Mira Reverente has been a staff writer of the Ventura Breeze since 2009, covering the local business, sports and non-profit beats. She is also the associate editor of the Conejo Valley Happening Mag, a local all-digital mag.

“Suddenly Single Women’s Guide to Finances,” is Mira’s first book. “The material for this book came at the right moment. Post-divorce, I was running into women who were going through emotional and financial hardships like me – jugging children, bills and jobs,” said the mom of two. “Their experiences coupled with advice from financial experts inspired me to put this book together, in order to help women who are going through the same ordeal or help prevent it from happening to others.”

Mira teamed up with Tracy Marcynzsyn, a former co-worker, fellow local journalist and author of NaturalAwes.com, Firefly and Return to Paradise. Tracy also writes and edits for a variety of publications and people, helping perfect their writings for publishing. Like Mira, Tracy has also been in search of sound financial advice post-relationship break-up.

Kickstarter, the crowd-funding web site has been a popular pick among book authors, artists, inventors and techies who need that extra boost from the public to get their independent projects off the launching pad. The campaign is all-or-nothing – project creators cannot keep any of the funds raised, unless they reach 100 perfect of their funding goals.

For more info or to make a pledge before May 10th, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/suddenlysinglewomen/suddenly-single-womens-guide-to-finances

by Victoria Usher

On Thursday April 16^th there was a truly inspiring event that took place at Ventura College in the school’s Wright Event Center.This event was the 16^th Annual Phoenix Scholarship Ceremony where 28 re-entry students who have chosen to return to Ventura College to finish their education were not only congratulated but they were also given a $1,000 Phoenix Scholarship from the Ventura College Foundation. These 28 adult re-entry students were all individually picked to receive this specific scholarship because of their future goals, because of their financial need, but above all else because each and every one of them have learned to overcome their own difficult circumstances in order to be able to pursue their studies at Ventura College. During the ceremony each of the students had an opportunity to share their stories about how these scholarships have truly helped them to face their own personal challenges and be able to pursue their education.

When the Ventura College Foundation’s board of directors learned about the special needs of Ventura College re-entry students that’s when they established this scholarship in 1999. The Foundation’s staff and board of directors also hosted the scholarship ceremony on April 16^th.

Stan Weisel sponsored the event this year. Weisel is a Ventura resident and founder of the Stan Weisel Endowed Scholarships; he has also pledged to sponsor this specific event for the rest of his life.

The students that received awards at this ceremony are from many different areas of Ventura.

The Ventura College Foundation has created something truly wonderful with this scholarship, they have discovered a way to truly help re-entry students have the kind of success that they deserve to have.