Grant Supports Under-Resourced Students in RCSJ–VHS Partnership

Denise Gonzalez is a senior at Vineland High School South in New Jersey, where she's president of her class, a member of her school's JROTC, and the reigning Mr. Vineland.

She also happens to be the first in her family to go to college, having graduated from Rowan University last year with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

So when the 17-year-old decided she wanted to continue her education and pursue a degree in business, she teamed up with the school to apply for a $148,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Education that will allow her to take college-level courses simultaneously at Vineland and Rowan, earn both high school and college credits, and start a business of her own, reports the Press of Atlantic City.

"This is the type of thing we need to do in this community," says the director of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.

"They also can take that same pathway and go to a trade school or start a business of their own," he adds.

The program, which will begin this fall, is one of four school districts in the state to receive such a grant.

"What sets this initiative apart is our commitment to equity and inclusiveness," says Kimberly Codisp

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