2025 OC AVID senior standouts honored with more than $475,000 in scholarships

  • Two AVID Senior Standouts pose with bouquets ahead of the 2025 OC AVID Senior Standout Recognition and Scholarship Presentation, held April 23 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.
  • A senior standout poses with his parents and younger brother ahead of the 2025 OC AVID Senior Standout Recognition and Scholarship Presentation at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. (Photo courtesy of the Orange County Community Foundation)
  • Dr. Denise Harshman delivers opening remarks on stage to welcome guests and honorees to the 2025 OC AVID Senior Standout Recognition and Scholarship Presentation. (Photo courtesy of the Orange County Community Foundation)
  • Trish Walsh, OCDE’s senior administrator of humanities, smiles as she prepares to present a medallion to a senior standout during the 2025 OC AVID Senior Standout Recognition and Scholarship Presentation. (Photo courtesy of the Orange County Community Foundation)
  • Victor Jimenez, a senior standout from Early College High School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, shares his AVID journey as a featured speaker during the 2025 OC AVID celebration. (Photo courtesy of the Orange County Community Foundation)
  • Garima Sapkota, a senior standout from Katella High School in the Anaheim Union High School District, poses for a photo with her family during the 2025 OC AVID Senior Standout Recognition and Scholarship Presentation. (Photo courtesy of the Orange County Community Foundation)

Quick look: More than $475,000 in scholarships was awarded to 52 graduating seniors during the 2025 AVID Senior Standout celebration, hosted April 23 by the Orange County Department of Education. The event honored 57 students for academic excellence, leadership and perseverance.

Fifty-two graduating seniors from Orange County high schools were awarded more than $475,000 in scholarships during the 2025 OC AVID Senior Standout Recognition and Scholarship Presentation, held April 23 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

Hosted by the Orange County Department of Education, the annual celebration recognized 57 AVID Senior Standouts — one from each participating high school with a senior AVID class — for their academic achievement, leadership and determination. Each honoree was introduced by a teacher or school representative and presented with a certificate and medallion.

“That evening was about celebrating the success and resilience of our AVID scholars,” said Dr. Denise Harshman, OCDE’s coordinator of Advancing Learning. “These students had demonstrated academic excellence, perseverance and community service.”

OCDE staff members Shelby Rommelfanger, Dr. Denise Harshman, Joanna Robold, Dr. Sandra Lee and Trish Walsh gather for a team photo during the 2025 OC AVID celebration. (Photo courtesy of the Orange County Community Foundation)
OCDE staff members Shelby Rommelfanger, Dr. Denise Harshman, Joanna Robold, Dr. Sandra Lee and Trish Walsh gather for a team photo during the 2025 OC AVID celebration. (Photo courtesy of the Orange County Community Foundation)

AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a nationally recognized college-readiness program. About 30,000 students across Orange County — including 16,000 at the secondary level — are currently enrolled.

The event also included remarks from OCDE Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Dr. Sandra Lee and featured speeches from standout students Halimah Asari of Savanna High School and Victor Jimenez of Early College High School.

Fifty-two of the seniors were awarded scholarships funded by corporate and community partners. To be eligible, students were required to be in AVID for at least three years, including their senior year, maintain a minimum 2.8 GPA and be nominated by an AVID teacher or coordinator. Applications were evaluated based on academic performance, leadership, home responsibilities, service and written responses before being reviewed by donors.

“These scholarships are made possible through the generosity of our partners,” Harshman said. “It’s about changing the trajectory of students’ lives through opportunity.”

Harshman, who has been involved with AVID since 1991, says the program’s impact is deeply personal.

“I’ve seen how it changes lives — not just for students, but for their families,” Harshman said. “My sister was in the first AVID class at her school and I’ve witnessed the opportunities it can create for students who might otherwise be overlooked.”

Since 2008, more than $16.5 million in AVID scholarships have been awarded through this initiative, thanks to the generosity of longtime partners such as Angels Baseball, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, the Mendonca Family, the Syage Family Foundation, the Orange County Community Foundation — and many other community and corporate sponsors committed to supporting student success.

To learn more about how the AVID program supports college and career readiness for students across Orange County, visit OCDE’s webpage.