University Liggett School honors longtime parent volunteer
ULS parent Barbara Yoshida was recognized with the Shelli Elmer Parent Volunteer Award during the school’s Volunteer Recognition Reception.
Yoshida has been a longtime and committed volunteer at the school in countless ways. She has donated her time to virtually every volunteer opportunity available at the school since her children started attending ULS in the mid-2000s. Yoshida has been a longtime supporter and advocate for the school’s robotics program. She took on the role of coach of the school’s first Lower School First Lego League team during the 2015-16 school year.
“I personally have had the pleasure of working with her closely through our robotics programs for about eight years, and she is always willing to pitch in and help in whatever way we need,” said Kim Galea Robotics Team Coordinator. “She has helped plan numerous team dinners, helped with blood drives, volunteered her time at numerous events each season, and has helped lead the judging teams during the First Tech Challenge qualifier events that we’ve hosted the past two years and so much more. I am so grateful to have such an enthusiastic and dedicated parent working with our team.”
In addition to devoting her time to the robotics programs, Yoshida has also donated her time to the Upper School Treasure Hunt, Homecoming, Liggett Knight, the Upper School Parents Association, classroom volunteering and teacher appreciation.
“With more than 15 years of volunteering at ULS, the list goes on and on,” said Galea.
Yoshida and her husband, Atsushi have three children, Max, Naomi ‘18 and Luke ‘24.
The Shelli Elmer Parent Volunteer Award was created in 2016 and given posthumously to Elmer, who for many years, volunteered at school events. In addition to Elmer, previous recipients include Connie deRuiter and Kelley Vreeken, in 2017, Susan Azar ’87 in 2018, DeAnn Lukas ‘85 in 2019, Colleen Fitzgerald and Lan-Huong Reilly in 2020, Gretchen Knoll in 2021 and Jennifer Barnhart-Fozo ‘87 in 2022.