The Ventura College Foundation has awarded a total of $28,000 Phoenix Scholarships to 28 re-entry students this spring, helping them get one step closer to achieving their career goals by returning to Ventura College to study. Re-entry students are defined as people who return to school to learn new skills in order to be competitive in the marketplace or who are returning to school after an extended break.

Each student received a scholarship of $1,000, awarded at the 16th annual scholarship ceremony, which was hosted by the Foundation’s staff and board of directors. Stan Weisel, a Ventura resident and founder of the Stan Weisel Endowed Scholarships, sponsored the event this year and has pledged to do so for the rest of his life.

“I didn’t know that this was the treasure that I was looking for all my life—to help other people,” said Weisel. “Most people would love to make people happy.”

The Ventura College Foundation board of directors started the program in November 1999 after learning about the special needs of Ventura College re-entry students.

“Each year, I am inspired by the scholarship recipients’ tenacity and their unwavering determination. These students are driven to overcome financial and personal challenges to be in school so they can upgrade their skills and make a better life for themselves and their families,” said Richard Taylor, Ventura College Foundation board member and one of the Phoenix Scholarship program founders. “Finding the money and the time to pay for and attend college when you’re already working a job and/or caring for a family requires commitment and sacrifice. I am so glad to see the efforts of these students acknowledged with a Phoenix Scholarship.”

Weisel is a retired math instructor who taught at East Los Angeles College for a quarter century. He volunteers at the Stan Weisel Tutoring Center at Ventura College, helping students as they study for finals.

To be eligible for a Phoenix Scholarship, students submit an application and essay, and obtain recommendations from counselors, faculty and employers. Recipients are chosen based on their academic goals and progress, along with their financial need.

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.