Spring Update from the AVC Foundation
As we continue our spring session, we want to take a moment to reach out and update you with some college-related information.
A Message from Our AVC President
Thank you for your support of Antelope Valley College (AVC) with your donation. Your generosity is making a difference. I joined AVC in July 2022, and it has been a joy learning about the impact AVC has on our students, faculty, and community. In my brief time here, I have learned how integrated AVC and the community are. Everywhere I go, I meet alumni and community partners, and I am grateful for such deep community support.
 
Thank you for supporting Measure AV in 2016. This $350 million bond measure is preparing our campus for the future. So far, we have opened and expanded our Palmdale Center and added new buildings for Campus Security, Sage Hall, and our Marauder Complex. There has been a lot of new infrastructure work and a new outdoor fitness center for our athletes. With the new buildings on campus, there is so much opportunity for AVC to serve the community in innovative ways. The future of education is bright, and we know that your contribution makes it possible for AVC to think expansively. Still to come are the new Student Services Building – opening in February, Cedar Hall, and the Commons. Please come visit and see how your support has transformed the campus.
 
We are aggressively working on attracting more full-time students online and on campus. Our Spring semester has seen the largest increase in student attendance since 2017. From this point forward in the semester, our goal is retention and success. To serve the area more comprehensively, AVC submitted an application for a second baccalaureate in Respiratory Care in addition to our very successful Airframe Manufacturing Technology baccalaureate. Also, in response to the need for lower-income housing for students, AVC submitted a proposal to the Chancellor’s Office for a Housing Grant to build a 300-bed residence hall. We are working diligently to meet the needs of our students and community, and again, your support makes so many things possible.
               
In my welcoming address to the campus in the fall semester, I set a theme for the year: serve students and be kind. I am hopeful that these simple phrases have set the stage for student success and community service.
 
Serving Together,
 
Dr. Jennifer Zellet
President, Antelope Valley College
Annual Wine Walk Fundraiser
Annual Wine Walk Fundraiser
Saturday, April 29 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.
Student Services Building
** NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR **
Join us inside our beautiful new Student Services building.

All proceeds go directly into the Antelope Valley Community Students’ Endowment. This endowment supports programs dedicated to student success through a grant process.

Tickets are $100 if purchased on or before April 26 and $125 if purchased after April 26. ($75 tax-deductible)
Sponsorship opportunities are available and come with complimentary event tickets.
AVC Giving Tuesday Results
Each year in November, the Antelope Valley College Foundation hosts a Giving Tuesday campaign to raise funds for the AVC Hearts & Hands Food Pantry.

Thanks to our generous donors and matching sponsor AES we raised a total of

$23,346!!!
 
All funds went directly into the Hearts & Hands Pantry fund to support our students in need.
Want to set up a one-time, monthly, or yearly donation to the pantry?
Click below to help our students in need.
Achieving the Dream Selects AVC for Prestigious National Cohort
Antelope Valley College has been selected as one of 10 colleges to participate in Achieving the Dream’s three-year Accelerating Equitable Outcomes cohort, college officials announced today.

Achieving the Dream (ATD) will provide AV College with resources and support as it implements comprehensive strategies to help more students, especially Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and students of color from high-poverty backgrounds. The goal is to help these students earn postsecondary credentials, including occupational certificates and degrees, and create pathways to jobs with competitive wages, benefits, and potential upward mobility.
Performing Arts Theater Spring Events
Come explore the magic of live entertainment in our AVC Performing Arts Theater!
Current Fundraising Campaigns
Looking to make a difference for a specific cause? Below are the current campaigns for specific needs or interests that benefit our students. If you are interested in starting your own campaign, contact our office to get started.
Kenneth S. Lee Memorial Scholarship
Kenneth S. Lee was a brilliant, funny, and kind individual. He taught for the Communication Studies Department in the Language and Communication Arts Division and served the AVC community for 15 years (2007-2022). A rhetoric scholar, Ken taught Intro to Public Speaking, Argumentation and Debate, Process of Communication, and Small Group Communication, which he developed with Tina McDermott.
Judy Sullivan Memorial Bench Fund
Judy, former AVC instructor, had been quietly battling cancer and succumbed to a complicated infection on September 7, 2022. She died at peace with her daughters. Fittingly, her final caregiver was a nurse that was a former student. Judy was a private person and never one to relish attention. To recognize her dedication and influence, staff members have established a fundraiser to commission an AVC bench in her honor.
  
Judy Vaccaro-Fry’s Scholarship Endowment for Single Parents
Judy understands how hard it can be to raise a child while simultaneously trying to improve her life. After raising her children, she later took the time to pursue her education so that she could make a better life for herself and her kids and be a positive role model. Judy wanted to raise good, productive, educated, and contributing members of society. Being educated contributed to the foundation she provided for her children. This is why she established this endowment to help other single parents pursue their educational goals.  
Adan Onofre Memorial Fundraiser for Nursing Scholarship
In memory of Adan Onofre, former AVC Custodial Supervisor, donations are being accepted to honor him and his accomplishments by establishing a nursing scholarship.  
AVC Hearts & Hands Food Pantry
The ASO Hearts & Hands Pantry was created to encourage campus pride and unity in a dignified manner. The pantry has been designed to assist current AVC students who are making forward progress in their academic pursuits and are housing insecure and/or hungry in circumstances where supplemental nutritional food will benefit their academic success.
Tim Klein Memorial Scholarship Endowment
This scholarship is given in remembrance of Palmdale High School teacher Tim Klein who perished while climbing El Capitan, June of 2018. In addition to teaching at Palmdale High School, Tim was adjunct faculty at AVC teaching in the EMT program and was instrumental in bringing the EMT program to the high school district. Tim cared deeply about his students, friends, and family and encouraged everyone to strive to achieve their dreams, forge into any collegiate level of education, and love their chosen career.
Vern Lawson Memorial Scholarship
Vern was a veteran of World War II. As a cadet in the Army Air Corps, he was training to serve with the flight crew on B-24 Liberators, heavy bombers that helped win the war.

He retired 15 years ago but he never really retired. He passed away on October 19, 2021.
Paula Sour Memorial Scholarship Endowment
This memorial scholarship honors Mrs. Paula Sour, the former Westside District principal, and teacher. She served as principal at Cottonwood, Rancho Vista, and Anaverde Hills Elementary schools. She was inspirational and uplifting and strived for excellence, encouraging faculty, staff, and students to do the same. Administrators across the Antelope Valley endow this scholarship in honor of our friends and colleague Paula Sour.
Chris Simmons
Memorial Scholarship
Employees at the Palmdale Chick-fil-A had the honor of working with Chris for two years where he served as a Restaurant Trainer. Chris passed away unexpectedly on December 23, 2020, at the age of 22. The goal is to raise at least $10,000 to endow a scholarship fund at Antelope Valley College to honor Chris for many years to come.
Additional ways to directly help our students
Scholarships
We are always in need of donors to provide scholarships to our students. Last year, of the students who applied, we were only able to award scholarships to nearly 40 percent of them.

If you are interested in establishing a scholarship or contributing to an existing scholarship, please contact Emily Moulton, Scholarship Coordinator, Foundation at 661-722-6300, ext. 6996 or emoulton@avc.edu.
Endowments
An endowment is established with a minimum of a $10,000 gift to the Foundation by a donor for either a scholarship or other student and/or college support. This initial gift stays in perpetuity and the interest generated is used to support the donor’s request. 

For more information on establishing your endowment, visit our website or contact our office.
Planned Giving
Leave a legacy. By naming Antelope Valley College in a will, trust or insurance arrangement, you can leave a sustaining legacy at the college – providing you the opportunity to receive recognition for supporting the college both now and in the future.

For more information on designating your planned giving, visit our website or contact our office.