The VLP Smile Scholarship Fund is dedicated to the memory of Valerie Lynn Palermo; a Greece NY native, University of Rochester graduate, esteemed AP Math teacher at Colorado River Union High School District, and a beloved daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend who tragically passed on January 27, 2011.

 Valerie was more than a teacher. She was a soccer coach, a poker star, an avid New York Yankees fan, and a lifelong learner.

 As a teacher, Valerie honored her students with her enthusiasm for mathematics. Her colleagues said she was the kind of teacher every parent would want their child to have, and that, “she was a quietly strong leader, and the students loved this quality.”

 Valerie joined the Mohave team in 2006 and gained a reputation for having an uncanny ability to motivate her students to succeed, while supporting almost every athletic and cultural event that took place at the school. Truly, her shoes will be impossible to fill.

” Mrs. LindaJoy Brown, Valerie’s friend and mentor said:

 “…Valerie shone brightly in our world and will be sorely missed. Look at the people you pass in the hallways of life and remember their importance in your world; …we are all family.”

Her family and friends could think of no better way to keep her infectious Smile, love, and passion for teaching and working with children alive than by establishing this memorial SMILE scholarship fund in her name.