VCCF SCHOLARSHIP
REFERENCES
Thank you for supporting our Ventura County students!
Every year, thousands of students apply for VCCF scholarships. Letters of reference are a vital part of the VCCF Scholarship application process. They provide members of the selection committee with a holistic view of the student during the evaluation process. Letters of reference reveal much about the applicant, and they allow selection committee members to better understand the applicant’s goals, aspirations, work ethic, and character.
“I’m a recommender because grades and activities only tell part of the story. My hope is that a well-written letter of rec tells a donor the student’s story of grit and perseverance.”
—SARAH PAGE, HIGH SCHOOL AVID TEACHER AND REFERENCE
Getting Started
Before you get started on your letter, please take a moment to review the following important information.
Students will ask if you are willing to fill out a questionnaire on their behalf. If you are not able to fill out the questionnaire, please notify them so they can find a different reference. Two questionnaires must be submitted on behalf of the student, otherwise they are automatically disqualified. The questionnaire will be confidential, and the student will not have access to your answers.
Students will enter your email address into the application, you will receive an email from academic works with a direct link to the questionnaire. You may be required to create a username and password.
If you are having any technical issues, please email emarostica@vccf.org or scholarships.vccf.org
We will ask you about the following in the questionnaire:
- Your relationship to the student
- How long you have known the student
- The areas of strength of this student
- The student’s work ethic
If you know the student in an academic capacity, please also address the student’s participation in class, as well as their skills in collaborating with and listening to others.
Unfortunately, applicants who do not have two references are automatically disqualified from the VCCF scholarship application process.
If you are unable to fill out the questionnaire, please notify the student immediately so that the student can ask someone else.
Important Dates
*Please note: All materials from references are due on February 2, 2024, two weeks after students turn in their applications.
During my senior year of high school, I decided to apply for the scholarship program because I didn’t want money getting in the way of my education. Being able to receive the scholarships I received means making college a reality and avoiding financial stress for my family and I. The scholarships will help pay for my attendance to California University State Chico.
I was initially planning on majoring in business administration; however I recently changed my major to nursing. My ultimate goal after college is to change the world in a positive way and save lives!
I applied for a scholarship through VCCF my sophomore year in college because I was having trouble paying for tuition, housing, and food. I am so glad and grateful that I did because I know I would not be where I am today without VCCF’s support. Not only has VCCF helped me pay for all of those things in college, the foundation continues to help me pay for these things in law school. In addition to funding support, VCCF gave me a support system and wonderful mentors who I look up to and who inspire me. VCCF reminds me that people believe in me, people are rooting for me, that I am not alone, and that my hard work is worth it.
Receiving the scholarship means so much to me. The scholarship has significantly lightened my financial burden, allowing me to focus on my learning and developing my legal skills to serve underserved and disadvantaged communities. It allows me to invest the time I would have spent working (and stressing) into focusing on my passion for public service, participating in pro bono opportunities, and preparing for the BAR after graduation.
I currently attend University of San Francisco, School of Law. I will receive my J.D. in June 2021.
My name is Sophie Nguyen and I am a senior year at California State University Channel Islands pursuing a BS in Sociology and Chicanx Studies minor. As a daughter of immigrants and a transfer commuter student from Oxnard, I have a deep appreciation for my educational journey and the incredibly valuable support I have received from the VCCF community. Thank you so much for making this scholarship possible. Receiving support from community members like you has instilled in me a strong passion and commitment to helping empower and uplift my campus community. Because you gave, I will be able to pay tuition my final year at CSUCI while I serve as Student Government President to help unify and advocate for fellow students. This scholarship truly means so much to me and I am incredibly grateful for your kindness, compassion, and generosity!
I am the first in my family to go to law school, so receiving the scholarship was a very big deal for our family! My parents were both first generation college students, so I was proud I had the opportunity to live out the value of higher education that they instilled in me.
I currently work as a lawyer that works for a state agency called the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB). I work in our Oxnard office, and the ALRB helps farmworkers who have been discriminated against for joining together to ask for higher pay or better working conditions (clean water, shade, sanitary bathrooms, etc). I spend my day working on legal writing assignments, discussing my cases with our team of lawyers, and interviewing farmworkers and the companies they work for. It's challenging but very rewarding work!