Joshua Anton, NVCC

Unfortunately, our state legislators are sometimes blamed for what goes wrong within our state. However, they deserve great amounts of praise for the bills which they do pass, such as funding for our community colleges.

The delegates in our General Assembly are creating miracles by giving students like me the ability to go to school and continue in their educational pursuits. In fact, they are giving us a second chance to discover ourselves and to persevere. Without the help of these delegates, I would not have been able to overcome the obstacles that struck me two years ago.

At the age of 18, when I had to move out of my home and be on my own, I had no idea how I was going to pay for college. As a student who currently works three jobs while still attending school full time, I rely solely on financial aid money and the affordability of my college tuition. Without our representatives’ continuous support, I would not have had the opportunity to receive an education at Northern Virginia Community College.

My NOVA experience has changed my life not only academically, but as an individual as well. Over the last two years, the faculty at NVCC has helped me persevere over communication adversities, developing me as a student leader, and most importantly, they have given me the self-confidence to pursue my educational goals. With their support I have been able to maintain a 4.0 grade point average, work, and serve as a student ambassador for my campus.

By coming to Richmond, we were able to communicate our students’ success to our representatives, where we were able to showcase that we have taken the initiative to grow, not just academically but as young men and women, the leaders of tomorrow.

Josh Anton
Northern Virginia Community College

NVCC students visit the General Assembly