Image courtesy of Victor Valley College
Dr. Suzanne Reid Hawley accepts induction into the Victor Valley Alumni Hall of Fam

Victor Valley College has long been known for excellence in nursing education. It has often been cited as a great institution for training firefighters and offers superior music programs. Now it is known worldwide for another tradition of excellence… as students involved in the college’s Model United Nations team brought home top honors from their prestigious international competition for the fifth straight year.

Representing Oman, Victor Valley College students studied the policies of their assigned nation, learned leadership skills, applied persuasive writing techniques and advocated themselves to the top 2 percent of all attendees of the international conference held in the Grand Hall of the United Nations building in New York. Like the VVC teams before them, this year students from Victor Valley College again captured the respect of future diplomats from around the globe as one of only 17 community colleges competing in a sea of esteemed universities.

Adding to the impressive five-time feat, Victor Valley College students raise every penny needed to participate in the conference. Most of their competitors are not burdened with that responsibility and can focus their energy on mastering the knowledge required to represent a foreign country.

Past teams have represented Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Albania, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Tajikistan, and Saudi Arabia. Fueled by their experience, Model United Nations team alumni have gone on to attend major universities such as UCLA and UC Berkeley.

The Victor Valley College Foundation has proudly supported the Victor Valley College Model United Nations team through grants from its Annual Fund.

Suzanne Klein
Alumni Hall of Fame 2009
Philanthropist and volunteer Suzanne Klein was inducted into the Victor Valley College Alumni Hall of Fame in February 2009.  Klein’s work with local charitable organizations has provided support to thousands of underprivileged children in the Victor Valley Community College District.  Suzanne graduated from Victor Valley College in 1966 and transferred to the University of California, San Francisco, where she earned a degree in dental hygiene.  Her post-college career was cut short by a skiing accident, which made her more available to become the “professional volunteer” that secured her spot in the Alumni Hall of Fame.

Bob and Judy Kniss
Alumni/Donors/Friends of VVC

Bob Kniss often admits that he was not a good student in high school, but the second chance he got at Victor Valley College launched a very successful career and established a deep philanthropic motivation.  Bob and his wife, Judy, who is also an alumna of VVC, both work as major account managers for Southern California Edison.  Bob and Judy have been loyal friends of the college for more than a decade—volunteering their time, giving of their resources and encouraging others to do the same.  Bob served as president of the Victor Valley College Foundation in 2002–04. 


Judy Kniss established an endowment to support the college’s health science program in memory of her mother, Nancy K. Fishbaugh.  Both contribute regularly through payroll deductions that are matched by their employer.  Their contributions have helped thousands of Victor Valley College students pursue educational goals.

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