| July 28, 2025
Greetings students!
You can do this; the end of summer semester is in sight! I urge you to stay focused on completing your studies so that you can achieve your goals. We know how hard you are working and we are ready to help you through any roadblocks. Our librarians, tutors and instructors are on stand by to help you through academic topics that might be stretching you in new ways. They have plenty of experience helping students learn challenging subject matter!
Our staff in Student Services are also on stand-by to lend a listening ear and help you finish the race. As you look to the future, I remind you that registration is open for fall semester, which begins on Wednesday, Sept. 3. We applaud your determination and will continue to do all we can to help you be successful.
Sincerely,
L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D.
President
 
New Online Financial Aid Portal Now Available
What is Financial Aid Self-Service?
Banner Financial Aid Self-Service is a new online portal that provides each student with real-time financial aid information.
In this portal, you can:
- View your financial aid status and requirements
- Accept or decline awards
- Monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Access notifications and messages
- Access general links
Accessing Financial Aid Self-Service
1. Log in to MyValley using your single sign-on credentials
2. Under the "Tuition & Financial Aid" section, click on the "Financial Aid Self-Service" link.
Home
Once logged in, you'll see the "Financial Aid" home page. This section provides a dashboard overview of your financial aid status, holds and special messages for individual award years at Kalamazoo Valley.
For more information, click here. If you have questions, please email finaid@kvcc.edu.
What Students Told Us at the Student Success Breakfast
Tests, college procedures, social situations, housing, scholarships and grades are the top causes of anxiety for Kalamazoo Valley Community College students, in that order, according to the attendees at the college�s inaugural Student Success Breakfast held June 19 at the Texas Township Campus. Created to provide a safe space for students to share their experiences at Valley, the breakfast utilized large- and small-group discussions, coupled with an online survey, to collect feedback.
Several students gave the college high marks: �great experience,� an �uplift,� �filled with patience, forgiveness and grace� and �really good.� But suggestions were also brought forth: Offer day care or youth learning center, better advertise office hours, have advisors check in with students at the start and end of each term, hire friendlier staff at certain locations and host more college-sponsored field trips. Asked to define �belonging,� students frequently cited time with family and friends, comfortable and safe environment, welcoming and kind staff, connection to peers, inclusion and involvement in hobbies. The things that most give students joy? Those present said free food, helping people, being around family and friends, doing something they�re passionate about, vacations, good grades, faith/religion and hobbies.
Watch for details for the next Student Success Breakfast in early October, this time at both the Texas Township Campus and at Anna Whitten Hall in downtown Kalamazoo. Until then, you can still complete the student survey! Click here.
Student Spotlight: Rayna Sorrentino
Meet Rayna Sorrentino! Sorrentino is a current Kalamazoo Valley Accelerated Associate Program (KVAAP) student and is also in Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges. In May, she was named to the PTK All-Michigan Academic Team for her contributions to the organization. She has a 3.979 GPA and is finishing her degree in Fall 2025 for studio art.
Sorrentino appreciates the supportive environment KVAAP provides. "I'm extremely grateful for the opportunities KVAAP has given me,� she said. �The community is welcoming and supportive, and I don't think I could've made it this far without my advisor, Misti Mahon. I'm so close to completing my degree, and I'm glad to have had KVAAP there every step of the way."
Upcoming KVAAP Info Sessions
You can attend these information sessions via a Zoom meeting link that will be sent to you upon signing up. These sessions will explain how KVAAP can assist students with achieving their educational goals. Interested students can register here.
- Wednesday, Aug. 6 | 10 - 10:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 12 | 5:30 - 6 p.m.
Kalamazoo Valley Announces Essay Contest Winners for 2025
Every year, the English Department showcases the talents of students who submit their work to the Winning Essays contest. All the essays were written in English courses at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Congratulations to the winners of this year�s English Department essay contest!
Winning essay from English 110 and 160: Narrative
- First place: �Indifference and Reduction� by Logan Johncock
Winning essay from English 110 and 160: Other
- First place: �My Last High� by Amie Jozwiak
Winning essay from English 111: Literary Criticism
- First place: �Depression Isn�t Just for White People: A Psychoanalytic Reading of �I Tried to be a Good Mexican Son,�� by Tyler Johnson
Read the full list of winning essays here.
July Special! 40% Off Hydro Flask Water Bottles!
Get 40% off any Hydro Flask water bottle at the Texas Township Campus Bookstore for the entire month of July! Stay hydrated this summer with a new Hydro Flask water bottle � healthy for you AND the planet. Shop in store or online at bookstore.kvcc.edu. No promo code needed.
Time for 20% Off Tuesday on July 29 at the Bookstore!
Don't miss the great deal in the Bookstore on Tuesday, July 29! Get 20% OFF! It�s a STANDING discount on the LAST Tuesday of every month at the Texas Township Campus Bookstore. Have your eye on something? Now�s the time to buy it! Promotion excludes electronics, food and course materials. Discount applies to in-store purchases only.
Shop the Summer Yard Sale Aug. 4 - 6
It�s a BOOKSTORE SUMMER YARD SALE! Grab great deals while they last! Three days ONLY! Monday, Aug. 4 - Wednesday, Aug. 6! Discounts await you on select spring jackets, jewelry, snacks, plus school and drafting supplies! This special in-person shopping experience takes place outside the Kalamazoo Valley Texas Township Campus Bookstore. The Bookstore will be open Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., starting the week of the promotion.
Summer Book Buyback Planned for Aug. 18 - 22
Earn cash for your used Summer 2025 books at Book Buyback! Book Buyback will be held Aug. 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at our Texas Township Campus Bookstore. Check out what we are buying back and for what amount at the Bookstore website at bookstore.kvcc.edu. Questions? Call 269.488.4030.
Bookstore Begins Accepting Fall Financial Aid on Aug. 25
Aug. 25 is the first day that students could start using fall financial aid to make purchases at the Texas Township Bookstore. Both in-store and online purchases are eligible. Shop in person or online at bookstore.kvcc.edu. Online orders may be picked up at Texas Township Campus or the Anna Whitten Hall Library at the Arcadia Commons Campus in downtown Kalamazoo, or shipped for $5.
Closing Soon: Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep Exhibit
Aug. 31 is the last day to visit the museum�s new traveling exhibit, �Wallace & Gromit� and Shaun the Sheep�: Shear Genius!� Designed for children ages three through nine, the exhibit brings to life the beloved claymation characters from the TV, film and book series. It encourages playfully solving STEM-based and social-emotional problems in fun and engaging ways. Kids explore the characters� contraptions, antics and escapades through dramatic play and interactive opportunities. Find more details at kalamazoomuseum.org. Watch the exhibit promo video here.
Innovative Group Sketching Events Held at the Museum this Summer!
Calling all artists and those who desire to be! The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is hosting a series of group sketching events like none other on Friday afternoons this summer � all for free! No registration or ticket is needed. The last �Illustrated Muse(ings)� session takes place Friday Aug. 1, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Bring your sketchbook or drawing tablet for an energizing hour of drawing musicians or dancers, and sometimes both! The program will be led by the artists of Kalamazoo Valley Community College�s Center for New Media and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Seating will be on a first come, first served basis, as space is limited in the museum�s Mary Jane Stryker Theater. Learn more at kalamazoomuseum.org.
New! QR Codes Allow Museum Visitors to Enjoy Music, Poetry at Exhibits
Kalamazoo Valley Museum patrons can now hear original music and poetry custom tailored for first-floor exhibits thanks to an exciting partnership with the local arts community! Simply scan the QR codes at each exhibit with your personal device to enjoy works inspired by objects in the installation on display. �The Ripple Effect� project is a collaboration with the Friends of Poetry, Connecting Chords Music Festival and the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Visit kalamazoomuseum.org and search �The Ripple Effect� for more information. Admission is free to the exhibits and the museum.
Enjoy Free Rain Garden Tours Wednesdays and Saturdays
Take a free guided tour of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum�s rain garden to learn how such gardens play a vital role in improving water quality and supporting local wildlife. From now until Aug. 30, tours will take place every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and every Wednesday at the same times. These family-friendly tours last about 20 to 25 minutes. Register now online at kalamazoomuseum.org, or sign up on the day of at the front desk. |
