[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 161 (Friday, October 7, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CONNIE CONWAY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 7, 2022

  Ms. CONWAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize San Joaquin 
Valley College for its 45 years of service in the State of California.
  San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) was established in 1977 by Shirley 
and Robert Perry. Shirley earned medical assistance certifications 
despite training programs being unavailable, while Robert worked in a 
tire factory. Their early struggles, which were similar to those of 
many San Joaquin Valley families, inspired the Perrys to address the 
regional need for local, quality career training.
  SJVC first opened in the City of Visalia, California, offering a 
medical assisting class. When only three students attended, Shirley 
went to work building relationships with community stakeholders and 
doing publicity, even putting fliers on cars at grocery stores. This 
commitment eventually paid off, as SJVC expanded rapidly in the 
succeeding decades.
  Today, SJVC serves thousands of students on seventeen campuses and 
online. Its reach has expanded outside the Central Valley, with 
locations in both Northern and Southern California. SJVC's programs 
have grown far beyond the initial medical assisting certification, 
offering more than twenty accelerated certificate and Associate of 
Science degree programs in the medical, business, and technical fields. 
Its emphasis on balancing hands-on training and academic instruction 
has been fruitful--as of 2021, SJVC has awarded more than seventy-two 
thousand certificates and degrees.
  SJVC has maintained its heart for community service amid its 
expansion. Since 1998, the college has provided more than $7 million in 
free dental services to more than twenty-thousand patients in 
underserved communities.
  While SJVC earns many accolades and awards, it is most proud of its 
identity as a second-generation, family run institution. Shirley and 
Robert's sons, Mark and Mike, took over operations in 1995 and today 
lead the college as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer/President, 
respectively.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of 
Representatives to join me in commending San Joaquin Valley College for 
45 years of service to the Valley community and for many more decades 
of growth and success to come.

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