Honors Program Student Valerie Walls

Florida native Valerie Walls moved with her family to Kalamazoo when her husband Josh started a new job. Walls had spent 20 years managing a dental office, but longed for a change. Now she's a political science and sociology major who is also an Honors Program student.

The rigorous Honors Program provided Walls with $5,000 scholarship for tuition at Kalamazoo Valley. She also received a grant that covers other expenses like books. "The cost of college is one thing I don't have to worry about," Walls said. "I can focus more on my grades." Walls said she wants to "contribute to society and make things better for others."

She's well on her way to doing just that, having completed more than half of the requirements for an associate degree. She plans to take more classes before transferring, possibly to Kalamazoo College, to complete a bachelor's degree. "I'm going to stay here because I really enjoy it," she said. At first, she took just one or two classes per semester. "It helped me narrow down where I wanted to focus," she explained.

Walls considers herself a perfectionist but her attention to detail keeps her family on track. The family includes a college student in Florida and his siblings ages 13, nine and six. "It can be chaotic, but we work together to make things run smoothly for everyone," she said. "I think I'm setting a good example for my kids. They know that I have to sit in my room and read a lot."

Walls attended two other community colleges and said Kalamazoo Valley stands out for many reasons. "The school itself is very inclusive and there are tons of programs to take care of students," she said, citing the Valley Food Share program as a wonderful benefit for students. "The facilities are beautiful and the instructors are top notch," Walls said. "They genuinely care."

Honors Program director Kevin Dockerty serves as Walls' advisor. Being invited to join the Honors program, which is only open to students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, was a huge boost to her confidence. "Being in a group that shares your level of enthusiasm for learning and is supportive of each other really enhances the experience," Walls said. "The work is rigorous and requires deeper thinking, but it's definitely worth it."

She encourages others to fulfill their dreams and to keep learning. "Definitely take the leap," she said. "Even if you start slow, take the leap. Do your research and go for it."