Emerson Vassilew was struggling to figure out how to sign up for classes and apply for housing when she ended up at the registrar\u2019s office. \u201cAnd they said we have someone who can help you,\u201d said the first-year studio arts major.<\/p>\n
Miles Lenz, a sophomore studying computer science and creative technologies, needed help with the FAFSA and the other \u201cless glamorous\u201d processes that are part of college life.<\/p>\n
Noah Lisowski, a first-year student in radiologic technology, was registered as an independent student and homeless.<\/p>\n
For all three of these students, 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Fostering Success program provided support and connections that helped them continue their education.<\/p>\n
The program, established at 51ÁÔÆæ in 2017, works with students who\u2019ve come out of foster care, are unaccompanied and homeless, under legal guardianship or who are orphaned or wards of the court.<\/p>\n
Currently, 51ÁÔÆæ has 126 students who are part of the program, according to Tawney Latona, the program\u2019s coordinator.<\/p>\n
51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s program, modeled on a pioneering effort at UW-Stout, was one of the first Universities of Wisconsin campuses to work with students coming out of the foster care system. Now 10 schools have their own programs serving independent students who may lack support from family.<\/p>\n
Students are referred to the program through high school or college counselors, social workers, independent living providers and other concerned adults.<\/p>\n
Many of 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s referrals come through Student Financial Services, which allows Fostering Success to reach out to students who list \u201cindependent\u201d on their FAFSA.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s how Terrianna Brown, a senior in animation, found out about the program. \u201cI\u2019ve been interested in art since I was small, through my whole childhood. That\u2019s why I chose this major.\u201d<\/p>\n
The email about the Fostering Success program offered her an option for pursuing her dreams. She\u2019s currently finishing up a series of short videos highlighting other students, including those quoted above, who are part of Fostering Success.<\/p>\n
The program helps students find scholarships and grants, helps them get essential school supplies and laptops, and makes them aware of campus resources such as the food pantry, Latona said. Students also receive regular coaching for academic success and in critical life skills such as wellness practices, budgeting and doing taxes.<\/p>\n
The program also includes a student supply closet, student mini-grants, events, snacks in the student lounge and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey made my college life so much easier,\u201d Vassilew said. \u201cMost people have parents who can tell them \u2018you need to do this, or think about that.\u2019 A lot of us don\u2019t have that parental figure who gives you a reminder about what you need to do and here\u2019s how you do it,\u2019\u201d she added. The Fostering Success office helps walk students through the whole going to college process, she said.<\/p>\n
Fostering Success helped connect Lisowski with campus resources, he said. \u201cFostering Success has really helped me out with housing and with food. To be honest, I wouldn\u2019t have the happy living situation I have now without Fostering Success.\u201d The program also helped him with a scholarship and referred him to the campus food pantry, \u201cwhich has been super helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaitlyn Fowlie, a senior in criminal justice and criminology, credits regular meetings with Latona for helping her make a successful transition from junior college. \u201cTawney has been the biggest resource I\u2019ve used. She helped me make sure I was fitting in on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carlette Williams decided she wanted to be a nurse when her mother died. She felt her mother hadn\u2019t gotten the support she needed as she battled cancer. \u201cI wanted to be an advocate for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, going to college was a challenge for Williams, who is now a senior in nursing, because she didn\u2019t have the family support that most students rely on to handle academic and financial challenges. She found a path through 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Fostering Success program.<\/p>\n
Williams likes having the opportunity to just come in and talk things through with Latona, or get help with her resume or a cover letter.<\/p>\n
Lenz appreciates the peer support.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nice to have this group of students in similar situations I can talk to about the struggles I\u2019ve had,\u201d Lenz said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a really nice place where I can hang out get a cup of coffee and talk to someone when things are getting rough.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t realize how many people were at 51ÁÔÆæ who were in similar situations that I had,\u201d said Vassilew. \u201cIt made me feel so much more comfortable and so much more at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Community members can support Fostering Success students through\u00a0financial contributions<\/a>,\u00a0item donations<\/a>, or by reaching out to Latona<\/a> to learn about current needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s program, one of the first in Wisconsin, works with students who\u2019ve come out of foster care, are unaccompanied and homeless, under legal guardianship or who are orphaned or wards of the court, giving them the support to help continue their education. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":835,"featured_media":135017,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174],"tags":[],"section":[122,126],"display_categories":[352,116],"related-coverage":[],"uwmnews-feed":[],"class_list":["post-135016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","section-campus-community","section-campus-news","display_categories-top-story-tertiary","display_categories-top-story-section"],"yoast_head":"\n