By Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com

Moravian College President Bryon L. Grigsby called it his “second-favorite day to graduation.” Jakelyn Valenzuela and Giselle Ponce saw it as an affirmation.

The two Bethlehem Area School District students — Valenzuela from Freedom High School, Ponce from Liberty High School — were awarded the BASD Superintendent’s Scholarship, which covers four years of tuition at Moravian.

The students were surprised with the news last week and officially recognized at an outdoor ceremony on the Bethlehem college’s campus Monday morning.

“I couldn’t believe it. I seriously didn’t think I was going to get this far,” Ponce said following the brief event. “I’m so, so excited.”

Bethlehem Superintendent Joseph Roy said the scholarship looks for, in part, students who have overcome challenges in their lives. Both Ponce and Valenzuela spoke of their unique difficulties growing up in Latino families — Ponce of getting a job at 15 and the persistent fear for undocumented relatives; Valenzuela of being the first in her family to go to college. Her mother didn’t have a chance to go to school in Honduras.

To read the article on the Lehigh Valley Live website, visit ‘Validation’ for 2 Bethlehem students awarded 4-year scholarship to Moravian College