The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY COLLEGE
______
HON. CONNIE CONWAY
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 7, 2022
Ms. CONWAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize San Joaquin Valley College for its 45 years of service in the State of California.
San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) was established in 1977 by Shirley and Robert Perry. Shirley earned medical assistance certifications despite training programs being unavailable, while Robert worked in a tire factory. Their early struggles, which were similar to those of many San Joaquin Valley families, inspired the Perrys to address the regional need for local, quality career training.
SJVC first opened in the City of Visalia, California, offering a medical assisting class. When only three students attended, Shirley went to work building relationships with community stakeholders and doing publicity, even putting fliers on cars at grocery stores. This commitment eventually paid off, as SJVC expanded rapidly in the succeeding decades.
Today, SJVC serves thousands of students on seventeen campuses and online. Its reach has expanded outside the Central Valley, with locations in both Northern and Southern California. SJVC's programs have grown far beyond the initial medical assisting certification, offering more than twenty accelerated certificate and Associate of Science degree programs in the medical, business, and technical fields. Its emphasis on balancing hands-on training and academic instruction has been fruitful--as of 2021, SJVC has awarded more than seventy-two thousand certificates and degrees.
SJVC has maintained its heart for community service amid its expansion. Since 1998, the college has provided more than $7 million in free dental services to more than twenty-thousand patients in underserved communities.
While SJVC earns many accolades and awards, it is most proud of its identity as a second-generation, family run institution. Shirley and Robert's sons, Mark and Mike, took over operations in 1995 and today lead the college as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer/President, respectively.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in commending San Joaquin Valley College for 45 years of service to the Valley community and for many more decades of growth and success to come.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 161(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 161(2)
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