Every 2019 AVHS Graduate Offered $1600 VVC Scholarship

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VICTORVILLE, Calf. – There is amazing news for Apple Valley High School seniors who are planning to further their education at Victor Valley College. Victor Valley College announced on Thursday, that every single senior at Apple Valley High School who chooses to attend Victor Valley College this year will be receiving a $1600 scholarship. The class of 2019 was notified of this generous offer in an assembly on Thursday morning.

“We are here to tell you that this is a wonderful opportunity for you. Studies show that people who go to community college and complete a degree are going to make, on average, twice as much money as someone who just goes to high school and doesn’t pursue higher education,” said VVC Superintendent/President Dr. Dan Walden. “Community college worked for me, I’ve seen it work for thousands, and I hope you’ll take this opportunity that this wonderful donor made available to you.”

The donor was a student of both Apple Valley High School and Victor Valley College and will be giving the donation to the VVC Foundation. The 2019 graduating class includes around 540 students. Facilty from departments of VVC including Biology, Nursing, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Technology, Construction Technology, Welding and Speech Communications spoke to the students at the assembly.

“In 16 weeks at VVC we can send you into the workforce studying medicine,” said Christi Myers, VVC EMS Academy Faculty and an alumna of AVHS. “But I’m also here to encourage you to explore, because EMS is not for everyone, hence the reason you’re presented with so many opportunities … You have to do what you love, because if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Nursing professor Terry Truelove told students that VVC’s nursing program is ranked one of the best in California by several surveys, including RegisteredNursing.org, which ranks it as No. 4 and praises it for producing graduated who are “ready to work.” “They had me speak today because I have a typical background as many of you do — I was born brown in the city of Los Angeles and poor,” said Truelove, who has been a registered nurse for 32 years. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do either, but because I went to a community college, I am in the most trusted career field in the country … I live very comfortably now and you can too.”

Dr. Gregory Jones, a communications studies professor at VVC, asked the students to think about the best apps they have on their phone and told them that he knew of an app that could surpass all others.

“This app opens doors, creates positive impressions, demands respect, increases your income and facilitates anything you want to accomplish. This app will not appear on your homescreen,” Jones said. You can’t buy this app. It’s not for sale … But you can earn it. Thanks in part to the generosity of your community, there is an app with your name on it at VVC just waiting for you to open it. Come and get it.”

The $1600 grant will allow students to attend VVC for free for at least the first year and for many who qualify for other grants or financial aid, two years. It is estimated that 80 percent of VVC students qualify for California College Promise Grant (formerly known as the Board of Governor Fee Waiver). With the fee waiver, the cost is around $100 plus the cost of books and supplies. For those do not qualify, the cost for a year is estimated at $1,150. Around 52 percent of VVC students qualify for the Pell Grant, which can be up to $6095 per year. For more information on VVC scholarships, visit www.vvcfoundation.com