Liz Coronado

Liz Coronado, a senior at Oak Valley College, realized that she could dream beyond her circumstances when she heard about Oak Valley College. As a first generation student, Liz managed to earn her associates degree right after high school. But then, the reality of providing for herself and the inability to balance her work and school schedule led her to discontinue her education. At 25, she found herself working a warehouse job, with no direction and no hope for a career.

Liz heard about Oak Valley and found that with the affordable tuition, scholarship assistance, and fixed class schedule, she could earn her bachelor's degree. She loves how she is guided and challenged by her professors and how faith is integrated into every course.

Now near graduation, the trajectory of Liz's life and her perspective about the future has changed dramatically. Friends point out how much she has grown in confidence. Liz participated in Oak Valley internships and as a result was offered a part-time position at The Avenue Church in Riverside, where she has gained hands-on experience in ministry. She is also interning with AmPac Business Capital, which is the nation's first faith-based Small Business Administration (SBA) lender. She has learned much about running a small business and a nonprofit through her experience. Today, Liz dreams are beyond anything she imagined a few years ago and sees no limits to what God will accomplish through her!