Valdez Educational Services honors Madera students with scholarships and awards

Valdez Educational Services marked its fifth annual Celebration of Excellence in Madera by recognizing student progress, tutors and district staff, and awarding two $500 scholarships. The event highlighted how tutoring, family support and school partnerships helped students improve confidence and academic performance.

Why it matters: - The Celebration of Excellence put a spotlight on academic recovery and student growth in Madera. - The event recognized how tutoring, mentoring and family engagement can improve confidence, performance and future education options. - Two $500 scholarships and multiple staff honors signaled that Valdez Educational Services is investing in both student outcomes and the support network behind them.

What happened: - Valdez Educational Services held its fifth annual Celebration of Excellence recently at the Madera Municipal Golf Course. - The event honored dozens of students for academic achievement, along with tutors and district staff. - Chad Brammer, co-founder and president of Valdez Educational Services, welcomed an overflow crowd of family members, students, staff and Madera Unified School District leadership. - Brammer asked students to stand and be recognized and said the evening was intended to celebrate their growth and effort over the past year. - Katherine Valdez presented the first $500 scholarship to Jordan Quintana. - Valdez Educational Services presented the second $500 scholarship to Uriel Matias Salazar. - Ernest Valdez, the organization’s Madera-area program manager, recognized tutors and mentors for their work throughout the year. - Alyson Crafton, director of student services at MUSD, thanked Valdez staff for their individualized approach to supporting students.

The details: - Jordan Quintana was recognized for improvement in writing and mathematics while balancing coursework with extracurricular activities. - Katherine Valdez said the scholarship represented both recognition of past performance and an investment in Jordan’s future and potential. - Jordan’s mother told attendees that months of study supported by the Valdez program had markedly improved her son’s confidence. - Uriel Matias Salazar worked with Stephanie Evans, an Extended Learning Opportunity tutor and intervention specialist with Valdez Educational Services. - Evans supports a third-grade English Language Learner classroom at Sierra Vista Elementary School. - Evans began working with Uriel in December 2025, when he was struggling with foundational mathematics. - By the celebration, Evans said Uriel had grown significantly in self-confidence and math proficiency. - Evans said she was extremely proud of Uriel’s progress. - Several parents said Valdez tutors helped their children succeed, including students with diverse learning needs. - Parents described the relationship between families and Valdez staff as central to their children’s progress. - Crafton said Valdez’s approach stood out because staff really knew the child, including the whole child. - Crafton also praised students for working hard in school and welcoming tutors into their homes to keep improving. - Katherine Valdez said parent encouragement, school engagement and community advocacy all contribute to stronger academic outcomes. - Katherine Valdez said student growth is most sustainable when schools, families and community partners work together. - Brammer said the celebration reflected Valdez’s ongoing commitment to academic support models that help students build confidence, improve performance and pursue future educational opportunities. - Valdez Educational Services provides tutoring, mentoring and student support across school districts including San Bernardino Unified, Madera Unified and Victorville Unified. - Services are free when district-funded; otherwise, payment options are available. - Scholarships are available for low-income families. - Valdez Educational Services is headquartered in San Bernardino and has offices in Madera, California.

Between the lines: - The event framed student progress as a shared effort among schools, families and community-based providers rather than a single-program success. - The repeated emphasis on confidence suggests Valdez sees academic gains and student mindset as linked. - Recognition of tutors, mentors and district staff shows the organization is trying to position support services as a long-term partnership with schools. - The event also served as a showcase for the model Valdez wants to expand: individualized support paired with district collaboration.

What's next: - Valdez Educational Services will continue offering tutoring, mentoring and intervention services in district and community settings. - The organization says it also provides in-person and online services nationwide. - More information is available from Eva Valdez at (909) 362-3620 or Valdez Educational Services. - A video from the event is available here: Watch the celebration.

The bottom line: - Valdez Educational Services used its fifth annual celebration to honor measurable student gains and reinforce a simple message: academic progress improves when schools, families and tutors work together.