At its March meeting, the Arcadia Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) had the pleasure of honoring two fifty-year members, Alice Halberstadt of Arcadia and Marilyn Siemon-Burgeson of Pasadena.
Alice Halberstadt (l.) and presenter Joyce McGregor (r.)
They were presented with congratulatory certificates from AAUW’s national organization by fellow member Joyce McGregor. Both of the honorees were not only active participants in AAUW but they were often leaders.
Alice Halberstadt attended Culver-Stockton College in her home state of Missouri. She received a B. A. in Biology. After she and her husband moved to Arcadia, she taught Special Education in the Rosemead School District for 25 years. Halberstadt and her husband were very active in Church of the Good Shepherd’s youth program. In a community outreach, she was instrumental in organizing the Candidates’ Forum in Arcadia where residents could question the City Council candidates and School Board candidates before elections.
As a member of AAUW these past fifty years, Halberstadt has held almost every position on the Arcadia AAUW Board from secretary to vice president. She has served twice as president. In 1994, she was the recipient of the Woman of Achievement Award that the Branch bestows annually. She is still active as the Branch’s courtesy chairperson. Members and others appreciate the thoughtful, pleasant person that Halberstadt is. She says that she is devoted to AAUW because it “gives women opportunities to serve, to learn, to grow, and be an assertive force in the world.” The group heartily congratulated Halberstadt on her fifty years of membership.
Honoree Marilyn Siemon-Burgeson is a California native. She grew up in Whittier and attended the University of Redlands, where she received her B. A. in Economics. Later, she attended Pacific Oaks College and earned an M. A. in Human Development. Siemon-Burgeson has been a life-long educator. In Sierra Madre, she taught at the Sierra Madre Community Nursery School and later was in charge of parent ed and music at the Sierra Madre School. She was also director of the Pasadena Unified Child Development Center at Washington School. Other teaching included Citrus College and Glendale College.
AAUW has been the recipient of many years of service from Siemon-Burgeson. The Arcadia Branch has been fortunate to have her as president for three different terms. She is currently serving her last term as president and is also the newsletter editor. She was given the Branch’s Woman of Achievement Award in 2006. At AAUW’s state level, she served as Program Vice President. She has held other AAUW state offices as well, and more locally has been chairperson of the Los Angeles County Interbranch Council of AAUW.
In the community, Siemon-Burgeson has served on the Child Care Information Board and was a member of the Policy Council Community Housing Services and Pasadena Head Start. At the present time, she continues to be a Specialist/Trainer for the State Dept. of Education and WestEd Program for Quality Infant/Toddler Care. An active member of St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church in San Marino, Siemon-Burgeson is a church officer and a bell choir member.
The Arcadia Branch of AAUW takes great pride in honoring Alice Halberstadt and Marilyn Siemon-Burgeson for their many years of dedication to AAUW. Their fellow members applauded them not just for their faithful years of membership but also for their leadership roles in the organization for the past fifty years.