Deciding where to go for college wasn’t something Valerie Lerma, ’23, took lightly, and her strong desire to do something out of her comfort zone brought her from her hometown of Glendale, Arizona, to East Lansing.
Valerie, a physiology major with a minor in Spanish, dreams of getting into a good Physician Assistant program and eventually becoming a PA. Entering her sophomore year, she has no doubt that her MSU education is preparing her well and will set her apart from other applicants if she chooses to apply to programs closer to home after graduation.
She also has no doubt that her fellow Arizona Spartans already have her back, because Valerie is the 2020 recipient of the AZ Spartans Endowed Scholarship, which is funded through the efforts of the alumni club in Phoenix.
“When I found out I had received the AZ Spartans Scholarship, I was extremely surprised—I had no idea!” Valerie said. “I was also very excited, because my parents were originally on the fence about letting me come to Michigan State, due to it being more expensive than me staying in-state.”
For Valerie, the experience certainly feels like money well spent.
“I chose to attend MSU because it was something completely new for me. I love the beautiful campus, and I have met so many people from so many different backgrounds, who have taught me more than I could ever imagine.”
AZ Spartans established a scholarship fund to annually help support a local student who decides to attend Michigan State University. Our main fundraising event, Sparty Gras, as well as generous donations from our members, help raise money to grow our endowment and to encourage more local students to explore MSU’s educational opportunities.