The Fulfillment Fund Making College a Reality
The Fulfillment Fund is an organization committed to helping young adults from low-income families enroll in higher education. The organization primarily focuses on communities within the Los Angeles area, reaching out to students who never considered college a possibility because of their family’s economic standing. The Fulfillment Fund has launched a number of programs and services for the youth of Los Angeles to help them receive the instruction, mentorship, and preparation necessary for higher education. A lot of the organization’s methods are geared toward redefining possibilities for high school students, since existing circumstances often undermine their abilities and achievements.
Some of the services provided by the Fulfillment Fund include classroom instruction, one-on-one mentoring, and college counseling. The partnership that the organization has established with high schools enables them to offer individual college advisement for students as early as their freshman year. In doing so, the Fulfillment Fund continually instills the idea of higher education in students’ minds throughout their entire high school career, making college a very real possibility.
Through the mentoring and counseling services, students have the option to meet one-on-one with advisors who develop a personal profile with each student, compiling lists of possible universities and lines of study. With the help of their sponsors, the Fulfillment Fund is able to offer scholarships to low-income students taking the step into higher education.
In 2012, 94 percent of students engaged in the Fulfillment Fund planned on attending college, compared to the 54 percent of students nationwide. The organization has also opened the door for first generation college students and their families across Los Angeles. Approximately 81 percent of Fulfillment Fund students are the first in their family to attend college. With the help of the organization, students are helping to end the poverty within their families and respective communities.
Every year, the Fulfillment Fund hosts a STARS Benefit Gala to honor select individuals and their contributions to the Fulfillment Fund mission. This year’s gala will be hosted by actor and comedian, Ed Helms, with a special performance by Pharrell Williams. The gala will honor founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment, Chris Meledandri, who helped extend opportunities for students from low-income communities. This will be the 19th year of the STARS Benefit Gala and will be sure to draw more support for the fund’s mission of ending poverty through education.
– Chante Owens
Sources: Look to the Stars, The Fulfillment Fund
Photo: EXPLO