Ventura College Foundation Phoenix Scholarship Winners
Norbert Tan, Executive Director of the Ventura College Foundation announced that twenty students have been awarded Phoenix Scholarships of $1,000 each. Dave Bianco, Ventura College Foundation Board Chair, said, “These scholarships are a program of the Ventura College Foundation and named for the Phoenix Rising – symbolizing new beginnings. It is a special program for re-entry students at Ventura College created in 1999 by several of the Foundation’s board members.” The Phoenix Scholarship Awards Ceremony was held February 18 in Guthrie Hall on the Ventura College campus. The scholarships were presented to the recipients by Foundation Executive Director Norbert Tan and Development Director Diana Dunbar after The Honorable Colleen Toy White, Ventura County Superior Court Judge, member of the Ventura College Foundation board of directors and a Ventura College re-entry student herself, welcomed the attendees and provided a history of the program.
According to Tan, “By definition, a re-entry student is one whose educational progression was either terminated or interrupted prior to completion. Although the program is not limited to ‘single mothers,’ many re-entry students are single parents who must work, secure childcare and go to school, all at the same time. Simply buying clothes for a growing child can mean the difference between continuing their education and sitting out a semester. Sadly, re-entry students are often caught in a vicious circle; they cannot go to school because they cannot afford childcare and they cannot earn the money needed to pay for child care because they do not have the education needed. In addition, they are often part time students and, therefore, do not qualify for most traditional scholarship or financial aid. The Phoenix Scholarship, by taking care of some of the student’s direct educational expenses, makes it possible for these students to continue their education, rather than abandoning their goals. The Foundation generously increased the amount of the scholarship as these costs have continued to rise for our students.”
In announcing the Phoenix Scholarship winners, Tan noted that winners of the 2009 Phoenix Scholarships, as do the students of Ventura College, come from around Ventura County.
The winners and cities of residence of the 2009 Phoenix Scholarships are:
Newbury Park: Alma Valenzuela
Ojai: Veronica Cervantes, Elizabeth Lira,
Oxnard: Nicole Arimura, Alma Garcia, Mechelle George, Alejandra Sinohui, Patty Vuong, Veronyca Zabzdyr
Ventura: Amanda Agee, Tammy Andersen, Sara Blackwell, Vanessa De La O, Crystal Kilgore, Tonetta Lone Elk, Tara Loughran, Monet Mendoza, Linda Price, Jonathon Rios, Debra Sandbrook
More about the Ventura College Foundation:
Ventura College Foundation, established in 1981, is dedicated to the support and enhancement of the student educational experience through fundraising activities that provide scholarships to students, grants to faculty and staff, and funds for special projects at Ventura College.
Since it was founded, the Foundation and its volunteer board of directors have raised over $12 million to support the students and student services at Ventura College. Currently the foundation provides over $420,000 per year in scholarships and over $500,000 in program and capital support to Ventura College.
The Ventura College Foundation is made up of a volunteer board of 18 community leaders who serve as the Board of Directors, and hundreds of supporters, all of whom are dedicated to enhancing and sustaining the educational experience at Ventura College. Over its history, the Foundation has raised more than $12 million in private support for Ventura College. Though Ventura College receives state funding, that funding falls far short of actually covering the costs incurred in providing educational opportunities for over 14,500 students.
Donors to the Ventura College Foundation take pride in the fact that their gifts have helped to create a very special environment for learning that reflects the characteristics of our community and our students.
For additional information, contact Executive Director Norbert Tan at the Ventura College Foundation, (805) 654-6461, or by email at ntan@vcccd.edu. ##### |
