Stan State nursing student gets top award. Sierra Vista auction online

Robin Fredeking, a nursing student at California State University, Stanislaus, earned one of the highest honors in the CSU system.

He received the Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, presented annually to a student at each of the 23 campuses.

The criteria include academic performance, community service, financial need and overcoming life challenges. Each award comes with a scholarship of at least $6,000, funded by a CSU benefactor.

Here’s more on Fredeking, who is well into his nursing career, from a Stan State news release:

He spent his early years in an impoverished and abusive home but was taken in at 13 by a family that set him on a better course.

Fredeking received an associate degree in nursing in 2009 at San Joaquin Delta College. He launched a career that included emergency room nursing in Las Vegas before returning to take classes at Modesto Junior College.

He completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Stan State in 2019. He is studying toward a master’s at the Turlock campus with the goal of becoming a family nurse practitioner for underserved residents.

Fredeking also works as an ER nurse at Stanford ValleyCare Hospital in Pleasanton. He hopes to eventually earn a doctorate and do both teaching and research.

Professor Diane Katsma taught Fredeking in four of her Stan State classes.

“His classmates often turned to him for help in understanding course material,” she said. “He was an astute thinker who could quickly take knowledge and translate it into practice.”

The Stan State award is funded by Scott Wells, chief executive officer of Santé Health System and Advantek Benefit Administrators. Santé has about 1,200 physicians and nurse practitioners in Madera, Fresno and Kings counties. Advantek serves various industries from its Fresno headquarters.

Sierra Vista auction goes virtual

A virtual auction starts Saturday, Oct. 10, to raise money for Sierra Vista Child & Family Services in Modesto.

The nonprofit had to skip its live gala this year because of COVID-19 rules, said Sherri Darpinian, communications and development specialist.

Supporters can take part on handbid.com from noon Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Donated auction items include golf course visits, overnight travel, works by local artists, and other locally made products. The auction notice mentions “a commemorative 2020 magnum bottle of E. & J. Gallo Winery’s finest wine.” That’s double the standard 1.75-liter bottle.

On the handbid website, there are several categories to browse from, including food and beverage, wine and spirits, family fun, vacation packages and more.

Sierra Vista provides foster care, mental health and other services at several Stanislaus County locations and one in Merced. Andrew Timbie took over as CEO on Monday, Oct. 5. He succeeded Judy Kindle, who held the job for 33 years.

Names of Note recognizes people and organizations for their contribution to their communities. Submit items to [email protected]

———

©2020 The Modesto Bee (Modesto, Calif.)

Visit The Modesto Bee (Modesto, Calif.) at www.modbee.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.