Three Kern County Equity Champions Named During EMBRACE Symposium 

During the second day of the annual EMBRACE Equity Symposium, three remarkable individuals, lauded for their dedication to creating a more inclusive and equitable Kern County, were recognized as this year Equity Champions. The awards, presented in three categories — Educator, Student, and Community Member — shine a spotlight on local heroes who inspire change through their commitment to equity and access.

“This year’s Equity Champions are pretty amazing individuals,” said Luis Garcia, a member of the EMBRACE steering committee. “They truly believe that the work they do is just good work and have no idea how incredible it really is.”

Congratulations to the more than 40 individuals who were nominated this year and to the three honorees: Salvador Avalos, Raji K. Brar, and Ishmeet Singh.

Educator Equity Champion: Salvador Avalos

Salvador “Sal” Avalos, a longtime educator and the coordinator for the Migrant Education Program (MEP) at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), has dedicated more than two decades to helping migrant families and students find pathways to economic and educational success.

Avalos began his career in the classroom, where he learned first-hand about the challenges faced by migrant students. To address these, he partnered with various organizations to bring services like mobile health clinics and educational programs directly to families who might otherwise struggle to access them.

“It’s leveling the playing field,” Avalos said. “The more we invest in them, the better success they’re going to have, and the better off we’re going to be as a community.”

In 2007, Avalos’ passion for expanding opportunities led him to establish a partnership with UC Santa Barbara, creating a free summer residential STEAM program for Migrant Education students, benefitting around 400 students each year. His goal is to give all students equal exposure to college life and access to support systems to help them succeed in higher education.

“Education is for everybody, and everybody has different needs,” Avalos said. “We have a responsibility to give these students the best possible education.”

Through partnerships with organizations like Youth To Leaders, Avalos has also developed scholarship and emergency support structures for college students facing hardships.

“All it takes is a phone call for that student to receive the services that they need,” he explained.

Once all students, regardless of background, have equal access to higher education, Avalos says they are more likely to succeed in their chosen field and return to serve the community in a positive feedback loop.

“We’re getting a lot of our students who have been coming back as engineers, teachers, doctors,” he said. “They’re serving now as role models for our future students, and they’re giving back to the community that invested in them.”

Community Equity Champion: Raji K. Brar

Raji K. Brar, COO of Countryside Corporation and co-founder of the Bakersfield Sikh Women’s Association, has spent her life breaking barriers and supporting underserved communities. Born to Punjabi immigrants who began their lives in America as farmworkers, Brar has become a trailblazer, making history as the first Sikh woman elected to a city council in California. Beyond her career, she has poured her passion for service into countless roles on boards and committees, championing diversity, health, and education.

“Growing up in this country, I didn’t see people who look like me in any position of power,” Brar explained. “Living in a society that’s accepting, I just think it’s so important.”

In 2015, Brar co-founded the Bakersfield Sikh Women’s Association, a nonprofit that has raised over $465,000 in scholarships for high school students in Kern County. These need-based scholarships are open to any student regardless of race, religion, gender identity, or background. Brar says she loves seeing the looks on students’ faces when they realize they have earned a scholarship.

“It is our responsibility to make sure that the younger generation understands that they have the same rights and access, regardless of what they look like or where they come from as everybody else,” she said. “That’s how a productive society functions.”

The Bakersfield Sikh Women’s Association also runs Kaur Care, a program providing health screenings and mental health support for the Sikh community through local Gurdwaras. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she coordinated efforts to provide free testing and vaccinations. She also helped set up a toll-free bilingual resource phone line, bridging a critical gap for Punjabi-speaking residents.

“If you don’t take care of your entire community, if there’s a section that’s falling behind, it affects everybody,” Brar said. “We wanted to get our community involved in the larger community of Kern.”

Brar believes her community work enriches the lives of those she serves and instills empathy in future generations. Her goal is to lead by example and teach her children that service is a critical part of life. Three of her kids have nonprofits of their own where they serve the community.  

“It has to be ingrained in us because it’s life-changing,” she said. “That’s the beautiful part, is that younger generation, watching them step up to the plate.”

The Bakersfield Sikh Women’s Association, which Brar co-founded, has been instrumental in providing health screenings for the Sikh community and scholarships for high school students all over Kern County.

Student Equity Champion: Ishmeet Singh

Ishmeet Singh, a student at Stockdale High School, embodies youth leadership. Singh has taken significant steps to support his peers’ mental health, creating a QR code linking students to mental health resources. Singh worked with Senator Shannon Grove to create Senate Bill 1063, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, which will add this QR code to all student ID cards in California. By advocating for equitable access to mental health, Singh is ensuring students at his school—and across the state—have the emotional support they need in real time.

“I am grateful to enhance accessibility to resources to empower fellow students when confronted with a mental health crisis. Thank you for this opportunity to make a change for the better,” Singh said.

In addition to his mental health advocacy, Singh is active in academic competitions, from the Science Bowl to Bio Olympiad and Forensics. He recently earned the Distinguished Speaker Award at the Sikh Youth Symposium and was a finalist at the Kern County International Science and Engineering Fair. 

Singh consistently demonstrates a commitment to both academic excellence and the well-being of his peers. He says his drive to promote equality comes from his deep ties to his faith. As a child he qualified for the International Sikh symposium for his age group division. Through his Sikhism, he learned seva, which is the practice of selfless service and helping others.

“That is humanity at its core,” he explained. “We have this altruistic nature of helping others, trying to uplift others.”