University News
Hope's First Guardian Scholar Graduate
Katie Bogardus seemed like your typical college student - she could be found on campus studying, hanging out with friends, or preparing for her next research paper. But, despite appearances, Bogardus possessed one significant attribute that set her apart from most students - her entire Hope education was paid for by a remarkable program called the Guardian Scholar program.
Like a hidden gem in the educational system, the Guardian Scholar program provides complete funding of a college education for youth formerly in the foster care system. Beyond financial provisions alone, the program focuses on mentorship and community as equally important aspects.
The program was founded in 1997 by Ron Davis when he recognized that assisting foster care youth with a college education necessitated more than monetary provisions, but a personalized life support system as well. Hope began offering the Guardian Scholar program in 2002 and was one of the first five schools to do so. It has now expanded to over 20 universities in California, Washington, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Indiana.
The program is made possible by a team effort of scholarship money from private donors (or "Champions"), the Orangewood Children's Foundation, and the participating institution.
Along with the opportunities the Guardian Scholar program provides, students are expected to be employed and maintain a 2.5 grade point average. "There were struggles," Bogardus states, "but I always had a job. In fact, it helped me get the job I have now as a residential counselor for Crittenton Services for Children and Families."
Priscilla Schubert, Director of Student Life and Housing at Hope, mentors Guardian Scholar students as Director of the Guardian Scholar program, and finds it to be one of the most rewarding aspects of her job. Bogardus believes that the mentorship she received from Schubert was a significant contributor to her success at Hope: "She has been like a mother [to me]."
Katie Bogardus is Hope's first Guardian Scholar to graduate since the University began participating in the program in 2002.