'Foster Boy' Premieres at the Pan African Film Festival
Our UCLA Academy students had the honor of joining Executive Producer Shaquille O'Neal and the rest of the Foster Boy team on the red carpet during their premiere at the Pan African Film Festival in LA last weekend. Co-Produced by our Founder and President, Peter Samuelson, Foster Boy ([link removed]) takes aim at the corruption in the for-profit foster care system and has already received numerous awards throughout the film festival circuit. Our students played a crucial role during the making of the film, sharing their stories with the creative team. Look out for a more in-depth look at our students and the movement behind the film on ABC's Nightline soon! Read Shaq's latest op-ed on the film here ([link removed]) .

Academy Spotlight:
UCLA Bruin Guardian Scholars Academy
Our First Star UCLA Bruin Guardian Scholars Academy (BGSA for short) was launched in 2011 as our pilot program and is still running strong after nearly a decade! Under the helm of Academy Director Karina Garcia, it currently serves students in 9th, 10th and 12th grades. Housed within UCLA's Bruin Resource Center, our scholars have the benefit of being mentored by current undergraduate students who are a part of the university's Guardian Scholars program, which is aimed at addressing the needs of former foster youth who are now UCLA students.

"This coming year will be an opportunity for huge growth and development for our BGSA students. The last four years of hard-work and determination will all be worth it when our seniors graduate from high school this spring and transition into higher education. We can't wait to see where their journeys take them. This summer the BGSA family will continue to grow by leaps and bounds, as our 9th and 10th graders welcome a new cohort of students." -Karina Garcia
UCLA Bruin Guardian Scholars Academy Highlights
Scholars Selected for a South African Service Learning Trip

After a tough deliberation, BGSA's selection committee chose two scholars, Anna (left) and Nikki (right), to represent First Star and BGSA in South Africa on a service learning trip with other youth from Los Angeles this summer. During this two week trip, our scholars will support the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Africa through community service, learn about the rich history and culture of South Africa, and build cross-cultural connectivity with other youth invested in transforming communities.
Shay Mitchell Makes a Holiday Visit with Gifts in Tow
Shay Mitchell, star of Pretty Little Liars, paid our UCLA and CSU San Bernardino scholars a holiday visit last year. She brought with her a generous gift of luggage from her company Beis, filled with all the goodies our scholars will need in college and beyond. Shay's support of our scholars is absolutely helping to set them up for success!

Senior Spotlight

Carlos

A senior from South Gate High School, Carlos is a perfect example of hard work paying off. During his time with the program, Carlos has participated in various leadership opportunities in and out of BGSA. This past summer Carlos was selected to attend UC Berkeley’s summer experience program and participated in a summer internship with Kaiser Permanente. Despite the many challenges of being in care, Carlos has maintained a 3.6 GPA and has already been accepted to Penn State, CSU San Bernardino, University of La Verne, and CSU Los Angeles.
Peer Mentor Spotlight
Isael Andrade: BGSA Alumnus, Peer Mentor, and World Traveler



My name is Isael Andrade and I am an alumnus of BGSA! I am currently typing this from my dorm room in Madrid, Spain where I am studying abroad for 6 months. I am having an amazing time while here, and can't help but think of how I wouldn't be here without the support of BGSA. As a student, I experienced unparalleled support and motivation from my peer mentors and the staff at First Star, which in turn manifested into purpose and drive.

The impact that BGSA left on me was immense and echoed into college. At Chapman University, where I am now a sophomore on a full-ride, I have taken hold of all the opportunities given to me. From working at the Career and Professional Development Center, gaining positions within the Latinx Club, the First Gen Club, and my Professional Fraternity: Alpha Kappa Psi. Although I was working hard and getting heavily involved in college, I knew I couldn't walk away from BGSA.

I have been able to return to BGSA as a peer mentor, and the experience changed my life. At the time, after finishing my first year of college, I was struggling with a sense of identity and acclimating to college. I never expected the younger BGSA students, who themselves were entering high school, would teach me so much about being yourself. Being able to 100% dedicate myself to others and to their development somehow led me to find myself and instill a sense of confidence that I didn't think would be possible.

I owe as much to our current students as I owe to my own First Star BGSA experience.
Staff Spotlight
BGSA Staff is First-Gen!

Pictured Left to Right: Tiffany Minney, Raquel Perez, Karina Garcia, Ricardo Govea

Karina Garcia, Academy Director
Growing up very low income, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, and a proud First-Gen Student (the first in a family to attend a four-year college) Karina dedicates her academic success to her parents who told her she could do whatever she set her mind to. Now as a First-Gen Professional, she makes it her responsibility to support the next generation of first-gen students.

Raquel Perez, Academic Case Manager
"I was a first-gen college student and I felt shame for only getting into one out of the 10 schools I applied to. Now, as a first-gen Master's student, I no longer feel shame. It is my duty to teach, support, and empower other underprivileged youth so they can also have access to college."
Ricardo Govea, Program Assistant
"Being a first generation college graduate means being the first of many in my family and community to achieve a feat many believed we couldn't. It's striving to prove the false stereotypes wrong and working to represent my community in the light it deserves.”

Tiffany Minney, Peer Mentor
"My happiest memories at UCLA have been with BGSA. Being First-Gen to me has meant building a support system. Navigating through higher education comes with many hidden obstacles, but wanting to be a part of those challenging and changing the statistic that less than 3% of foster youth will graduate from college has fueled my passion and drive."
Other Academy News
College Acceptance Letters are Coming In!

The First Star Experience



In an interactive presentation at this year's CA Youth Education Summit in Ontario, our current scholars from Los Angeles, Utah, and San Bernardino, alumni, and peer mentors will discuss the approaches First Star takes to maintain youth engagement, and connection after graduation. Through their experiences, they will share how First Star’s unique approach, of engaging peer mentors with shared lived experiences, and experiential learning opportunities impacted their own engagement. More information on the summit can be found here ([link removed]) .

Alex & Liz Smith Scholarship at our University of Utah Academy
Our University of Utah Academy is honored to announce the Alex & Liz Smith Scholarship, available to First Star students who will attend the University of Utah, where Alex played football before entering the NFL. Thanks to The Alex Smith Foundation, students will receive scholarships to fund tuition, textbooks, housing, and more to assist them as they enter and succeed in college. "We are grateful for the support and look forward to seeing the impact these scholarships play in the lives of individual students and their communities! Find out more about these amazing scholars here ([link removed]) ." - Alexa Hudson, Academy Director
First Star Sacramento State Academy Hires Academy Director

Linda Ram



We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Linda Ram as our new First Star Sacramento State Academy Director. Ms. Ram has extensive experience working with and implementing programs for foster youth and resource families. In Ms. Ram’s previous position as the Executive Director at Shasta County Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council, she was responsible for a multitude of functions including daily operations and leadership of services offered at their sites, which included The Anderson Teen Center and The Parent Partner Family Resource Center along with serving as the Administrator of the Shasta CAPCC North State AmeriCorps Program. Ms. Ram is an Alumni of Sacramento State where she received a Master of Arts in Education: Behavioral Sciences-Gender Equity Studies and her Bachelor of Vocation in Vocational Education. As the new Academy Director, she will work closely with the Guardian Scholars team and other campus and community partners.

First Star Joining in on CA State Senator Jim Beall's Town Hall

California State Senator Jim Beall will be live-streaming a Foster Youth Digital Town Hall ([link removed]) this coming Saturday, February 29th at 11am PST. Some of our scholars had the opportunity to submit questions to the Senator, who is a huge advocate for foster youth throughout the state. Just this month, he introduced groundbreaking legislation ([link removed]) to extend the state’s foster care system through age 25 – a bill that acknowledges the continued failure to prepare young people severed from families for life on their own. Its aim would make California the first state to expand such support and services to young adults well beyond the current age limit of 21.

In the News

National

Robert Henderson, ([link removed]) a PhD student at Cambridge University in the UK, was once a foster kid who didn't excel at school, because his home life left him distrustful of adults and education. But after enlisting in the armed forces after high school, he went on to graduate from Yale and is now a social psychology scholar.



New Mexico



A bill that helps youth age out of the foster care system ([link removed]) has passed the Senate. The bill allows for young people aged 18 to 21 to receive guidance on things such as behavioral and medical health care, applying for financial aid for college, expunging juvenile court records, and participating in programs that promote employment.

Utah


Natalie Clark ([link removed]) entered and exited foster care until ninth grade, when she went in and stayed in. Life in the system was extremely difficult with multiple placements, social worker changes, and very little support after she aged out. But Natalie has developed a strong sense of self-reliance from years in the system and is now giving back to those who need her most. Our University of Utah Academy Director Alexa Hudson was interviewed for the article!

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