Cal Poly's Learn By Doing Good Awards
The Learn by Doing Good (LBDG) Awards commemorate members of the campus community demonstrating excellence and distinction in leadership and engagement on campus, as well as faculty, staff, students and community partner agencies for off-campus contributions to the quality of life in San Luis Obispo County and their spirit of civic engagement.
The awards are selected on the basis of written nominations by a panel of faculty, staff, and students.
For a list of previous Learn by Doing Good award recipients please click here.
Congratulations to our 2026 LBDG Awardees!
Jules Bianco - Leadership
Jules Bianco is a Sociology major, community organizer, and advocate whose leadership reflects a deep commitment to community engagement and social justice. Through their work with Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, Jules has led volunteer teams, built community partnerships, and coordinated outreach efforts across the Central Coast. Their impact includes organizing a community resource event supporting immigrant families in Guadalupe that helped connect more than 150 local families with resources and donated goods, while also advancing public health initiatives through their work with WIC Nutrition Services and the California Department of Public Health.
Olivia Short - Engagement
Olivia has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to student wellbeing through her service as Secretary of Health and Wellbeing. She played a key role in planning and executing major campus initiatives, including Buck the Stigma and It’s On Us, while collaborating with campus partners to expand education, awareness, and support for students. Beyond these efforts, Livvy has dedicated countless hours to improving student experiences through initiatives like expanding menstrual product access in the Library pilot program and supporting student development through her work at the Center for Leadership.
Stacy Kolegraff & Kylie Parrotta - Advocacy
Professors Stacy Kolegraff and Kylie Parrotta have demonstrated outstanding leadership through their mentorship and co-leadership of the V.E.S.T. Hackathon, an initiative focused on creating more equitable safety solutions within the construction industry. Through hands-on, interdisciplinary learning experiences, they empower students to design solutions addressing gender-based safety gaps in personal protective equipment while partnering with industry professionals to create meaningful change. Their mentorship extends beyond the classroom through student-led research and community-engaged projects that challenge workplace norms, promote safety, and embody Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy.
Angel Guerrero - Distinction
Angel Guerrero is being recognized for his leadership and commitment to expanding access and opportunity through his work with the Latinos in Agriculture club and the 26 Hours Conference. Angel played a key role in bringing high school students from the Central Coast and Santa Maria Valley to Cal Poly for hands-on agricultural experiences, resource connections, and conversations about college life and belonging. Through collaboration with campus partners, faculty, and student leaders, Angel helped create a welcoming experience that empowered prospective students to envision themselves at Cal Poly and in higher education.
Isabella Veran - Significant Contribution, Student
Isabella Veran dedicated a year of service as an unpaid intern with the Christopher G. Money Victim Witness Assistance Center, supporting victims and witnesses through some of life’s most difficult circumstances. Through compassionate service, outreach, and advocacy, Isabella assisted victims in navigating court processes, connected individuals with critical resources, and took initiative in organizing community trainings and awareness events. Her empathy, professionalism, and commitment to serving others embody the spirit of Learn by Doing Good.
Amateur Radio Club - Significant Contribution, Student Organization
The Cal Poly Amateur Radio Club exemplifies Learn by Doing Good through its commitment to community service, emergency preparedness, and public education. Club members support local events through volunteer communications services, operate Emergency Communications Center 16 as part of county emergency response efforts, and recently secured and implemented a $77,000 upgrade to the countywide Amateur Radio Emergency Digital Network. Their impact extends beyond San Luis Obispo through outreach programs, licensing workshops, youth engagement activities, and innovative collaboration with Cal Poly’s Solano campus to provide remote licensing exams for students at sea.
Brenda Helmbrecht - Significant Contribution, Faculty
Dr. Brenda Helmbrecht has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to wildlife rehabilitation and community service through her volunteer work with the Pacific Wildlife Center, where she dedicates 6–10 hours each week caring for injured and vulnerable wildlife across the Central Coast. Serving on multiple teams—including clinic care, rescue and transport, rehabilitation, and grant writing—Brenda helps support the care of thousands of animals each year while responding to wildlife emergencies throughout San Luis Obispo County. Through both her volunteer service and her work as a professor, Brenda exemplifies Learn by Doing by using her expertise in communication and writing to strengthen community impact and advocate for wildlife care.
Perla Ramos Carranza - Service Learning, Faculty
Dr. Perla Ramos Carranza has transformed STEM education and community engagement by creating opportunities for Spanish-speaking students and families to see themselves represented in science. Through the Learn by Doing Lab, mentorship, and her work with Nuestra Ciencia, she trains undergraduate students to become bilingual science communicators while bringing hands-on STEM education to dual language immersion schools across the Central Coast. Her mentorship empowers students as researchers, educators, and leaders while strengthening pathways for Spanish-speaking communities to engage with science in meaningful and accessible ways.
Cal Poly Adapted Paddling Program - Outstanding Campus/Community Collaboration
Cal Poly’s Adapted Paddling Program exemplifies the power of campus-community collaboration by creating meaningful, inclusive experiences for both students and community members with disabilities. For more than 26 years, the program has trained over 900 students and supported more than 300 participants through adaptive kayaking experiences that foster confidence, connection, and access to outdoor recreation. Through strong partnerships with instructors, community professionals, and volunteers, the program has become one of the few adapted paddling programs in the country operating in open ocean environments while embodying the very best of Learn by Doing.
Award Categories
| Nomination | Description |
| Leadership - Student | Leadership goes beyond holding a title - it is the action of leading a group of people. It can involve listening, facilitating, making decisions, asking questions, navigating ambiguity, engaging with others, being vulnerable, and more. |
| Engagement - Student | Engaging with others takes leadership, persistence, patience, empathy, and more. This award will be given to Cal Poly students or student organizations who have exemplified effective and impactful collaboration or partnership with another Cal Poly organization or a local community group during the current academic year. |
| Advocacy - Staff or Faculty | All across Cal Poly, there are countless staff and faculty who advocate for students and help facilitate their organizations, programs, and events. Examples include club advisors, program and center staff, academic advisors, housing staff, etc. The Advocate Award will be given to Cal Poly staff or faculty who consistently advocate and create opportunities for students to demonstrate leadership at Cal Poly. |
| Distinction - Student | Programs and events are gifts to the Cal Poly community that take hard work, leadership, followership, time, energy, and more. This award will be given to Cal Poly students or student organizations who implemented a high-impact program or event during the current academic year. These programs may have been done with support from Cal Poly departments or faculty; however, they should be student-planned and implemented. |
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Service-Learning - Faculty
Service-Learning - Student |
A faculty member who has embraced the Learn by Doing spirit and designed an course learning experience for students that was unique and had a positive impact in the SLO County community.
A student who has exemplified exceptional service in the SLO County community while fulfilling a service component tied to course credit or requirement that addresses community need. |
| Significant Volunteer Contribution - Staff, Faculty, Student, AmeriCorps Fellow, Student Organization | A nominee who has done stellar work with the community, independent of any requirement (course or job) and based on their own motivation. |
| Outstanding Campus-Community Collaboration - Non-Profit or Governmental Agency and Cal Poly Department or Program | Dual award given to a community partner and a Cal Poly program or department who have collaborated to offer a unique experience for students and the community. For example: CP World Languages & Cultures Dept. and Pacheco Elementary School; SLO Food Bank and the CP Food Pantry |
| Outstanding Community Partner - Non-Profit or Governmental Agency | A non-profit or governmental agency who has formed a fruitful partnership with Cal Poly and provided exceptional service opportunities on several levels for the Cal Poly community. |
