Jen Lehr

My Ventura College journey began when I was 16 years old. As a senior at Buena High School, I attended night classes while finishing high school, becoming the first person in my family to pursue a college education. Five years later, I graduated from Ventura College with my associate degree—just nine months pregnant with my first child.

Soon after, I made the decision to put my own education on hold to become a full-time mom. Over the next 28 years, my husband and I raised and homeschooled our children, never imagining that Ventura College would become such an important part of our family's story.

Our oldest daughter began taking classes through El Camino High School on the Ventura College campus at age 12 and graduated from Ventura College shortly after finishing high school at just 16. Since then, so far 5 of our 11 children have followed their own unique paths through Ventura College and are alumni —earning transfer degrees, completing the nursing program, studying business, pursuing speech pathology, and even launching legal careers. Today, one daughter is a practicing criminal defense attorney as a VC alumni, graduating from law school and passing the California Bar Exam on her first attempt. Another daughter finished the nursing program and is currently employed as an emergency room nurse at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura.   This fall will mark eight of our eleven children who have attended or graduated from Ventura College—a testament to the life-changing opportunities VC has provided our family for more than three decades.

Ventura College has become more than a school to our family—it has been the foundation for countless opportunities across two generations. Even after moving to Camarillo in 2020, we worked through the interdistrict transfer process for our kids to attend VC because we believed so strongly in giving our younger children the same opportunities their older siblings received.

Last year, after nearly three decades devoted to raising my family, I returned to school myself. I was accepted to the Colleges of Law and am currently working toward my Juris Doctor, with plans to graduate in 2028. Looking back, I realize the seeds for that dream were planted at Ventura College years ago. I still remember taking a logic class that challenged me to think differently and inspired me to imagine becoming a teacher someday. At the time, that dream seemed impossibly far away. Today, it feels within reach to someday give back to my community and inspire future generations.

Ventura College didn't just shape my future—it helped shape the future of my entire family. It has been the village that nurtured our children's education, encouraged lifelong learning, and reminded us that it's never too late to pursue the next chapter.