200 Scholarships to be Awarded by Ventura College Foundation

VENTURA, Calif. - April 14, 2014 - PRLog -- The Ventura College Foundation is awarding $300,000 in scholarships to nearly 200 Ventura College students in May. The Foundation received over 400 applications for the scholarships, which range from $500 to $9,000 and honor students’ academic achievement or their chosen field of study.

At the 27^th Annual Scholarship Awards Gala on May 3 at the Ventura Beach Marriott, donors will see firsthand the impact of their donation as they present scholarships to the student recipients. Student Brenda Zuniga and donor Irene Henry will also speak on how being involved with the college has impacted their lives.

Another scholarship awards ceremony will be held the following week for students receiving scholarships from donors who have since passed.

“Each year, it gets harder and harder to choose which students to honor because we have such a high caliber pool of applicants for each scholarship fund,” said Norbert Tan, executive director of the Ventura College Foundation. “This drives our work at the Foundation—to raise even more in donation support so that we can distribute scholarship awards to as any deserving students as possible.”

A sampling of scholarships that will be awarded include the $1,000 Don L. Carlton Family Scholarship for business students, the $2,000 Kaiser Permanente Nursing Promise Scholarship and the Mary Guthrie Teaching Scholarship for students transferring to a four-year public university who plan to become K-12 teachers.

“Donors can design their own scholarship program to recognize or honor a person or priorities that are meaningful to them, while supporting student success. It’s a full-circle tribute that gives back in so many ways,” said Tan.

To be eligible for a scholarship, students were required to write two essays, have letters of recommendation and have achieved a high academic standing. Multiple volunteer readers from the college and foundation reviewed each application.

Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation provides financial support to the students and the programs of Ventura College to facilitate student success and grow the impact and legacy of Ventura College as a vital community asset. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace, an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus east parking lot. For more information, contact Norbert Tan at (805) 289-6160 or ntan@vcccd.edu. Or visit www.venturacollege.edu/foundation.