney, Ashley Barrios, Susan Foster, Daniel Hodorowski, Renee Paige, Tyler Thompson and Jaclyn Zaragoza.
For more, contact COL public affairs coordinator Kryztofr Kaine, 805-765-9729 or kkaine@collegesoflaw.edu.
— Kryztofr Kaine for Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law.