Last week, JBAY invited this year’s college graduates from around the state to gather in celebration at Cal State LA. It was a beautiful event, marking an incredibly significant moment in many lives. 
Today in California, 10% of foster youth graduate from college – a rate significantly higher than in any other state, one that shows tremendous progress, and yet is still far too low. It’s why JBAY has a relentless focus on removing barriers to higher education and why this June event has become a favorite tradition.
The day’s speakers included JBAY Executive Director Sarah Pauter; LA County Department of Children and Family Services Director Brandon Nichols; Junely Merwin, a former foster youth who recently graduated with a master’s degree from CSU Fullerton; and Traneisia Jones, a JBAY Youth Advocate and member of the Class of 2025 at CSU Sacramento.
“When I look around this room, I know what unites us is that we’ve all had to survive. We’ve had to overcome more obstacles, with less support,” Traneisia said. “They told me I wasn’t going to graduate middle school, I graduated. They said I wasn’t going to graduate high school, I graduated. They said I wouldn’t get a car, get into housing, or be able to transfer out of community college. So many people told me I was not going to get into my master’s program, but I did it – with a scholarship.”
For many foster youth, education is about breaking the cycle. It’s the way to better futures for themselves and their families. JBAY Executive Director Sarah Pauter shared about her own experience, “With some distance, the thing I’ve come to appreciate the most about getting a degree is that it’s yours. Once you have an education, it changes what’s possible. It gives you upward mobility. And no one can take it away.”
At JBAY, we dedicate resources to making sure foster youth hear early and often that they are qualified and capable of going to college. That they attend elementary, middle, and high schools that adequately prepare them to meet the academic requirements along the way. And that they learn how to apply for college and financial aid, and hear about resources on campus.
We host an annual statewide Foster Youth FAFSA and CADAA Challenge to ensure foster youth receive specialized support to maximize their financial aid. And we have successfully advocated to expand on-campus foster youth support programs to every public postsecondary institution across California.
We were pleased to present awards to our partners in this work. We honored the LA County Department of Children and Family Services, which oversees programs ensuring the health and wellbeing of over 2 million youth across Los Angeles. We also recognized Maria Granados, Foster and Kinship Care Education Regional Coordinator for LA County and Guardian Scholars Program Manager for LA Mission College, whose work helps former foster youth smoothly transition and thrive in college. And we celebrated every individual graduate in attendance, whose heart, brilliance, and persistence inspire us every day.
