Leslie Mills is one of those people who seems too good to be true, the kind of person you read about in… well, in a newspaper.

“She’s one of the friendliest people you will ever meet,” says Lisa Martin, note-taking coordinator for disabled student services. “She’s passionate about her work and her school; I’ve seen her pick up garbage as she goes around.”

Mills is the scholarship program coordinator for DVC and is so passionate about finding resources for her students that a journalism student couldn’t interview her without walking away with scholarship applications.

“She’s the right person for the job,” says Ron Tenty, testing coordinator for disabled student services at DVC. “She’s got a big heart. I never see her without a smile.”

Mills is the daughter of philanthropist parents and says that “It runs in the family.” She mentioned that she has a sister in a similar line of work.

While growing up, Mills would read about her parents’ exploits in the social column.  Seeing their pictures at various charity events is strong in her memory. Since she was a child she knew helping people was “in her heart.”

That is what led her to her work at DVC. It wasn’t an instant jump into her current role as scholarship coordinator. She spent eight years working in various student services roles before ending up where she is, and has been for the last eight years now.

“She knows her topic very well,” says Martin. “She’s a member of multiple committees and groups outside DVC because that’s how you build outside contacts and donors.”

Mills’ passion is her driving force, and is an enormous benefit to the DVC student body. She estimates that the scholarships available to students this year are valued at around $113,000, up from last year’s $71,000.

This year’s scholarship season started in October and continues through Feb. 15. Mills says the two biggest obstacles she has are lack of exposure and convincing students to apply.

“I have to get that ‘I’m not worthy’ mantra out, and the ‘I am worthy’ mantra in,” Mills says. “Students are surprised by how easy it is.”