The Guardian Scholar Program was created in 1999 through a partnership between Cal State Fullerton and Orangewood Foundation to support foster youth in their journey through college. On Jan. 30, the program will be honored on its 25th anniversary during the Cal State University Board of Trustees meeting.
Support for foster youth is critical; roughly two-thirds of foster youth are going to be homeless within the first 12 months of leaving foster care, said Chris Simonsen, CEO of Orangewood Foundation, which helps foster young people develop skills for self-sufficiency.
Young people in California can stay in foster care until they’re 21 if they continue to meet with a social worker, among other requirements. But the challenges they face are daunting.
“The biggest issue is they don’t have that network of adult and family supporters to help them,” Simonsen said.If they’re able to graduate from high school and are accepted at Cal State Fullerton, current and former foster youth can receive a range of support as they step into higher education.
“Aside from providing the scholarship, we may also help with securing housing on campus as some students may not have a place to live once they begin their tenure at the university,” said Felipe Martinez, who coordinates the Guardian Scholars program, which has been replicated in universities throughout California as well as in other states. “We currently support 129 Guardian Scholars.”
Junely Merwin was part of the Guardian Scholar Program during her undergraduate years; she graduated from CSUF with a bachelor’s degree in 2019.
“I entered foster care at the age of 15, cradling my 1-month-old son in my arms, with no family support,” she said. “Throughout the five years I spent in foster care, I navigated through three foster homes, several high schools, and the challenges of attending college while being a teen mom in the system.”
Merwin is on track to achieve her master’s degree in higher education at Cal State Fullerton later this year.
“The Guardian Scholars program is crucial for foster youth due to the unique challenges they face,” Merwin said. “Foster youth have little to no family ties and often lack resources and a community to guide them through higher education and adulthood. These individuals often have a history of trauma and must overcome the challenges associated with both foster care and pursuing higher education. The Guardian Scholars program serves as a vital support system, providing advocacy, guidance, and connections to essential resources.”
Merwin said her journey in foster care was marked by the challenges of dealing with unsupportive foster homes, social workers, and the system itself. But in the midst of this, she encountered adults who believed in and supported her dream of earning a college degree.
“Their encouragement became a driving force behind my determination to secure a good job, providing the stability that my son and I deserved,” she said.
She currently works with a foster youth program at a community college and intends to continue once she graduates.
Becky Wells also credits the Guardian Scholars Program for encouraging her to get her college degree as a young single mom. She graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2000 and is grateful to Ron Davis, the program’s founder — “I call him my adoptive father,” she said — and Gene Howard, who was at Orangewood Foundation during that time. Both were integral in supporting and encouraging her to continue her education.
“It’s hard to put into words something that I feel so deep in my heart and has impacted my life so profoundly; the program has changed my life and countless others,” said Wells, who now lives near Austin, Texas, with her husband and children. “I appreciate the Guardian Scholar Program not only for the financial assistance I received but also for the lifelong friends I’ve made. It truly is a family.”
The Guardians Scholars Program provides holistic support to foster youth, Martinez said. “It provides an opportunity to level the playing field as much as possible.”
To respect their privacy, students are never asked to share their stories.
“We also provide training to faculty, staff and campus partners, which allows them to learn more about the foster youth population and helps them recognize the impact that this can have on foster youth as they navigate the university,” Martinez said.
Guardian Scholars who’ve gone on to receive master’s degrees have focused on counseling, social work, education and international business, he said.
The Cal State Fullerton staff at the Center for Scholars is passionate about helping foster youth surmount their challenges.
“It is incredibly rewarding to work with students and help them thrive on campus,” Martinez said. “This population of students has been told that statistically they should not be in college, much less have graduated from high school. They are overcoming obstacles, changing statistical narratives and creating opportunities for themselves and those who will come after them.”
