Bakersfield.com

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Arvin and Foothill High School seniors Jose Andrade and Breanne Lewis were each honored with the $20,000 Dell Scholarship and a Dell computer during the “End of the Year Celebration” presented for graduating seniors in the Kern County Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program on May 1 at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation awards 250 scholarships each year to seniors across the nation. Andrade and Lewis earned two of the four Region 8 (which includes Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties) Dell Scholarships awarded to AVID students this year.
            Other AVID seniors singled out for recognition were finalists in the annual “Write Off” essay contest. Shafter High School’s Elizabeth Ojeda was the winner. Foothill High School’s Liz Sandra Mejia and Breanne Lewis finished second and third. Bakersfield High School’s Sandy Reyes received honorable mention. Each showed the audience why they deserved the honor by reading from their winning essays.

Approximately 200 AVID seniors, teachers, administrators, CSUB faculty and Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ staff were in attendance to pay tribute to all the students’ academic accomplishments.

Opening remarks for the celebration were delivered by Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider who was followed to the podium by CSUB Dean of  Undergraduate Studies John Dirkse and CSUB Composition Coordinator Kim Flachmann. Then, students from each school paid tribute to their AVID teachers and classmates with short presentations before the awards were announced.    

Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office coordinates the AVID program in Kern County. AVID provides assistance for students in the academic middle who have not previously been on track for college and prepares them to continue in higher education after graduation.