CSU Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) Martin V. Smith (MVS) School of Business & Economics opens the fall semester by celebrating four scholarship recipients and a grant from the Smith Foundation for the School’s “MVS Teams Project.”
Freshmen Business majors Noeli Suarez and Ryan Figueroa and sophomore Business majors Megan Norris and Devin Rodriguez will be honored at a scholarship reception on Aug. 24. from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Founders Courtyard next to the John Spoor Broome Library.
Suarez and Figueroa are the latest to receive the full tuition scholarships offered from the MVS School. Norris and Rodriguez were the first to receive the scholarship last year, so they will be entering the second year as MVS Scholars.
Associate Professor of Marketing Susan Andrzejewski, Ph.D., also Interim Dean of the MVS School of Business & Economics, said the students represent high academic achievement and have made significant contributions to their educational communities. As part of the application process, the students were asked to write a clear vision of how being part of this program would influence their college experience.
“In order to apply, students have to have a 3.0 grade point average and maintain a 3.25 in their Business or Economics major,” Andrzejewski said. “They will also take part in certain MVS activities and meet with MVS faculty on a regular basis.”
Economics major Noeli Suarez was delighted to hear she would get a four-year scholarship to pursue her dream of becoming an accountant. Raised in Oxnard, Suarez, 18, is the first in her family to attend college and was always clear about her career goals.
“All my school years, math had always been something I’ve actually been good at,” she said. “I’m very analytical and intrigued by math.”
The other new scholar, Ryan Figueroa, 18, of Port Hueneme, was also thrilled to receive the scholarship and hopes to become an entrepreneur or go into real estate analysis, which caught his interest when his parents were looking for an affordable home in Ventura County.
“I know my parents would have struggled so much if I didn’t get a scholarship,” Figueroa said.
The scholarship is funded by a generous donation from the family of Martin V. Smith, a prominent land and business developer who was interested in cultivating future generations of leaders who would continue to strengthen the regional business climate.
The Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Foundation also donated $25,000 to support a new Business & Economics School project called “MVS Teams.”
“MVS Teams” is a school-wide initiative designed to provide an active faculty-led support system while also enhancing the students’ experience at CSUCI.
The “MVS Teams” will involve dividing all the Business and Economics students among 15 faculty members.
Each team will then be paired with a member of the MVS School faculty, as well as a member of the Business Advisory Council (BAC), which includes representatives from all sides of the business community including banking, agriculture, technology, etc.
“Each team will meet regularly and hold events that are specific to that team’s interest,” Andrzejewski said. “For example, one team might hold a seminar on economic issues related to our region. Another on how to prepare for a job interview and another might tour a local business or non-profit.”
Andrzejewski says the idea of the teams is to provide an additional way for students to connect with faculty and mentors outside of the classroom.
“The project provides another way for students to receive guidance and recommendations on how to navigate their experience at CSUCI while simultaneously building their professional, academic, and social networks” she said.
The Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Foundation was established by Martin V. “Bud” Smith and his wife Martha with the mission “To enhance the quality of life for the residents of Ventura County.”
Bud Smith, the leading land and business developer in Ventura County for more than 50 years, and his wife Martha hoped that the Foundation would involve future generations of their family in continuing their appreciation of Ventura County and their care and concern for strengthening the community.
Four of Bud and Martha Smith’s descendants serve on the board of the Foundation. Joining the Ventura County Community Foundation as a support organization in 1994, the Martin V. & Martha K. Smith Foundation provides funding to nonprofits in Ventura County through an annual grant program, with an emphasis on organizations serving the Oxnard plain.
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