Meet the 2020 Graduates!
Thanks to you, these 2020 graduates are off to change the world! On Sunday, June 14th, we had the pleasure of hosting a virtual graduation celebration for our class of 2020 college students. Personal testimonies from the students include:
Jimmy moving to the United States as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and earning his master's degree,
Hailey giving the commencement speech to her graduating class,
Jarvis advocating for the foster care system through his career in social work,
Savannah overcoming racial discrimination and becoming involved with on-campus advocacy.
You can hear more of their testimonies plus words of wisdom from our founders, Ben and Deanna Carroll. We hope this celebration video brings a smile to your face and reminds you of your powerful impact.
Jimmy
Jimmy moved to the United States from the Democratic Republican of Congo after losing both of his parents. He has since earned his Master of Science in Management. “I don’t have to be born in this country for me to go to a good school, pass all my classes, find a job, or...build the characteristics that are going to define me,” he shares.
Hailey
“Coming out of foster care, we are bad at trusting people. That is a psychological thing that makes sense for what we’ve been through. But I realized that I couldn’t do it by myself. I had to allow myself to be vulnerable with ISF, cry to professors, grow in relationships, grow in mentorships. I truly have people there to help me.” Hailey just graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Gladys
“The most important things I learned are 1) building relationships, and 2) knowing what you want to do. If you don’t have a plan, it can affect your direction of what you want to go and where you want to go.” Gladys serves others through her experience with pharmacy work and just graduated with a Pharmacy Doctorate!
Brittany
Brittany was orphaned as a teenager, separated from her siblings, and placed in the foster care system. Defying the odds, she flourished at college with ISF support and is now earning her Masters of Social Work!
Jarvis
“I never thought 10 years ago that I would have the opportunity to be where I’m at today. But I am so thankful to the people who have supported me and my journey through my college experience.” Jarvis just earned his Master of Social Work and has spent several years advocating for foster care youth and foster care system policies. He even helped launch the Foster Care Bill of Rights in Louisiana.
Savannah
At the age of eight, Savannah was told that she would never get into college. Her college acceptance and success proved them wrong. After growing up in foster care, she became a voice for others in college.