Our July Hero of the Month is Michelle Dennis, a philanthropist who advocates for the emotional healing of foster youth who have experienced trauma. Due to her own traumatic experiences, while being in foster care, she was motivated to help others by founding and launching the Adopting Courage Foundation and writing her own book, Adopting Courage: …
Monica entered UFC’s education program back in June 2014. Her counselor describes her as determined and adaptable.
Monica experienced placement and mental health challenges, impacting her academic performance. After applying for colleges her senior year, she was disappointed that she was not accepted into any of the universities she applied for. But, she was determined to …
On Saturday, May 21st, we celebrated our middle and high school graduates throughout LA County. Each youth was showered with love and excitement for their hard work. Graduating is a huge accomplishment for foster youth that should always be acknowledged and celebrated. Each student received a UFC branded graduation sash, candy leis, a gift card …
Hannah is described by her counselor as caring and ambitious. She is currently a junior at Cal State University of Los Angeles and will graduate in the Spring of 2023. Recently, we’ve seen Hannah’s caring heart and passion for her peers in action. As part of a group assignment, Hannah spearheaded a project to donate …
Our amazing NextGen Board made time to put together 50 candy leis for our 2022 middle and high school graduates! This was a sweet donation from NextGen Co-Chair Lauren Fujiu-Berger, who provided the candy and materials. This allowed us to use all the generous donations from Molina Healthcare to give each graduate a gift card …
On May 24th, together with TwinSpire and California Youth Connection, we held a wonderful panel conversation in honor of Foster Care Awareness Month. The discussion focused on difficulties youth face when they emancipate foster care and transition into college. Panelists shared some vulnerable and encouraging stories that inspired us at UFC to continue advocating for …
Our June Hero of the Month is Anastasia Soare, the Founder, CEO, and driving force behind Anastasia Beverly Hills Cosmetics. After immigrating to the U.S. from Romania without language skills or financial means, her drive, dedication, and unique vision motivated her to become an entrepreneur and start Anastasia Beverly Hills. Since 2010, Anastasia has supported …
A recent report by John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) shows that while nearly 88 percent of foster youth indicate a desire to attend college, more than half don’t receive enough assistance with college planning. Senate Bill 12 was adopted on January 1, 2018, to address this concern and the low college completion rate amongst …
On April 21st, United Friends hosted their annual College and Career Day for scholars in the Education Program. The virtual event allowed young people to explore career interests and discover new potential passions. Volunteers, including partner organizations, NextGen board members, and UFC Alumni, joined the event as panelists to share their college journeys and stories about …
Meet Daniel, one of our education scholars. A couple of years ago, when Daniel was in the 8th grade, we helped set him up to receive continuous tutoring services. Over the past two years, these services have made a tremendous impact on his academic success!
When Daniel started tutoring, he was not performing at grade level …