Fall 2009
Chapter Two
Thanks to the FVTC Foundation, Xoua Moua returned to college and started on a promising new career path.
When Xoua Moua suddenly became a single mother four years ago after a divorce, she struggled to support her five children. Although she had earned a decent income as an insurance agent prior to the divorce, it wasn’t enough to support a family alone.
Moua admits there were times she felt like giving up. But it was her children’s future that kept her going. They were the reason she looked into attending Fox Valley Technical College and applying for scholarships through the FVTC Foundation. Moua is working toward two degrees—IT Computer Support Specialist and IT Network Specialist.
Her children may be her motivation, but it is the financial support she’s received through the FVTC Foundation that has made attending college a reality. Her classes at FVTC are entirely paid for through the GRA “Get Back to School” scholarship, the Jim Pierce scholarship, the Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation scholarship, and a Doug & Carla Salmon Foundation scholarship.
The Doug & Carla Salmon Foundation scholarship, which is renewable every semester that Moua attends FVTC, was created especially for students like her. Sue Detienne, the executive director of the Salmon Foundation, says the criteria for the scholarship include a significant financial need, a strong desire to receive a college education, and a plan to pursue a career with good employment potential. “We see a lot of first-generation college students who often have not had an easy path.” she notes.
A helpful resource during Moua’s experience at FVTC has been Gloria Grandone, a scholarship counselor representing the Doug & Carla Salmon Foundation. Grandone believes that Moua is using her scholarship as a catalyst to make the most of her college experience. “She has set the bar high, earning excellent grades and establishing goals for herself,” notes Grandone.
Moua has even landed a part-time job assisting students in one of the college’s computer labs, and as a result of her academic standing, earned membership in the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.
Moua is an ideal recipient of the Doug & Carla Salmon Foundation scholarship and its focus on education within the family. Since she started taking classes at FVTC, her three oldest children have also decided to attend college. Moua is marveling at how well they are doing academically, and at how far her family has come in the past four years. “Yes, we’ve had some hard times, but look where we’re at now,” she says. “I am blessed. I feel like I can’t top what’s going on in my life right now. Returning to college is so much better than I thought it could be.”
