Sharon Takahashi
Educator (ret.), Thomas Middle School, Arlington Heights School District 25, Illinois (BA '74, Cred. '75)
Sharon Kurakazu-Takahashi received her BA in History in 1974, and her Teaching Credential in 1975 at UC Davis, and earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1992. While teaching at the Middle School level, she earned her National Board Certification for Social Studies. She was a classroom teacher for over 30 years, and for five years, was “on loan” to teach and supervise student teachers from Illinois State University.
In 2005, Sharon received the Golden Apple Award for teaching in the Chicago region. This honor led to an opportunity to work with the Golden Apple Scholars program, teaching and mentoring young teacher candidates from all over Illinois. Most of the Golden Apple Scholars were first generation college students, as Sharon was.
Sharon and her husband, Gary Takahashi, also a UCD graduate (Chemical Engineering ‘74), relocated to Benicia, California just before the pandemic. Although they miss their wonderful friends in Illinois, it seemed like the ideal time to retire and relocate back to Northern California to be closer to family, reconnect with old friends, and to enjoy the wonderful weather.
For the first few years of their marriage, they travelled with Gary’s company and lived in Alexandria, Egypt and Castro Urdiales, Spain before settling down in the Chicago suburbs.
As a teacher in Arlington Heights, Sharon’s energy and focus was to empower her students and the teachers around her. As soon as she is able, she hopes to volunteer at a local school.
