FOCUS ON: Guardian Scholars Program

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The Guardian Scholars Program provides an integrated system of services to current and former foster youth to support their successful completion of a college degree. All of the necessary program benefits are embedded in the overall program goal structure of ensuring academic success, encouraging campus engagement, promoting career development, and nurturing students into active and socialy responsible members of the community.

Video: (Narrator:) This is “Focus” from the campus of Sacramento State.

(Christine Bergholm:) “What you realize when you get here is that you do need help. From study habits to knowing where you’re going to live.”

(Jim Finnerty reporting:) For Sacramento State sophomore Christine Bergholm that “help” came from the “Guardian Scholars” program- a new University initiative providing financial aid and mentoring to foster youth.

(Bergholm:) “It’s really a broad range of things that they help you with.”

(Finnerty:) Christine and Alejandro Gonzalez came from foster family backgrounds and were the first students to receive the scholarships.

(Alejandro Gonzalez, Sacramento State sophomore:) “It shows that there is concern among the community and in the community for foster youth. They help me pay tuition, books. Help me with housing and they basically give me a platform to stand on as I get through Sacramento State.”

(Joy Salvetti, Director, Guardian Scholars:) “Our dream is that we begin to reach these youth during their K-12 experience.”

(Finnerty:) Dr. Joy Salvetti directs the program, partnering with community, business and governmental organizations.

(Salvetti:) “Without that, I think these youth are more prone to say, ‘That’s it. I’m not going to pursue this.’”

(Finnerty:) The program aid and support mean Christine and Alejandro will have funds to finish their college degrees; his in teaching, hers in social welfare.

(Gonzalez:) “Shows me as a foster youth that adults older than myself care for my education, care for my well being.”

(Bergholm:) “I feel like I’ve grown a lot, and I’m definitely happy with my choice to come to Sacramento.”

(Salvetti:) “These youth enrich our university. They embody the whole idea of resiliency”

(Finnerty:) This is Jim Finnerty reporting.

(Narrator:) For more information on this and other news from Sacramento State, visit our website.