Valdez Educational Services honored dozens of students for academic achievement at its fifth annual Celebration of Excellence, held recently at the Madera Municipal Golf Course.
Valdez Educational Services awarded two $500 scholarships, and recognized students, tutors and district staff for a year of academic gains.
Chad Brammer, co-founder and president of Valdez Educational Services, welcomed an overflow crowd of family members, students, staff and Madera Unified School District leadership. He asked students to stand and be recognized, telling the audience, “… the evening is intended to celebrate their growth and effort over the past year.”
Katherine Valdez, tutor/mentor and intervention specialist, presented the a $500 scholarship to Jordan Quintana, a student recognized for academic improvement in writing and mathematics, while balancing coursework with extracurricular activities. She said the award represented, “not only recognition of past performance, but an investment in Jordan’s future and potential.”
Quintana’s mother told attendees that the family had seen a marked improvement in her son’s confidence after months of study supported by the Valdez program.
The second $500 scholarship was presented to Uriel Matias Salazar. His tutor/mentor was Stephanie Evans, who is an Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) tutor and intervention specialist with Valdez Educational Services, who supports a third-grade English Language Learner classroom at Sierra Vista Elementary School.
Evans began working with Salazar in December 2025 when he was struggling with foundational mathematics. By the time of the celebration, she said Uriel had grown significantly in self-confidence and math proficiency. Evans said she was extremely proud of his progress.
Valdez Educational Services’ Madera-area Program Manager, Ernest Valdez, recognized the organization’s tutors and mentors for their dedicated work throughout the year.
Several parents credit Valdez tutors with helping their children succeed, including students with diverse learning needs, and described the relationship between families and Valdez staff as central to their children’s progress.
Alyson Crafton, Director of Student Services at MUSD, thanked Valdez staff for their individualized approach to supporting students.
“That’s so unique and so dedicated to really knowing the child, the whole child,” Crafton said.
She also praised students directly for their commitment.
“You work so hard in school and welcome these people into your home to work with you some more, because you want to get better,” she said.
Valdez said parent encouragement, school engagement and community advocacy all contribute to stronger academic outcomes for students. She went on to say that student growth is most sustainable when schools, families and community partners work together, framing the celebration as both a recognition of the year’s achievements and a reaffirmation of continued investment in students.
“This Celebration of Excellence reflects our ongoing commitment to academic support models that help students build confidence, improve performance, and pursue future educational opportunities,” Brammer said.
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About Valdez Educational Services: Valdez Educational Services provides tutoring, mentoring, and student support to improve academic outcomes across school districts, including San Bernardino Unified, Madera Unified, and Victorville Unified. Services are free when district-funded; otherwise, payment options are available, and scholarships are available for low-income families. Valdez Educational Services is headquartered in San Bernardino and has offices in Madera.