SANTA FE, N.M.—Del Norte Credit Union (DNCU) has awarded its Venessa Valerio Memorial Scholarship to Jessica Rodriguez, a current nursing student at Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) in Española.
Rodriguez will receive $1,000 towards continuing her education within the nursing program at NNMC.
“We were inspired to make this annual commitment in order to help students on the path to fulfilling their career dreams,” said Chuck Valenti, DNCU CEO/president. “This is a way to honor the memory of Venessa Valerio, a child born in this community whose life was tragically shortened, and was never able to fulfill her dreams.”
Venessa Valerio’s story was brought to the attention of DNCU by an employee who had befriended Vanessa prior to her passing. The dedication of “Vanessa’s Hideaway” playground within DNCU’s own adopted Valdez Park in Española continues to bring attention to the impact of Vanessa’s life on the community, the credit union said.
With both a dedication to giving back to the community and newfound inspiration from Vanessa’s mother, Annette, DNCU recognized the college as a natural choice for scholarships.