SBCSS News and Press Releases

Four County Students Win Dell Scholarships

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SAN BERNARDINO – A pair of students from both Pacific and Arroyo Valley high schools were among 13 individuals from the Inland Empire to be awarded $20,000 college scholarships by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

Pacific’s Porchia Dees and Adriana Farias and Arroyo Valley’s Lluli Martinez  and Roberta Smith were the four recipients from San Bernardino County through the Dell Scholars Program. The other nine scholarship recipients from the Inland Empire are from Riverside County high schools.

The program awarded $3.2 million in scholarships this year to 160 students nationwide. The Dell Scholars Program is need-based and evaluates college-ready high school students on their demonstrated ability to overcome obstacles and determination to succeed.

“These Inland Empire students were chosen because they demonstrated something special – the willingness to succeed and persevere despite obstacles,” said Kevin Byrne, director of scholarships at the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.  “We hope these scholarships encourage them to finish college, expand their horizons and pursue the career of their dreams.”

The program began in 2004 as an extension of the foundation’s support of college-readiness programs, such as Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). AVID is a college-readiness program that prepares students in the academic middle for higher education, based on their ability to succeed in college given the necessary academic, personal and financial support.

The Dell Scholars Program targets underserved youth and lower income students from high schools nationwide that participate in the AVID program to promote higher education. Participation in the program is one of the key criteria to be eligible for the program. Other requirements include graduation from an accredited high school, demonstrated financial need, a minimum GPA of 2.4 on a 4.0 scale and intent to enter a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited higher education institution in the fall.

To learn more about the Dell Scholars Program, including information on how to apply for the scholarship, log on to www.dellscholars.org. Applications will be available in the fall on the Web site and will be evaluated on the requirements listed online.