Valerie Dutan Molina

As a senior in high school, Valerie Dutan Molina was balancing an already packed schedule. When her mom was diagnosed with an illness that December, applying to colleges, scholarship programs, and more seemed overwhelming as a first-generation college student. Then, one of her friends told her about the Star Scholarship, which would cover her tuition and books at City Colleges because of her 3.5 GPA in high school.

“I thought, ‘yeah, I’m definitely going to City Colleges,’” said Valerie.

Early on during her time at Wright, Valerie’s college advisor encouraged her to get involved in student government, honor society, and various clubs—advice she took wholeheartedly. She became the vice president of membership of Wright’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and a senator for the Student Government Association. Additionally, Valerie was named an American Heart Association HSI Scholar—one of only two City Colleges students selected to conduct public health research through the national program.

In addition to studying full-time, she works part-time as a patient care technician and as a certified nursing assistant. She also volunteers to teach English to Latine immigrants once a week.

Valerie earned her associate degree in science from Wright in spring 2025. Next, she plans to transfer to a four-year college or university to earn her bachelor’s degree. Eventually, she wants to also earn a medical degree and PhD.

“It’s been pretty life-changing… I think if I didn’t go to Wright College, I wouldn’t have grown so much as a person, as a student, as a member of my community,” she said.

Valerie’s involvement and growth has served as an inspiration to others, too. In 2025, she earned a Luminary Award due to her efforts to brighten the Wright community.