Two PVCC students awarded prestigious Valley Proteins fellowship
(Charlott
esville, Va.) – Two students at Piedmont Virginia Community College have been selected as Valley Proteins Fellows for 2015-2016. Student recipients included Patrick Fritz, of Fishersville, and Fintan Horan, of Charlottesville. Fritz and Horan are two of only nine Virginia community college students selected for this prestigious scholarship program, administered by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE).
esville, Va.) – Two students at Piedmont Virginia Community College have been selected as Valley Proteins Fellows for 2015-2016. Student recipients included Patrick Fritz, of Fishersville, and Fintan Horan, of Charlottesville. Fritz and Horan are two of only nine Virginia community college students selected for this prestigious scholarship program, administered by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE).“This is the first time that PVCC has had more than one student named as a Valley Proteins Fellow,” said Frank Friedman, PVCC president. “This program provides excellent opportunities for second-year students, and we are thrilled that Patrick and Fintan were selected to take part. They are role models for their fellow students and the PVCC community. We expect to see great things from them in the future.”
Fritz, a retired Navy submariner, came to PVCC to pursue an associate degree in liberal arts. He is currently the president of Phi Theta Kappa, PVCC’s honor society; a member of the Student Veterans of America Club; and also serves as a student ambassador on campus. After graduating in spring 2016, Fritz plans to transfer to the University of Virginia to complete his bachelor’s degree in political philosophy, policy and law, with the ultimate goal of earning a master’s degree in leadership and public policy at U.Va. Once he has completed his college education, he intends to work with veterans’ issues at the local level or immigration law.
“Being selected as a 2015 Valley Proteins Fellow is indescribable,” said Fritz. “Simply being nominated was a tremendous honor but being selected to stand next to students like Fintan is truly humbling. I am looking forward to representing PVCC and the Virginia Community College System during the upcoming year.”
Horan, a computer science major, is an honors student and, like Fritz, takes an extremely active role in campus life. In the upcoming academic year, he will serve as president of the PVCC chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, the national math honor society; the treasurer of Phi Theta Kappa; and a peer mentor for the Student Success Office. In addition to his on-campus activities, Horan volunteers as a mentor at Computers4Kids, a Charlottesville nonprofit organization that seeks to improve low-income youth’s computer and learning skills,
and is part of the leadership team for the Jefferson Area Board for Aging’s FISH (Friends in Schools Helping) program, which is an intergenerational school-based mentoring and volunteer program providing support to help solve critical needs for students in public schools.
“As a self-sustaining student paying for my own education, the monetary aspect of this award is huge,” said Horan. “However, even more important is the prestige associated with this fellowship. Being a part of this fellowship is quite an honor and has the potential to open up new doors for me. The Valley Proteins Fellows program is much more than simply a scholarship. There are many exciting opportunities available to the fellows that I am very much looking forward to.”
Like Fritz, Horan will graduate in 2016. After graduating, he plans to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering.
Launched five years ago with generous support from Valley Proteins, Inc., this scholarship program provides second-year, full-time students with financial resources as well as service opportunities and a unique leadership curriculum. Fellows are selected on the basis of demonstrated academic excellence, leadership potential, and financial need. To date, 36 Fellows have completed this program, earned their associate degrees and continued on to colleges and universities.
