New York: Indian-origin Sikh community leader and Kern County businesswoman, Raji Brar has been appointed to the California State University Board (CSUB) of Trustees.
Governor of California, Gavin Newsom appointed Brar to the Board of Trustees, a powerful leadership post that gives the Central Valley a seat at the table at the nation’s largest system of public higher education.
Brar, a California State University (CSU), Bakersfield double alumna, will be welcomed on board at its meeting in Long Beach in May.
"The CSU is so special because your professors get to know you," she said. "They help open doors for you and mentor you at a level that you can’t get at a UC. Many folks that do end up going to a CSU need a mentor, and I was blessed to get that at CSUB. I felt so confident after having a degree and a master’s, and there’s a gazillion stories like mine, of student who have obstacles to overcome," added Brar.
CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny praised the governor’s selection of Brar, who serves as president of the CSU Bakersfield Foundation Board.
“There is a light inside Raji that she shares with our entire community through her many acts of kindness and tireless commitment to public service,” Zelezny said.
“She will bring a unique perspective to the Board of Trustees, and this Valley that we love will be well-represented through her voice. This is a proud moment for the Roadrunner family and our region," adds the President.
Owner and chief operations officer of Countryside Corporation since 2003, Brar also holds many leadership positions in Kern County and is co-founder of the Bakersfield Sikh Women's Association.
She earned a bachelor of science degree in biology and a master of science degree in health care from CSUB and is a member of the CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame.
A first-generation American, Brar is the oldest child of Sikhs from Punjab who came to the US with nothing in the mid-1970s and first raised their children in Central Valley farm labor camps.
Her mother only got educated till fifth grade and she can't read or write, according to Brar.
She said, "My mom felt so limited in her opportunities. She used to work in the fields and at the Burger King, the only fast-food place she could work because there orders can said into the mic and not have to read the screen."
Brar added, "My mother mother would tell me all the time that you have to be educated, It's your life partner, it will never leave you and no one can take it from you."
Brar attended CSUB because it was close to home, affordable and accessible, a top priority for the new trustee.
Brar is the third person affiliated with CSUB to serve on the Board of Trustees, following terms by student Krystal Raynes and alumnus John Nilon.
As per the University the appointment requires Senate confirmation.
(with IANS inputs)
