Valley Strong Credit Union has pledged $287,000 to support students at California State University, Bakersfield.
The gift, which will be distributed over a three-year period, will fund various university programs and initiatives, including the Valley Strong Credit Union Scholarship and the Kegley Institute of Ethics’ Student Fellowship program.
“We are longtime, proud supporters of education in the Central Valley,” said Valley Strong President/CEO Nick Ambrosini. “Our mission is to serve the underserved, which means investing in our institutions of higher learning, in part through scholarships and athletics endeavors, and assisting foundation events and accompanying operational expenses. We are deeply embedded in the social fabric of our communities.”
Heather Pennella, director of corporate and foundation relations at CSUB, said the university is thankful for the support and that Valley Strong has been a key partner for the university over the years.
In 2021, the company committed $1 million to CSUB to create a fellowship for research projects relating to the economic growth of the Kern County region. The program allows a faculty member and student to collaborate on projects.
“Valley Strong strategically invests in CSUB and we are beyond grateful for their unwavering partnership,” she said. “Valley Strong’s annual giving provides opportunities for our students to thrive and succeed, while also supporting valuable community projects such as the Kegley Institute of Ethics and the President’s Associates.”
The gift will help fulfill CSUB’s priorities of supporting future leaders, fostering academic excellence and building the community as part of the university’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, which was publicly announced in October 2021.
The goal of the campaign is to raise $55 million by July 2024 to transform the university.
The donation will fund the Valley Strong Credit Union Scholarship, which provides seven students every year $3,000 each to support their education.
It will also support various university initiatives and events, including the President’s Associates, the Alumni Association’s Party in the Park and Hall of Fame events, the spring Athletics barbecue, the Hot Stove Dinner and the basketball rally.
Valley Strong is also providing $13,500 to Athletics for signage and broadcasts and $6,000 for the purchase of baseball and basketball tickets.
The Kegley Institute will receive one of the largest chunks of the donation. Valley Strong is donating $25,000 to support the institute and an additional $7,500 to serve as the title sponsor of the KIE Student Fellowship program.
The program helps undergraduate and graduate students develop and implement ethics-related projects of their choice. Each student fellow receives a $1,500 stipend as part of the program. In addition, student fellows receive mentor support.
The goal of the program is to provide students with hands-on learning experiences that will deepen their understanding of ethics issues. Three students are selected for the fellowship each academic year.
“The Kegley Institute of Ethics is proud of our longstanding partnership with Valley Strong Credit Union,” said Dr. Michael Burroughs, director of the institute. “This generous gift from Valley Strong will enable us to continue to mentor and fund the transformative work of our student fellows each year and, also, will support the growth of our ethics and humanities speaker series and several other major programs for the Kern County community and beyond.”
Click here for more information about the KIE Student Fellowship program.
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