Holmes also
encourages
students
and families
to explore
the many
scholarship
Ron Holmes with Valley Proteins Fellows.
opportunities
that are
available for community college students. For example, the
prestigious Valley Proteins Fellows program for secondyear students is valued at approximately $15,000 for
professional development, travel and cultural opportunities,
along with tuition, fees and books. The Fellows also
volunteer 80 hours of community service during the
academic year to develop their leadership skills.
"I've seen extraordinary examples of student
achievement coming out of the community college
system," said Holmes, referring to the Valley Proteins
Fellows and other scholarship recipients.
In addition, the state's community colleges offer
an excellent return on investment for any businesses
that contribute funding to the Virginia Foundation for
Community College Education. "The community college
system has a far-reaching effect on the state's economic
prosperity through the increase of a skilled labor pool
for businesses as well as service providers such as
nursing and automotive technicians, among many others,"
said Holmes, adding that Virginia's Community Colleges
are putting out more nursing students than all other
educational institutions in the state combined.
For more information on the Virginia Community
College System, visit www.myfuture.vccs.edu. The Virginia
Foundation for Community College Education, www.vccs.
edu/Foundation, seeks to guarantee financial assistance
to all students who dream of attending college.
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