The AV Fair & Event Center in partnership with the Antelope Valley Union High School District will host the 19th Annual 4.0 Student Recognition Celebration virtually on May 26. The celebration was originally scheduled for April 21, however due to COVID-19 safety and health orders, the event will now be a virtual event, premiering on the AV Fairground’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/avfairgrounds) on Tuesday, May 26 at 6 p.m.

The long-standing event honors high school students who have maintained a 4.0 or higher grade point average throughout their high school career. A total of 649 local High School seniors, graduating with a cumulative 4.0 or higher GPA, will be recognized for their academic achievements from 12 local high schools including: Antelope Valley, Desert Christian, Eastside, Highland, Lancaster, Littlerock, Palmdale, Paraclete, Pete Knight, Quartz Hill, SOAR and The Palmdale Aerospace Academy.

“These students, their teachers, parents and mentors have worked so hard during the past several years, and they deserve to be celebrated. Although this year’s event is very different from year’s past, we are thrilled to be able to continue the program by presenting the scholarships virtually to these amazing students. I also applaud our event sponsors, many whose lives and business have been significantly changed during this challenging season, yet they remain committed to supporting our local youth. This is a great program, that is only made possible by a great community,“ said Betty Smith, president of the Friends of the Antelope Valley Fair.

Monetary scholarship amounts start at $250 with the highest monetary scholarship totaling $2,000. Over 20 cash scholarships will be awarded to students whose names are randomly drawn, and 100 percent of each scholarship will be given to the student name drawn. The largest cash scholarship will be $2,000, courtesy of the office of Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Board of Supervisors, County of Los Angeles. While previously, only students in attendance at the actual event were eligible for the scholarship drawing, this year all qualified 4.0 students will be entered into the drawing. In addition to the monetary scholarship winners being announced, as is tradition, the University of Antelope Valley (UAV) will be providing a full ride scholarship, valued at $60,000.

The virtual celebration will include inspirational messages from community leaders and other key influencers including Pastor Chris Johnson from Grace Chapel, Okay Girl Podcast hosts Lala Soum and Ashley Simone, Dr. David Vierra AVUHSD, Sandra Johnson UAV, Betty Smith Friends of Fair director, and others. For more information visit http://www.avfair.com