Seniors receive scholarships from new Valley View Education Foundation

In May, a dozen seniors from Valley View High School’s Class of 2023 received something no other graduate from that school has received before – scholarships from the newly created Valley View ISD Education Foundation.

It started last year when a group of parents, business owners, and school officials worked together to create the Valley View ISD Education Foundation. The organization officially received nonprofit status in June 2022.

Since 2020, the CoServ Charitable Foundation has provided an annual gift to Valley View ISD, now the Education Foundation, for a total of $20,000 to date. This year, the $5,000 donation went to five deserving students, each receiving a $1,000 scholarship.

“Education foundations play a vital role in helping teachers, students and graduates achieve their goals, and we’re excited to be part of establishing this worthwhile organization for Valley View ISD,” said Whitney Gohlke, CoServ’s Manager of Academic Initiatives. “It’s also a great opportunity for business owners and other professionals to give back to their community.”

On a Saturday in April, a group of Valley View seniors spent a day at the high school going through two rounds of interviews with the scholarship committee. The interviews helped determine who should receive a scholarship and gave all the students valuable experience with job interviews.

“We’re looking for those proven students who have shown they can be successful,” said Charlotte McMurray, Chair of the Valley View Education Foundation board. “These students are the future of our community and that’s why we’re volunteering our time. Most of us on the board have kids in college so we know what it takes to be successful.”