Ascend Scholarship
We partner with Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families to provide monetary support for Connecticut foster care transitioning age youth desiring assistance with expenses supporting education including post-secondary, job training and trade school.
Mid 2025:
Because of your support, Ascend is changing lives.
A student from New Haven dreamed of becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant. She was accepted into the program but couldn’t afford the tuition. Inspired by her grandmother’s example, she reached out and Ascend made sure the cost wouldn’t stand in her way.
Later in the year, another student faced student loans that threatened her ability to finish school. With your support, we stepped in to ensure she could begin her final semester.
Two more lives we’ve helped change together. Thank you for your support!
April 2024:
The first recipient of our program has been selected! We had the privilege of meeting an amazing person today and will be using the funds raised in 2023 and 2024 to purchase her a car to make her transition to graduate school a little easier. She has asked to remain anonymous but has shared a little about her journey and is so appreciative of your support!
“While I was born in the Middle-East, my family had to flee our country when war tore through our homeland. Following this plight, I ended up in the Connecticut foster care system at the age of 15, which brought forward a different kind of change and uncertainty. It's been a constant struggle, bouncing between five different houses and even spending time in a group home. Stability? It's been a foreign concept to me. But through it all, I refused to let go of my dreams. Despite my biological family's disbelief in the value of education, I knew deep down that it was my ticket to a better life. I became the first in my family to pursue a college education, enrolling in Eastern CT State University. It hasn't been easy juggling coursework with the chaos of my personal life, but I've persevered. Now, as I stand on the brink of graduation with a degree in Business Administration, I can't help but reflect on the journey that brought me here. It's been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but each obstacle has only made me stronger. I'm determined to break free from the cycle of instability and build a future that I can be proud of. I am proud to be part of the only 3 percent of foster youth who graduate college, and look forward to enrolling in graduate school at the University of Hartford while I continue to stay part of the Connecticut foster care system. My story is one of resilience and of refusing to be defined by my circumstances. As I look ahead, I'm filled with hope for what the future holds.”
Please use the buttons if you would like to donate. Or you check if we meet your company’s match program and search for Ascend Scholarship by Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families. Thank you for your support!