Vista Teachers Association Scholarship Fund
VTADVOCATE SCHOLARSHIPS EDITION: August 2024
Once again, alas, for the final time, I want to thank all of you who have enabled VTASF to provide over one million dollars ($1,010,000 to be more precise) to nearly 2500 students over the past 37 years. A special shout out to all Century Club members, past and present, who have always been the backbone of VTASF. It was your generosity and exemplary support that enabled us to acknowledge so many deserving recipients, hundreds of whom had never before been recognized for their efforts.
VTASF was extremely fortunate to receive a large anonymous donation that allowed us to provide additional funds to several dependents.
It has been an honor for me to have been the steward of this exceptional endeavor for 32 years.
Once again, alas, for the final time, I want to thank all of you who have enabled VTASF to provide over one million dollars ($1,010,000 to be more precise) to nearly 2500 students over the past 37 years. A special shout out to all Century Club members, past and present, who have always been the backbone of VTASF. It was your generosity and exemplary support that enabled us to acknowledge so many deserving recipients, hundreds of whom had never before been recognized for their efforts.
VTASF was extremely fortunate to receive a large anonymous donation that allowed us to provide additional funds to several dependents.
It has been an honor for me to have been the steward of this exceptional endeavor for 32 years.
THE LAST: SCHOLARSHIPS FOR YOUR DEPENDENTS
As indicated above, 2024 will be the last year that VTASF Scholarships will be available. On behalf of the VTASF Board, I sincerely thank the hundreds of teachers and other certificated staff whose support made these awards possible since 1988. Particularly to you Century Club members, deepest gratitude for your steadfast generosity, which will enable VTASF to surpass $1,000,000 in scholarships, awarded to nearly 2500 students.
Your commitment made our Association’s scholarship fund exceptional—the only one to reward 2/3 of our funds to students not related to us, as well as awarding our dependents for up to four years, and to acknowledge Continuation and Special Education High School students.
Hundreds of our recipients were the first in their family to attend college, or even to graduate from high school. Many had never been recognized before, and the acknowledgement of their efforts that you provided was so much greater than the actual dollar amount. Political refugees, teen parents, special ed students, students remarkable for their service to others, and, of course, academic achievers and those in need of financial aid—such a broad mixture of recipients.
You made all of that possible.
However, it is apparent that we have come to the end of an era. VTASF is no longer sustainable as a viable scholarship organization. For more than a dozen years, VTASF routinely had more than 500 contributors (one year reached 580); now there are barely 300 donors. As longtime participants have retired, few new donors have filled the void. This predicament should not surprise anyone who has read the VTAdvocate Scholarship Edition or this document during the past decade. The surplus that we were able to build will disappear this year. With three comprehensive high schools, four non-traditional high schools, graduating senior and college-age dependents, less available funds going forward will further diminish VTASF’s ability to reward but a fraction of deserving applicants.
I cannot thank you enough for your generosity. Your contributions have made a significant difference in students’ lives beyond what you accomplish in your classrooms.
Please allow your monthly donations to continue through June—we obviously want there to be adequate funds to provide for this year’s recipients.
All payroll deductions will end at that time.
Paul Farrar
VTASF Chair
(Retired 2004)