MVUSD, VVUSD Students Win $20,000 Big Dell Scholarships

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation recently announced its 12th class of Dell Scholars, providing 300 low-income, determined students the chance to obtain a college degree. Lourdes Maldonado Castaneda, a Rancho Verde High School senior in the Val Verde Unified School District, and Moreno Valley High School student Arturo Vivar, are two of the recipients of this $20,000 scholarships. Much more than financial aid, the Dell Scholars Program provides ongoing assistance to address emotional, lifestyle, and financial challenges that often prevent students from completing college. "All students are entitled to a college degree," said Janet Mountain, executive director, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. "We look for students who are determined to graduate from college, despite personal circumstances. Our scholars are often in the academic middle, first-generation college students and often overlooked for scholarships. Yet, they've demonstrated grit by overcoming personal challenges in their lives related to their families, schools or communities. These students have enormous potential to be successful in college if given the right opportunity, skills and support." “He just sat there staring into space with a little smile the rest of the period,” Moreno Valley High School AVID Coordinator Tommy Stokes recalled of AVID student Arturo Vivar’s reaction upon learning recently that he had won the scholarship and a new Dell laptop to go with it. Castaneda and Vivar are two of just 305 winners from across the country; Vivar is the 15th such winner from the MVHS AVID program since 2006. Established in 2004, the Dell Scholars Program has supported a total of 1,142 Dell Scholars to college graduation while 1,586 additional Dell Scholars are currently working toward graduation. Since the program's beginning, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has awarded $69.9 million in scholarships, which includes $20,000 and essential technology for each Dell Scholar. Low-income students often face a variety of obstacles--from financial challenges to family responsibilities to long work hours—that impede their ability finish high school at the top of their graduating classes. Once a Dell Scholar, support is offered immediately and is a critical component of the program. Scholars instantly become part of a larger network made up of their peers and a dedicated Dell Scholars Program team. From the outset, they receive guidance and counseling ranging from understanding how much college will cost to adjusting to life away from home to how to navigate a college campus. For example, as Dell Scholars weigh their options for college they are taught to understand the "sticker-price" of the educational institutions they are considering. They are provided with tools to accurately estimate the amount they will be expected to pay and encouraged to look critically at whether a college is the right overall fit – academic, financial and personal. Once students are on campus, the Dell Scholars team uses proprietary technology and data to track each scholars' progress, intervene before students stumble, and keep scholars connected to a support network and their peers throughout their journey. "This time of year is always exciting as we get acquainted with our new class of Dell Scholars," said Oscar Sweeten-Lopez, Team Lead of the Dell Scholars Program. "We've seen evidence that non-cognitive factors – such as determination, resolve and fortitude – are strong predictors of a student's ability to succeed in college. I know I will be awed by this new group as they demonstrate how they will overcome the odds to become college graduates."