Middlesex County College: With Help From EOF And Support From Faculty And Staff, Middlesex College Twins Are Rutgers Bound

Press release from Middlesex County College:

July 6, 2021

Fraternal twins Ania Valle ’21 and Agny Valle ’21 graduated this past May with associate degrees in Education and Human Services, Pre-Social Work, respectively.

The New Brunswick-born sisters (born 11 minutes apart) have attended the same schools throughout their lives, up to and including their time at Middlesex College.

“I’ve always enjoyed going to school with my sister because it was like I always had a friend there. So it was really nice,” said Agny.

But this fall they will be apart, school-wise, for the first time in their lives as they pursue different career paths at Rutgers.

Agny will remain close to home when she transfers to Rutgers in New Brunswick to continue her social work studies and eventually become a social worker.

Meanwhile Ania, who wants to become a high school art teacher, will begin her Rutgers career farther south.

“I am transferring to Rutgers in Camden because they have an art program there to become a teacher,” Ania shared.

As they look ahead to Rutgers and future careers, they expressed gratitude for the people who opened doors for them and helped build their confidence.

For Agny, Victor Vega, a counselor for the College’s Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, served as an important mentor who helped light the way.

“He has definitely helped me figure out and navigate my major. As treasurer for the EOF Club this past year I had the opportunity to spend meaningful time with him and developed a lot of leadership skills through that relationship,” she said.

The two people Ania credited for helping her succeed and thrive at Middlesex College also hail from the College’s EOF office: Assistant Director Flora Stowe and Student Development Specialist Paola Mendez.

“They helped me discover my strengths and supported me with any challenges that I had. There were times I doubted myself and think that I wasn’t doing well in some schoolwork. And they were always there telling me, ‘No, you’re doing fine,’ and doing things that provided a lot of emotional support.”

It’s no wonder Agny and Ania cite EOF’s impact on their lives. Through EOF, they received financial support to cover most, if not all, of the costs to attend Middlesex College, as well as an array of learning opportunities during their time at the College.

“We’re both really happy that we chose to go with the Middlesex College route because it was just financially smarter, especially with the both of us going to school at the same time,” Agny pointed out.

“If we had both gone to a four year school the first year, it would have been so expensive for our family. The money would always be in the back of my mind, and I would be incredibly stressed out and overwhelmed while going to college. So, I feel extremely grateful for all the support from the EOF Program.”

This press release was produced by Middlesex County College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.