By Nolan Patrick Smith

High Desert Daily

(Victorville)– Our community thrives off with everyone giving back to the High Desert, and on Wednesday night, many gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn for the Desert Valley Charitable Foundation Healthcare Scholarship Awards Ceremony as Desert Valley gave back in a massive way.

Since 1994, the Desert Valley Charitable Foundation has been awarding scholarships to High Desert residents since its inception.

Founded by Dr. Prem Reddy, MD, FACC, FCCP and his wife Dr. Venkamma Reddy, MD, the foundation awards scholarships in the Healthcare field to students enrolled in an accredited program leading to a Healthcare/Medical related degree. Many past recipients have returned to the High Desert to work in Healthcare positions upon graduating. This year, fifty-nine (59) scholarships were awarded to help aide in the students in their quest for knowledge.

“Especially during an economic downturn, it’s really important to be able to help support further education,” stated Jana Bullock, Director of Marketing at Desert Valley. “It’s always been focused on local residents. Our criteria has always been driven greatly by financial need.” Bullock explained how recipients aren’t all right out of high school: some are single parents that are working on their education, or even adults changing fields of study.

Bullock also mentioned the generous amounts Desert Valley has given in an effort to provide more scholarships for the growing community, “In the last 6 or 7 years, we upped the ante so to the speak, and we have now been giving $100, 000 to students annually.”

“I feel so honored because I have been all through my school and never received free money, this is my first bit on my fourth year and I am just overwhelmed, I am really excited about it,” said 2011 Scholarship Recipient Rebecca Molina to High Desert Daily. Visibly excited, Rebecca will be using her scholarship towards her 4^th year at Cal State San Bernardino, after which she plans to continue on to a masters program, hoping to attend Western University in Pomona.

A first for the foundation, this year they awarded a special award scholarship to the HOSA program at Apple Valley High School. The school has a dedicated Allied Health class that focuses on healthcare in the high school years. With Healthcare professionals and doctors visiting the school to provide answers to the plethora of questions that students had about the field, the foundation was very excited to award the school in recognition of their wonderful efforts.

Founder Dr. Prem Reddy gave a very inspirational speech to the scholarship class of 2011, as he detailed his humble beginnings in a small village to where he is today. “Only thing you have to do is dream, and you dream big and work hard at it. A living example of that is me.”

2011 Scholarship Recipients

Cindy Angiano

Karrie Albanese

Sophia Almejo

Osiris Ballanes

Jeremy Blohm

Sabrina Brothers

Corita Brosky

Clinton Browning

Tyrone Butler

Analysa Chavez

Sahmon Chinichian

Ronnie Corona

Trinity Doan

Sharna Dobbins

Uchenna Ezidinma

Steven Farr

Heather Freed

Jessica Freed

Sherri Frey

Andrea Fritsch

Nathalia Gil

Claudia Gonzalez

Pazely Hall

Stephanie Hansen

Cecilia Holguin

Vanessa Horton

Daniel Kniss

Melissa Kniss

Joshua Leonard

Diana Llamas

Christine Lenze

Rachel Lewis

Raymond Lopez

Paul Magno

Jeffrey Majeske

Daisy Manzanarez

Rachel Martinez

Travis Merrill

Rebecca Molina

Joseph Munoz

Liliana Orta

Perla Quintero

Maria Quintua

Gabriela Ramos

Hannah Ream

Kimberly Ream

Celina Rodriguez

Stephany Salazar

Johan Snider

Brooke Snow

Fadi Tahhan

Meline Terteryan

Natalia Thomas

James Vicario

Natalie Young

Martha Mohd-Yusof

Aimee Zimbro

Jenny Zimmerman

AV High-HOSA