{"id":23,"date":"2024-02-23T20:46:08","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T20:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/summer-2024-volume-7-issue-1\/all-kinds-of-students-all-kinds-of-support\/"},"modified":"2024-06-14T01:15:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T01:15:35","slug":"dvc-champions-belonging-belief-and-success-for-foster-youth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/summer-2024-volume-7-issue-1\/dvc-champions-belonging-belief-and-success-for-foster-youth\/","title":{"rendered":"DVC Champions Belonging, Belief, and Success for Foster Youth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAfter high school, I took a year off to work. I had been dealing with a lot from when I was little. I also wondered if school was for me because everyone in my family had dropped out of college or didn\u2019t go at all,\u201d said Imani Gordon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gordon later enrolled at DVC to earn an associate in arts degree in animation. He had learned about DVC\u2019s foster youth program while in high school, so he met with the coordinator of the Student Transition and Academic Retention Team (START) program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt took time to get comfortable because I don\u2019t like meeting new people. But I realized that the people involved with the START+NextUp program really care about foster youth. That\u2019s why I decided to be a peer advisor for the program,\u201d said Gordon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Imani

Imani Gordon<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Gordon strongly encourages current and former foster youth to continue their education – and to start at DVC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t let statistics about foster youth scare you out of graduating from college. Go get that education! Let everyone know who you are, and what you stand for,\u201d said Gordon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overcoming her biggest challenge \u2013 herself<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Taye

Taye Breaux<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Like Gordon, Tiaira \u201cTaye\u201d Breaux had to overcome personal challenges that were impeding her success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco as a photography major, but I felt like I could do more. I wanted to be a teacher. The biggest challenge I had to overcome was myself. I felt I wasn\u2019t smart enough to attend a regular college. I had to teach myself that my learning disabilities didn\u2019t define me or my capabilities,\u201d said Breaux.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon after enrolling at DVC, Breaux learned about the programs, services, and support available to current and former foster youth.\u202f\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter getting involved in START+NextUp, I felt like I belonged at DVC. The support and encouragement have been so helpful,\u201d said Breaux.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Breaux is working towards her associate in science for transfer (AD-T\/AS-T) in early childhood education at DVC. She then plans to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree and special education teaching credential at St. Mary\u2019s College of California. Breaux credits the support she received at DVC with giving her the confidence needed to speak in front of a classroom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did not think it was possible for a runaway foster youth with my type of learning background to make it this far. My goal is to be the person that every child needs in the classroom – a teacher who will encourage and support them,\u201d said Breaux.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Breaux has a message for students facing multiple barriers to achieving their goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGo for it; do not doubt yourself. There is a team of people at DVC who will support you every step of the way,\u201d said Breaux.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

START+NextUp meets the moment<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cSTART+NextUp are DVC programs that support students with lived experiences in the foster care system. DVC serves approximately 80 to 90 current or former foster youth each year,\u201d said Phoebe Keesey, the program coordinator for DVC foster youth services.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keesey reports that on a national basis, only about three percent of foster youth graduate with a bachelor\u2019s degree by the age of 26, while about 40 percent of the general population reaches this milestone.\u202f She says that current and former foster youth often have complicated histories in the educational system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe transition into adulthood is disorienting for many college-aged students, but this is particularly true for foster youth. As they exit the foster care system between the ages of 18-21, they must learn to be self-sufficient without the safety net of family support,\u201d said Keesey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Foster youth entering adulthood need to forge a path toward finding where to live, figuring out how to provide and prepare food for themselves, how to locate and access physical and mental health care services, and more. For those who plan to continue their education, they need to accomplish these milestones while also navigating the complexity of college life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to invest in long-term academic and career success when your basic needs are not met in the moment,\u201d said Keesey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal of the START+NextUp program is to guide students throughout their journey at DVC, from the moment they first step foot on campus until they walk across the graduation stage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe START+NextUp program exists to show current and former foster youth they belong in college, that there is a home for them at DVC, and they can be successful here and beyond,\u201d said Dr. Rachel Luna, the senior program manager for foster youth services and other programs serving students with social service needs at DVC.\u202f\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The support of foster youth is an institution-wide priority at DVC through the college\u2019s Student Equity Plan (SEP). The plan is updated every three years with initiatives that advance inclusive excellence. The SEP for 2022-2025 focuses on Black\/African American students and foster youth, two groups of students who disproportionately experience barriers to educational achievement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDVC has embraced a \u2018culture of care\u2019 in the way that we support marginalized students, and everyone has a role in these efforts,\u201d said Luna.\u202f\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keesey agrees, noting that foster youth have been robbed of their power. DVC helps to restore that power.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMajor life decisions have been made for them by the courts, social workers, and other well-meaning social service advocates. When foster youth age out of the system, there is a sudden shift in power and expectations. We help educate students so they can be empowered to advocate for themselves,\u201d said Keesey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who is eligible?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you are a current or former foster youth, you’re eligible for specialized support services under one of two programs – check to see which program you qualify for:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NextUp<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n