President Scott Ralls congratulates Manassas Campus student Tralena Curan, who was recently awarded a prestigious scholarship by RiVidium Inc., a biotechnology firm located in Manassas, Virginia.

Curan is finishing her biotechnology certificate program. She is a single mother of two and put her educational goals on hold while raising her children. Since joining the program, Curan said she has met many people who have encouraged her to continue and succeed in the program. Upon winning this scholarship, Curan said that the Biotechnology Program gave her the “confidence to keep going because there are people that care” about her success.

Dr. Ia Gomez described Curan as a star student, who puts in many hours in the lab, and an exact fit for this prestigious award.

Manny Rivera, RiVidium Inc. founder and owner, ensures that his company sets aside funds to be able to support high achieving students from diverse backgrounds. Rivera considers supporting students a priority because of the importance of education.

The RiVidium Inc. Biotechnology Scholarship is awarded to a student, in the last two semesters of the program, who participates in community engagement activities, has leadership experience and a minimum 3.0 GPA.