Committed to Excellence: this phrase guides the Pleasant Valley Community School District in inspiring both educators and students alike to work to be the best versions of themselves. The PV Scholarship nights extend this phrase beyond the walls of PV as students are given support on their paths to further academic success.
On May 10 and May 17, the Pleasant Valley Scholarship Foundation will gift a total of 137 students with $1,000 or more scholarships to assist them as they transition into their next chapter of life.
This unique opportunity that exists for PV students shows the encouragement and faith that educators and community members have in the academic capabilities of PV highschoolers.
Pleasant Valley superintendent, Brian Strusz, has played an important role in carrying the scholarship traditions and helping the foundation continue to grow. The program began in the early 1990s while Dale Barber was the superintendent. “His [Barber’s] goal was to see that every student who graduated from Pleasant Valley was well prepared for their next step of learning,” said Strusz.
Starting with only a few scholarships, the educational board alongside superintendents Dr. Barber and Dr. Spelhaug decided to further pursue their goal. “The new goal became the singular message of providing a $1,000 scholarship to every deserving graduating senior,” Strusz stated. “Due to the singular message, past graduates, family members, community members, business owners and others have since donated money to support 137 scholarships.”
In addition to providing students with financial support, students also receive emotional support from their community. At scholarship night, students meet the sponsors of their scholarship and are given the chance to connect with them. This allows students to feel further supported by individuals who believe in them and chose them to carry on the traits that the scholarship represents.
Darren Erickson has connected with students of numerous different backgrounds at PVHS during his time as principal, and the scholarships are created to meet interests of all different student backgrounds. “That is one of the reasons there are so many different scholarships. They focus on a wide variety of talents, interests and abilities to meet the diverse future of all our students,” said Erickson.
With a vision to give Pleasant Valley students more opportunities and support as they continue on with their post-secondary education, the foundation is continuing to grow in number of scholarships and in diversity to support the various interests of students as they move on to success outside the walls of PVHS.
