January 10, 2008Gay Brasher named among Valley’s exemplary female executives

Debate teacher wins Tribute to Women Award

By Jeanne C. Carbone
Staff Writer

Leland High School speech and debate director and coach Gay Brasher has been selected to receive the 2008 Tribute to Women Award from the Silicon Valley YWCA.

The Tribute to Women Awards [TWIN] Program is in its 24th year and has long been considered one of the Silicon Valley’s most prestigious awards. Nominations are reviewed blindly by the TWIN selection committee, and winners are chosen who exemplify excellence in executive-level positions.

An excited Gay Brasher, left, accepts a commendation from San Jose Councilmember Nancy Pyle, right, in 2006. Photo by Jeanne C. Carbone

“Gay Brasher is a bundle of energy and enthusiasm who has turned on hundreds of our students to the joy and intellectual challenge of speech and debate,” said San Jose Unified School District [SJUSD] Superinten-dent Don Iglesias. “The skills they learn will last a lifetime. Gay’s style of coaching and encouraging brings out the best in students.”

Brasher has been turning out speech and debate winners for years at Leland High School providing the school with numerous awards and trophies. A teacher for 41 years, she has been coaching at Leland since 1980 and in the classroom there since 1986. She’s no novice when it comes to winning awards herself—in 2006 she received a commendation from the San Jose coinciding with her induction in the National Forensic League’s Hall of Fame [NFL].

The NFL is a non-partisan not-for-profit educational honor society founded in 1925 by Bruno E. Jacob at Ripon College. Its purpose is to encourage and motivate high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. The league consists of over 93,000 high school students and 3,500 teachers. Brasher joined 134 other Hall of Fame members that have been honored since the NFL’s beginning in 1931.

Regarding her chosen profession Brasher said she feels fortunate to teach in Silicon Valley where there are many opportunities for women to advance no matter what their fields.

“I am honored to be a recipient of the award especially as someone representing secondary education,” said Brasher who is one of only two 2008 Tribute to Women Award winners from the field of public education. “If you consider the other large forensics programs in the United States, the majority are directed by female coaches. In Silicon Valley, women can see career choices as tangible possibilities rather than unattainable dreams. I always encourage my students to have confidence in their career choices—to ‘go for it.’”

The YWCA awards recognize successful female executives and the companies that employ them for their outstanding achievements. Those nominated must meet rigorous criteria. The nominator must be the CEO or highest-ranking local officer or director in the company or division/business unit. A committee of former honorees evaluates applicants through a blind selection process; selection is based solely on their achievements.

“Gay Brasher has been an institution for a long time,” said District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle in 2006. “Gay Brasher, teacher and director of the speech and debate at Leland High School of San Jose Unified School District has tirelessly and compassionately taught and coached thousands of students in the Almaden Valley since 1980…serving in speech and debate in all six high schools…and building the school’s speech and debate program into the award winning and nationally known program it is today.”

Iglesias agrees. “Gay retired several years ago, but continues to work for the sheer joy of motivating students,” he said. “She has volunteered at many of our schools and has encouraged students from every socio-economic background to do their best ad take pride in who they are and what they are able to accomplish. Gay leaves an everlasting legacy in the San Jose community.”

For more information on the 2008 Tribute to Women Award program scheduled for May 15 at San Jose’s Fairmont Hotel, visit www.ywca-sv.org/events or call (408) 295-4011, Ext. 216. Cover photo by Jim Nelson Photography.