Alexus was in and out of the foster care system from the time she was 2 years old. She has lived in countless states and attended 17 different schools. However, with the help of Cal State San Marcos’ ACE Scholars Services program, she is graduating this winter with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a minor in dance.

“ACE has had a really big impact on me,” Alexus said, “and for that I'm very grateful.”

Alexus always knew she wanted to pursue higher education because she believed it would help her avoid the challenges that her mother faced.

Pregnant at 15 years old, Alexus’ mother struggled to raise a child. After her mom was kicked out of Alexus’ grandmother’s house, Alexus was sent to New York to live with her great-grandfather. Her mother booked a return flight to California, and Alexus’ childhood was on a new course.

Growing up, Alexus experienced the hardships of persistent custody battles and court-mandated counseling therapy. She was constantly moving among different households and family members.

Alexus is 29 years old and the oldest of six siblings (the youngest is 15). She was 16 when her siblings entered the foster care system for the first time. She hoped to shield them from the reality of foster care.

But Alexus and her siblings were apart for almost a year, which was one of the hardest times of her life. Alexus and her siblings have always had a strong bond, celebrating every holiday together at their grandparents’ house as children.

“I love my siblings, and I just want to be the best big sister they could have. If they ever need anything, they can call me,” Alexus said.

As complicated as Alexus’ life was, additional struggles began to arise when she became an adult. After she moved out of her mom’s house at 19, trying to complete her degree while managing two jobs to afford her rent became a strenuous task.

Alexus was attending Riverside Community College when she learned about ACE Scholars Services. It’s a program that would soon change her life for the better.

ACE Scholars Services helps former foster youth pursue higher education by providing services and support systems. ACE knows that helping foster youth earn a degree provides them with the tools and self-determination they need to succeed in life. That has been the case for Alexus.

Alexus worked the overnight shift at the Ontario airport, ending her shift at 7 a.m., then driving from Rancho Cucamonga for her hour-plus commute to campus. When she hadn’t slept all night, ACE provided her a space to get rest during the day. When she didn’t have enough money to afford food or school supplies, ACE was there. When her car broke down, ACE was there.  

In October 2024, Alexus lost her job and was evicted, marking the start of a difficult time. But ACE was once again there to help.

“The support that I get from ACE, everything that I've been able to get through in my life is because ACE has always helped me, especially Leigh,” Alexus said.

Leigh Quijada has been the director of ACE Scholars Services for the last two years after previously working with the program for 13 years as a counselor. She has played a huge role in Alexus’ life by not only guiding her but helping her get through every obstacle she has faced. “Persistent” and “resilient” are the two words Quijada uses to describe Alexus.

“I think Alexus might be the only student I’ve had who has been through it all and overcome everything," Quijada said.

Quijada has been there for Alexus since the start of her journey at CSUSM and has watched her grow. When Alexus was put on academic probation last year because she had to prioritize going to work to pay her bills over attending class, Quijada did everything in her power to help Alexus get re-enrolled.

“She is probably one of the biggest people in my life,” Alexus said. “I wouldn’t be getting my bachelor's without Leigh; she’s definitely my rock.”

After the difficult years Alexus endured as a foster child, she is graduating this winter and moving to Texas to begin a master’s program in kinesiology. She has played sports since she was young and hopes to continue her love for that field as an athletic trainer for professional athletes.

“People don't know what I've been through to get to this point,” Alexus said. “It's going to be a very big accomplishment.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

A sociology major, Hawkins began her college journey at Mt. San Jacinto College before transferring to CSUSM where she was part of ACE, which supports former foster youth. However, Hawkins withdrew from CSUSM in 2017 feeling like she wasn’t ready and it was too much to handle. 

But in 2022, she was inspired to return by her 3-year-old son, Zion. 

“When I had my son, I was like, ‘No, I have to go back to where I started,’ ” Hawkins said. “I have to go back to my goals and I need my son to see that I can graduate. I need to have a career that I know I want, so I decided to buckle down and bear through the hardships.”

Hawkins was born into foster care and remained in the system until she was 18. Much about her past remained unknown to her. For example, she recently found her biological mom and nine siblings. 

Being in foster care put Hawkins through plenty of ups and downs. 

“I actually got a placement when I was 7 that was pretty stable so I was in that home for a long time,” Hawkins said. “However, there were a lot of things that went on inside that home that no one knew about, not even the social workers that came in. It was hidden. Social workers have a lot on their plate, and so growing up, I just knew that I wanted somebody to pay attention.”

Hawkins plans to be the person who pays attention toward people with stories like hers. She understood from a young age that school was the way out of the system, and the way to open a better future for herself and others.

“I didn't know what the next steps looked like for me when I turned 18,” said Hawkins, “but I knew I wanted somewhere stable to live. My goal was to finish high school and then go live at college. It didn't work out that way, but I think that one of my main motives to go to college was stable housing, because that was the only thing I knew would make me stable.”

Hawkins had almost no choice to attend school, and no choice to do so on her own timeline. 

“On graduation day in high school, I went home and my bags were packed outside of the house,” Hawkins said. “So it was ‘go time.’ I had no choice but to sink or swim. I was just trying to go to school and be stable. I didn't know I would graduate.”

When Hawkins, a first-generation student, reapplied to CSUSM after her son was born, Quijada was the first person to reach out to her, leaving Hawkins in shock.

“Leigh has been following me since day one, just walking with me. So I'm so grateful for that.” Hawkins said. “I didn't even know I still qualified. I'm older, so I didn't know I still qualified for the services. They were like, ‘No, once in ACE, always in ACE.’ ” 

This support from Quijada and Laurie Orr, an ACE counselor, helped give Hawkins the extra support and push to graduate this fall. 

Hawkins works as a social worker assistant in Riverside County, and her graduation this fall will open the opportunity for her to become a full-time social worker. Eventually, Hawkins’ goal is to open her own nonprofit helping foster youth. 

Specifically, she wants to help those who are about to age out of the system.  

“I remember that when I turned 16 in foster care it's when your wheels start spinning and you realize you’re going to be 18 in two years,” Hawkins said. “You don’t know where you’re gonna go. You don't have solid advice or people to help you. 

“So I would want to start with helping kids who are about to be former foster youth, and then help transitioning and former foster youth as well.”

Although Hawkins has gone through challenges, she is determined to make her son proud. 

“He was the main motivator, because it seemed daunting, especially having to withdraw and the weight of it all just felt bad,” Hawkins said. “But I knew I had to go back, so I reapplied.”

Zion will be attending commencement on Dec. 15 and will grow up to recognize how big of an accomplishment graduation is for his mom. 

“I'm still in shock,” she said. “I'm graduating. It sounds crazy to me, I still haven't processed it all yet, but I know it's gonna mean a lot.

“I am so grateful for my village that has become family that have helped me along the way. I couldn't have done this with out their support as well as the support of ACE.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

A typical day quickly turned into one that would change the trajectory of her life. 

Her mother had been incarcerated, and Cleveland and her siblings were going to be living with their grandmother indefinitely. As the youngest of three children, Cleveland has mentally blocked out a good portion of this time, but her family’s trip to the courthouse remains etched in her memory. 

“I was the one who asked the office, 'If my grandmother adopts us, will there be a chance for my mom to get us back?’ The answer was no,” Cleveland said. “So she didn’t adopt us, but she became our legal guardian.”

Cleveland’s new normal was cemented. 

She threw herself into activities during secondary school. From building in robotics to playing numerous instruments such as the cello, harp, saxophone and doing the drumline in marching band, Cleveland explored her different interests. When it came time to think about college, she would leave class to navigate the application process. 

It was while considering Cal State San Marcos that Cleveland discovered ACE Scholars Services, a program dedicated to supporting former foster youth as they pursue higher education. ACE counselor Laurie Orr advised Cleveland as she was applying for college, and with Orr’s help, Cleveland kickstarted her CSUSM journey as an ACE scholar. 

Through her connections at ACE, Cleveland found herself faced with a plethora of opportunities, and she eagerly used them to her advantage. 

Cleveland got her first job working at the front desk of the ACE office, where she developed close relationships with counselors Orr and Leigh Quijada, referencing them as her mentors. It was Orr and Quijada who introduced Cleveland to CalFresh, a program that provided her with funds for groceries and promotes nutritional food. 

A computer science and information systems major, Cleveland was awarded a scholarship and received help preparing for interviews, building her résumé and gaining experience with certifications. Through her hard work and her mentors’ and program’s guidance, she landed a competitive internship with Sony last year.  

“Leigh and Laurie being there practically every day the past four years was a major comfort to me, as they know and understand my personal struggle,” Cleveland said. “It’s nice having a physical space and someone on campus you can turn to for help, especially since it can be so difficult to find role models.” 

Cleveland did not just find mentors through ACE. She also found one of her best friends. 

They met freshman year during her time in Summer Bridge, a part of Educational Opportunity Program that permits students to get a head start on graduation requirements and connects them to the campus community through activities, field trips and workshops. Four years later, their close-knit friendship is standing strong. 

“We’re both graduating, and I’m so excited. We’ve been through the trenches together, and it’s been nice to make a really solid friend in college,” Cleveland said. 

As the semester comes to an end, Cleveland is gearing up for fall graduation and preparing to say goodbye to her ACE family. 

“They’re the biggest support system I’ve had in college,” she said said. “If I didn’t have a group like this or someone to consistently check in with me the way they have, I probably wouldn’t still be in college.” 

The long-standing connections that Cleveland made in ACE help define her university experience. Thanks to the guidance of her mentors, friends and valuable programs offered to her at CSUSM, she persevered through hardship and a vigorous course load, and she is just getting started. 

“It has been such a pleasure to work with Kia and witness her amazing growth,” Quijada said. “I have admired her self-motivation, perseverance, openness and, through it all, her humor. We will definitely miss her presence, but I’m excited for Kia and what’s next in her journey. I know she will continue to break down barriers and do great things.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The group’s article, “Transforming Lives of Former Foster Youths: A Campus-Based Support Program Grounded in Social Work Values,” details ACE’s model.

“Support programs to improve higher education outcomes for former foster youths have emerged in the past 20 years, but literature to guide their development and implementation is limited,” the paper abstract states. “This conceptual article presents the program logic model for ACE (Achieving College Excellence) Scholars Services, the comprehensive, campus-based program supporting former foster youths grounded in social work values at California State University San Marcos.”

ACE Scholars Services has graduated more than 100 students since its founding in 2007.

Honors for School of Education alumni

Four alumni from the School of Education were honored with teacher of the year awards:

• Alex Buder, who works at Oak Valley Middle School, was named one of Poway Unified School District’s 2021 School Site Teachers of the Year.
• Sheen Garcia, who teaches at Del Dios Academy, was named a 2020-21 Teacher of the Year for Escondido Union School District.
• Joy Leichtfuss, a sixth-grade reading, language arts, and world history teacher at San Marcos Middle School, was named San Marcos Unified School District’s 2020-21 Teacher of the Year.
• Joe Prechtl, a teacher at Sullivan Middle School, was named a 2020-21 Teacher of the Year for Bonsall Union School District.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Pictures will be taken, presents given. Leis and bouquets of flowers will be exchanged between proud parents and joyful graduates.

A moment four years in the making will be captured and celebrated for the amazing accomplishment it is.

And somewhere on the field, Winter Minton will smile while reading her name on the diploma. For she’ll know the road less paved – one chosen both for her and by her at various times in her life – has led her to accomplishing something few could have predicted.

“I believe that Winter’s journey is inspiring,” said Laurie Orr, a licensed clinical social worker and counselor with ACE Scholars Services on campus.

Minton’s story is one of inspiration through the lens of darkness. It’s a tale of adversity even when life tells you you’re not good enough.

Because her mother has been a drug addict throughout Minton’s life, she spent pretty much every year until the age of 17 in the Riverside County foster care system. While she is thankful to have had “great placements,” she also was placed in living situations where she was abused.

Chaotic interpersonal relationships, academic struggles and feelings of neglect and abandonment can be common for children who spend a great deal of their lives in the foster care system like Minton did.

It’s often a tumultuous path to travel. In addition to changing homes multiple times, Minton switched schools the same amount of times. That resulted in disruption and confusion at developmental ages where consistency, stability and love are paramount.

But there’s something about the human spirit that grows even under the darkest of skies.

Despite the chaos, Minton had goals at an early age. One of the main ones she never lost was her desire to become a nurse.

“I decided to become a nurse during my time in the system,” Minton said. “I wanted to help as many people as I could and knew this profession would do just that.”

Minton learned from her social worker about ACE Scholars Services, which provides support and programs for former foster youth now enrolled at CSUSM. It aims to transform lives through higher education. Currently, the rate of former foster youth who graduate from college is lower than 10 percent. ACE aims to greatly improve that rate, and Minton is part of a class that has pushed the number of ACE graduates over 100 since its founding in 2007.

Minton entered CSUSM and ACE from the foster care system as a freshman for the summer bridge program in 2015.

“Her goal was to become a registered nurse, sharing that, ‘This is what I have always wanted my whole life,’ ” Orr said. “And it was clear from the moment we met that she was determined to reach that goal. I have observed Winter to be serious and focused when it comes to her studies. I also know her to be compassionate, caring and highly motivated to succeed.”

Although Minton was used to facing challenges head on, she also had to deal with the disappointment of not being admitted to the highly competitive School of Nursing upon her admission to CSUSM. Despite completing all the pre-nursing coursework, the road was made longer before it even began.

But that didn’t stop Minton.

She changed her major to human development with a plan to enter the accelerated nursing program. Her drive and passion for becoming a nurse came to the attention of the director of the School of Nursing. She was so impressed when she met Minton that she was offered admission to the school for fall 2018. 

“Although she was deeply disappointed when she initially was not admitted to the highly competitive School of Nursing, Winter did not give up on her dream,” Orr said. “She doubled down and worked hard to change her academic trajectory. ACE Scholars Services believed in Winter’s potential and supported her throughout her journey, encouraging Winter to keep pushing forward toward her goals.”

Minton successfully completed six years of study at CSUSM and will graduate this weekend with a bachelor’s in nursing.

After graduation, she will prepare for the California Board of Registered Nursing licensing exam in order to become a licensed registered nurse. Upon passing, she’ll apply to hospitals throughout San Diego with hopes to become a labor and delivery nurse.

“I believe my inner strength and perseverance comes from the hardships I endured,” Minton said. “I wanted to break the cycle of drug addiction and have a well-respected profession. I aspire to have a family of my own day, and I want to give them everything I did not have growing up. I wanted to become someone great. I knew I wanted to make a positive impact on people's lives.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The position sought someone who’s a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Check, thought Scott.

Someone who had been on staff and understood both the academic and administrative sides of CSUSM. Check and check.

Someone who had built programs before. Check.

“As I read the proposal, it felt as if the position was made for me,” Scott said. “It was one of those perfect timing things. This was very much in alignment with who I am and the work that is important to me.”

Scott is now the director of Faculty Advocacy, Care, Engagement and Support (FACES), a program started this fall that’s designed to enhance the professional success and workplace experience of CSUSM faculty by connecting them with resources, providing supportive services, and advocating for them. Indeed, it’s a hand-in-glove fit for Scott, who possesses an LCSW degree as well as a Doctorate of Social Work (DSW). She had been a full-time lecturer in CSUSM’s Department of Social Work before spending the past year as the interim director of ACE Scholars Services, the university’s innovative program for former foster youth.

The faculty who wrote the proposal for FACES, Scott said, intended for it to be modeled in part as the faculty version of the student-oriented Cougar Care Network. Besides offering supportive services, resource linkage and crisis resource coordination, FACES will provide departmental, community-building workshops to address faculty incivility, care-based professional training, advocacy for equity for faculty of color, and faculty-to-faculty coaching.

“FACES can be considered the emotional, feeling side of the Faculty Center,” Scott said. “The Faculty Center provides services aimed at improving teaching and learning, engaging in research, navigating the tenure process, and assisting with grant writing. FACES will strive to provide care, advocacy and at times emotionally supportive services to faculty as they navigate the complexities, challenges and concerns they may face in academia.

“It is very difficult to be your best self, to bring your best to the students, if you are not OK emotionally, not feeling supported or valued as a contributing part of the university.”

Just as FACES offers services not covered by the Faculty Center, it’s also different in a significant way from the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through the Office of Human Resources. The EAP provides brief counseling services to employees, while FACES is more focused on confidential consultation, care coordination, psychoeducational trainings and workshops, and crisis response for faculty.

FACES grew out of a movement that followed the Poway synagogue shooting by a CSUSM student in April 2019. After that horrific incident, Jewish faculty and faculty of color reported being threatened both on and off campus, and there were other racially charged episodes that occurred on campus. As a result, a committee of faculty members was charged that fall with writing a proposal for the creation of an institutional faculty support initiative.

“Following the shooting, there were a number of questions: What do we do for faculty and staff when there’s a crisis? How do we help them to heal, feel safe, and process these tragic and traumatic events?” Scott said. “It’s about safety, not only in the sense that we feel physically safe coming to campus, but also that we feel emotionally safe. It’s important for faculty and staff to have a space to share experiences, process fears, express needs, and trust that the university is going to hear them, validate them, and do what’s possible to support them.”

The original idea for FACES predates the arrival of President Ellen Neufeldt in July 2019, but Neufeldt elevated it as a university priority as part of her mission to establish a lasting “culture of care” at CSUSM. FACES completes a trio of programs in that vein, along with the Cougar Care Network for students and the Staff Center – also new this fall. Scott emphasized that FACES serves all faculty, including part- and full-time lecturers as well as tenured professors.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, FACES is a virtual center for now. With a limited budget and staff, Scott already has begun building and leveraging connections around campus to assist with getting the program up and running. She plans to use her fundraising and grant writing experience to secure additional funding for FACES down the road.

Scott has started running workshops and working with faculty on issues related to incivility or non-collegial behavior, as well as anti-racism efforts within departments. And though FACES was conceived of and proposed before our current moment dominated by a devastating pandemic and heart-wrenching racial strife, it might as well have been designed for this world – and the fear, anger and anxiety that accompany it.

“It’s almost as if this is fortuitous, because who knew that all this would be happening in our country, in our world right now?” Scott said. “The people who are educating our students must be healthy – physically, mentally and emotionally. If not, this will trickle down to our students.

“FACES is right on time and just what our campus needs in this trying period.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

That was what Brantley called Jim Mickelson, the founding director of ACE Scholars Services. The innovative Cal State San Marcos program for former foster youth had opened a door for Brantley to attend college against the odds, had put him on track to graduate from college – in defiance of even greater odds.

It was all on the verge of derailing, though, when his great aunt died. This was his foster mother, the woman who had raised him and given him some semblance of stability in a chaotic upbringing. The suicidal thoughts that had bedeviled Brantley in high school returned. He worried that he might have to drop out of CSUSM, and God only knew where that would lead.

Brantley told Mickelson about his foster mother’s passing but insisted that he didn’t need help. Mr. Jim knew better. He all but ordered Brantley to go to the campus counseling center and checked in on him constantly during the ensuing weeks to monitor his recovery.

“I somehow escaped from one of the darkest places in my life,” Brantley said, “and I truly believe if he didn’t do what he did, I don’t know where I would be right now.”

Mickelson, 70, will retire this summer, along with his wife, CSUSM President Karen Haynes. He will step away from ACE, the program he created more than 12 years ago as a one-man operation in a one-room office in Craven Hall. He will travel. He will volunteer his time. He will indulge his passions for magic and photography.

What he’ll leave behind is a legacy that is reflected in people like Brantley, who graduated in 2017 with a degree in computer science and now works as a developer for a big software company in Tokyo. It’s reflected in the 64 photos that adorn a wall at the entrance to the Jan and Esther Stearns Center for ACE Scholars – each one representing a former foster youth who graduated from CSUSM and contributed to the university’s growing reputation as a national leader in producing success stories from perhaps the most vulnerable populations.

“The students in those pictures on the wall are my legacy,” Mickelson said. “I have a center, I’ve got policies, I’ve got staff, but that’s not what I’m passionate about. It really is about all these young people.”

Finding his home on campus

Mickelson had worked with at-risk youth for decades when Haynes was appointed president of CSUSM in 2003. He had earned a master’s degree in social work from Wayne State University in Detroit. In Houston, he had started and led a nonprofit called CHILDREN AT RISK with such fervor that the Houston Chronicle labeled him “the most persistent child advocate in town.”

Relocated to California, Mickelson was looking – with little success at first – to find an outlet where he could apply his expertise. An opportunity arose when he discovered that CSUSM, under the auspices of the Educational Opportunity Program, was trying to build a program to assist former foster youth.

Mickelson offered his services as a volunteer to Lorena Checa, then the director of EOP and now vice president of Student Affairs. He still recalls the date of his first day on the job: Feb. 10, 2007.

“It was an empty office,” Mickelson said. “All I had was a phone. The computer wasn’t hooked up yet. Lorena gave me a bunch of loose-leaf notebooks from a conference she had attended. That was it.”

Mickelson started with nine students and no money. After researching previous approaches to supporting former foster youth, he decided that a different kind of program was needed. He chose the name ACE – it stands for Achieving College Excellence – then set about addressing the lack of funding as he began to develop a top-tier program.

Early seed money came from several sources, but ACE’s trajectory fundamentally changed when Mickelson met Esther Stearns, then the president and chief operating officer of LPL Financial. A parent to three foster children with her wife, Jan, Stearns called Mickelson in 2008 after reading a newspaper article about ACE and the development of the Tukwut Towel as a fundraiser.

Mickelson arranged a campus tour, after which he thought he might receive $3,000 from the Stearnses. They shocked him by giving $25,000. Their donations kept increasing, reaching $1 million in 2014 to go toward both a beautiful new center for ACE off Tukwut Courtyard and an endowment that Mickelson had created six years earlier. Named for its benefactors, the Stearns Center features a large study area with a computer lab, offices for staff and a spacious student lounge.

“We were blown away by the creativity of the program he put together. It’s unique and really based on the needs of former foster youth,” Esther Stearns said. “I find Jim’s sense for what these young people need to be instinctive and impressive. He just has touched so many lives.”

Even before the physical footprint expanded, Mickelson was creating a one-of-a-kind program. He signed agreements with regional counties (it now applies statewide) offering priority, front-of-the-line admission to foster youth who meet the minimum entrance standards, thus removing a significant barrier preventing such students from pursuing higher education. He negotiated a plan that allows ACE students to live in on-campus housing with reduced rent.

He instituted working scholarships that give students campus jobs, and a head start on a potential career (four products of that program became full-time CSUSM employees). He established seminars that help both freshmen and transfer students with their transition to a four-year university.

And Mickelson hired two full-time counselors who, like him, have a master’s in social work, in keeping with his belief that the program should be rooted in social work values. According to national statistics, three out of four foster youth want to attend college, but only 10 percent make it there, with the majority lost to homelessness or incarceration. ACE Scholars Services boasts a retention rate of about 85 percent, far above the national average of 50 percent.

“I am always moved by Jim’s ability to paint a picture of the frighteningly low graduation rates and employment figures associated with foster care, while celebrating the resilience, accomplishments and potential of the individuals impacted,” said Cecelia Kouma, the executive director of Playwrights Project, who has worked with Mickelson and the CSUSM theater department to produce plays based on the stories of ACE Scholars. “Jim cares deeply for the youth he serves through ACE.”

The youth, in turn, care deeply for him. ACE students have fondly nicknamed Mickelson “The Godfather” because he’s the one who works out complex issues that students encounter. Mickelson has come to embrace the tag, even forming a godfather’s list for students with at least a 3.0 grade-point average.

“He expects greatness, but not in a sense that he’s disappointed if you don’t get there,” said Priscilla Arciniega, a 2015 ACE alumna. “It’s more like, ‘I believe you can do anything,’ and not in a cheesy way. He wants you to go for your dreams.”

Word about ACE has gotten out. Mickelson said the chancellor from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater came to campus in March to study the program.

“I don’t think there is another program like this in the nation. There’s no place like ACE,” Mickelson said.

‘Injustice is what drives me’

Mickelson can relate to ACE students who struggle in school. He did, too. A self-described “lousy” student growing up in a suburb of Detroit, he gravitated to non-academic pursuits like gardening and photography. He once won an award at a state fair for beets he grew, and in high school he would shoot weddings for couples who couldn’t afford a professional.

A high school adviser bluntly told him he wasn’t college material, but Mickelson went anyway. After seeming to confirm the adviser’s suspicions by failing out of Northern Michigan University as a freshman, he persisted, ending up at Colorado State University-Pueblo, which accepted him on probation.

It wasn’t until a determined Mickelson was in his master’s program at Wayne State, and almost 30, that he finally learned the source of his trouble: He was dyslexic.

“I just thought I wasn’t capable,” he said. “Even now, I probably spell at a fourth-grade level. Thank goodness for computers. I dictate all the time.”

Mickelson says pursuing a career in social work was the best choice he ever made, “other than marrying my wife.” Asked why he’s so motivated to help at-risk youth, he replied: “Probably the injustice that occurs. Given all that this country has, we do not treat our children very well. That injustice is what drives me.”

He admits to moments of sadness that soon he no longer will be the face of ACE. Fifteen former foster youth are expected to graduate in May, which would mean 79 photos on that wall in the Stearns Center.

“Most people think the foster care system is terrible,” Mickelson said. “It’s not the system. It’s what got the children into the system that’s terrible. For young people to come here and achieve a degree after all of that is really quite amazing.

“I love what the alumni photos on the wall represent and I am proud each day I walk by them of the accomplishments of those students. They are my legacy.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

After all he overcame to reach CSUSM’s doorstep – a childhood spent bouncing around the foster care system, stints in jail, a prison sentence – the thought that a math requirement would be what kept him from his bachelor’s in human development was inconceivable.

“I pretty much quit,” Joseph said.

Fortunately, Joseph had already been in contact with ACE Scholars Services, CSUSM’s innovative program to support former foster youth, before he learned about the possibility of the math requirement derailing his transfer from San Diego City College.

With help from ACE counselor Leigh Quijada, Joseph received an exception that allowed him to transfer.

“If it wasn’t for Leigh and ACE, I wouldn’t have gotten in,” he said. “They really motivated me.”

Joseph will be among the nearly 3,800 CSUSM graduates who cross the commencement stage next month. Among those cheering for Joseph will be his wife, María, who never wavered in her support despite the seemingly endless challenges.

“I’ve told him a million times, I wouldn't change anything because it's built us into who we are today,” María said. “It’s molded us into people better than who we would have been.”

Joseph knows he overcame long odds to reach this point – less than 3 percent of former foster youth earn a four-year degree. His only childhood memory of his birth parents is talking to them via phone while they were in jail. Now 31, he met his birth mother when he was 19, but they haven’t talked in many years. He never had contact with his birth father, who Joseph said was deported to Mexico several years ago.

Joseph was placed in foster care as a toddler, and though he had several long-term families as a child, he always ended up back in the system. His teenage years were spent bouncing around different group homes. He was prone to running away. Stealing was often a matter of survival, and soon became a habit.

Just before his 18^th birthday, Joseph was arrested for getting into a fight with two men who had threatened María. The charges against Joseph were dropped, but he had no guardian and there was no social worker present in court. It created a quandary for the judge, who couldn’t simply release a minor on his own recognizance. María’s mother agreed to take Joseph in, but that only solved one problem.

“When they released me, I had zero money, zero clothes, zero anything,” Joseph said. “My girlfriend’s family was poor, so I’m going into a home where they’re really struggling.

“I stole to make ends meet.”

Joseph typically stole a product from a retailer, returned it for store credit, and then sold the store credit. The scam didn’t last long – Joseph was arrested and spent three months in jail.

Joseph got a job at a fast-food restaurant after his release, but finances remained a struggle. It took three weeks before he received his first paycheck, a nominal amount that only covered his training. The second check came two weeks later and was for a little more than $100. Going five weeks with virtually no income, Joseph reverted to stealing.

It wasn’t long before he was arrested again. This time, he wrote a letter to the judge explaining his circumstances. At the suggestion of an acquaintance, he included a line about wanting to join the Marines. The last-second addition to the letter caught the judge’s attention. The judge said he couldn’t force Joseph to join the Marines, but he reduced the charges in hopes that Joseph would keep his word.

Joseph joined the Marines expecting to make it a career. But, he says, “my personality was just a little too strong sometimes.” He completed his four-year commitment, but found himself in a familiar situation when he got out. He again resorted to stealing to help support himself, which led to a familiar conclusion – being arrested. There was one major difference. Instead of jail, Joseph was sent to prison.

Placement scores determine where someone is incarcerated, and Joseph’s previous arrests increased his placement score. He was sent to a Level 3 prison, which meant cell living alongside mostly violent offenders.

Going from jail to prison provided a much-needed wake-up call. Joseph served half of a three-year sentence. He vowed to end the cycle of arrests, not only for himself but for María. They married when he was 18 and she was 19, and she stood by him through arrests, incarceration and bouts of being homeless.

“She’s been that rock,” Joseph said. “I should have been the rock, but she was the rock. Now I'm the rock. I'm in a position where I've learned. I'm at that point where I can say, ‘This is the road that I need to take, and this is the path I'm going to take to get there.’ ”

Joseph worked numerous odd jobs after being released from prison. Most were day-labor jobs, which he despised.

On one of the jobs, a coworker boasted about money he received to attend San Diego City College. Joseph decided to give it shot. He enrolled in two classes, and financial aid covered all of his costs.

“I had my doubts,” Joseph said. “I never even graduated high school. I got my GED in jail. I thought, ‘Am I even going to be able to do this?’ This was something unheard of where I grew up.”

But Joseph thrived at City College. He was active in student government and even started a chess club. After three years, he had a 3.3 grade-point average, his associate degree and acceptance to CSUSM.

Joseph earned a 4.0 GPA in his first semester at CSUSM, and his overall mark is 3.86 as he approaches graduation. He plans to pursue a master’s, either in education with an emphasis in counseling from San Diego State or in social work from CSUSM. After gaining some work experience, he wants to return to school for his Ph.D. so he can help influence policy for children with upbringings similar to his own.

“What Joseph has achieved is remarkable,” Quijada said. “He is an exceptional student and has excelled in his academics. But what I find even more significant is his positive attitude throughout the challenges he has faced, his ability to advocate for himself, his intrinsic motivation and his passion for helping others.”

That includes helping María as she works toward a bachelor’s in Spanish at CSUSM. She said Joseph has been like her own private academic adviser, assisting with her class schedule to ensure she remains on track for graduation. When she visited an official university adviser recently, she learned that not only was she on the right track, but she would be able to graduate in December rather than spring 2020.

Joseph and María are both first-generation college students, and they already are seeing their success positively impact other members of their family. A 15-year-old nephew said he wants to follow in their footsteps and earn a degree.

“I try to stay humble and just be appreciative of how far I’ve come,” Joseph said. “It’s a good feeling knowing that I’m going to graduate.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Despite her encouragement and his desire to pursue higher education, there was still the matter of preparing for the rigors of college as a first-generation student.

As Damien began applying to schools, he received an email that would change his path. It was from ACE Scholars Services, which supports former foster youth at Cal State San Marcos.

“ACE helped me ease into the college transition,” Damien said. “Back in Moreno Valley, my foster mom always told me I needed to go to college. But no one in the family went to college so no one knew how to prepare me. I knew what I needed to do grade-wise, but from that point it was ACE guiding me on the next steps.”

Damien completed those next steps, graduating from CSUSM in December with a bachelor’s in computer science.

“Damien is an inspiration,” said Jim Mickelson, the founder and director of ACE Scholars Services. “He had to face some incredible barriers to reach his goal, but he never wavered from his dream. His story is the story of CSUSM.”

Now Damien is preparing for a new adventure – a move to Tokyo where he will work as a front-end developer for Togo Securities.

Taking a beginning course in Japanese at CSUSM led Damien to spend a year studying abroad in Japan.

Damien immersed himself in Japanese culture while studying abroad, even choosing not to live in a dorm with other English speakers so he could better learn the nuances of the language.

The time he spent in Japan fueled a desire to return, and Damien continued to study Japanese when he returned to CSUSM, always with the plan to pursue his dream of moving there after graduation. But those dreams nearly were derailed two years ago after the death of his foster mother.

“I had no motivation to study and do schoolwork,” he said. “Even though I was seeing the counselor, grade-wise everything was dropping. Combined with what had happened, I thought I was going to have to drop out of school.”

Damien said Mickelson got him the help he needed so that he could continue working toward his degree.

“He knew something was wrong,” Damien said. “At the time, I didn’t want to talk to anyone, but I’m thankful for it now.

“I had no idea how much support I would get from ACE when I came to CSUSM. I thought I’d be able to come in and talk to them, but it went way deeper than that.”

Said Mickelson: “It has been a joy working with Damien. He is a special young man who will go far.”

Damien also credits computer science professor Rika Yoshii not only for helping in his studies, but also for providing valuable advice on landing a job in Japan. Damien, who worked in CSUSM’s Instructional & Information Technology Services department for most of his time at the University, said Yoshii recommended that he visit Boston for a job forum that includes numerous Japanese companies.

By the time he returned from the forum, Damien was receiving emails from Japanese recruiting companies attracted by his skill set.

As he prepares to embark on a new chapter in his life, Damien is grateful for his time at CSUSM.

“There was a time when I thought I wouldn’t make it,” he said. “I’m thankful I was able to get to this point.”

“I’ve explored every way possible to improve the quality of life for young people,” said founding director of ACE Scholars Services Jim Mickelson, who has tirelessly served as a child welfare social worker for over 40 years. “Through it all, I came to the belief that the one true thing that can best help challenged youth is education.”

Today, Cal State San Marcos serves more former foster youth per capita than any other university in the nation. The one-of-a-kind program is in a league of its own, carrying the reputation as the best program in the state of California in supporting former foster youth in their pursuit of higher education.

For 10 years ACE Scholars Services has blazed a path for foster youth through outreach, recruitment and guaranteed admission. But getting to college is only step one. Persistence is key, and it’s something ACE is mastering with an 86 percent retention rate, 30 points higher than the average college student and nearly 15 percent higher than similar support programs.

That success is attributed in part to academic and working scholarships, year-round housing support, study and social space in the Jan and Esther Stearns Center for ACE Scholars, and the dedication and support of three licensed social workers. Life skills workshops, leadership training, assistance with job placements and career coaching ensure success after graduation.

“Our students are rising above their pasts,” said Mickelson. “They are earning their degree and going on to graduate school, meaningful careers, life in public service, advocating for others, starting families and building lives that they were robbed of in childhood. Each one rising up against the odds.”

Since its inception, 52 ACE Scholars have earned their degree. Each one has their photograph hanging in the lobby of the Jan and Esther Stearns Center for ACE Scholars and all have heard the powerful ACE motto echoed throughout their time at CSUSM: “While others look at where you came from, we look at where you are going.”

“It is empowering to reclaim your future, and it’s that empowerment I felt everyday on this campus,” said Cassie Steppat, one of 10 ACE graduates in the Class of 2017. “I have grown, learned and prospered here. ACE Scholars Services has literally changed my life.”

Meet two graduates who are rising above the odds

Nastassja McDonald - Biological Sciences, 2012

Nastassja was a familiar face across campus by the time she graduated. Not only was she active in numerous campus organizations, but she became the first ACE Scholar featured as a student speaker at commencement. Nastassja continued her education at Michigan State University, earning her master’s in cell and molecular biology.

Today, she is a Life Science Specialist at VWR International and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Mikey, and their son, Gideon.

“At CSUSM, I was part of a close-knit community of people who were genuinely invested in my success,” she said. “ACE Scholars Services will always hold a special place in my heart. It was my support system during my time at CSUSM, and I never would have made it this far without their guidance.”

Henry Pennerman - Sociology, 2008

Henry was on the original advisory committee before the formation of ACE Scholars Services and became the first ACE Scholar to graduate. He worked at CSUSM while an undergrad and became a fulltime employee after earning his degree. He also earned his master’s in sociology at CSUSM. Today, he is a programming analyst at UC Irvine.

“My time at CSUSM and involvement with ACE Scholars Services were very formative experiences in my life,” he said. “Not only did it get me into my current career, but it also shaped my world view. I learned the importance of critical thinking and decision-making, invaluable skills such as resourcefulness and perseverance, and the importance of being a responsible, contributing and socially conscience member of my community.”

Read more about what ACE alumni are doing now at csusm.edu/ace

Country Star Shares Message of Hope

Country star, singer-songwriter and best- selling author Jimmy Wayne performed an intimate concert at CSUSM on April 5 and shared a powerful message of hope and perseverance. The signature event was part of the 10-year celebration of ACE Scholars Services.

Jimmy quickly rose to fame in 2008 with his No. 1 Billboard song, “Do You Believe Me Now.” But itis his candid memoir, “A Walk to Beautiful,” that has captured the hearts of millions as a two-time New York Times best seller. A masterful storyteller, Jimmy chronicles his rough childhood of being raised by a distressed mother, surrounded by drug addicts and violent nightly brawls, abused, hungry, abandoned on the side of the road, shuffled between relatives, detention centers and foster care, and eventually living alone on the street, in the woods and an abandoned trailer, all before turning 16.

His testimony and ceaseless advocacy for foster youth resonated deeply with the CSUSMaudience; many in attendance werecurrent or former foster youth who have walked a similar path in life, but like Jimmy,are persevering andfinding hope in their future.

Nastassja was a familiar face across campus by the time she graduated. Not only was she active in numerous campus organizations, but she became the first ACE Scholar featured as a student speaker at commencement. Nastassja continued her education at Michigan State University, earning her master’s in cell and molecular biology.

Today, she is a Life Science Specialist at VWR International and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Mikey, and their son, Gideon.

“At CSUSM, I was part of a close-knit community of people who were genuinely invested in my success,” she said. “ACE Scholars Services will always hold a special place in my heart. It was my support system during my time at CSUSM, and I never would have made it this far without their guidance.”

Henry Pennerman - Sociology, 2008

Henry was on the original advisory committee before the formation of ACE Scholars Services and became the first ACE Scholar to graduate. He worked at CSUSM while an undergrad and became a fulltime employee after earning his degree. He also earned his master’s in sociology at CSUSM. Today, he is a programming analyst at UC Irvine.

“My time at CSUSM and involvement with ACE Scholars Services were very formative experiences in my life,” he said. “Not only did it get me into my current career, but it also shaped my world view. I learned the importance of critical thinking and decision-making, invaluable skills such as resourcefulness and perseverance, and the importance of being a responsible, contributing and socially conscience member of my community.”

Read more about what ACE alumni are doing now at csusm.edu/ace

He spent most of his childhood being shuffled from foster home to foster home in the impoverished neighborhoods of southeastern San Diego, but today Aaron Acosta is being honored as an educational innovator for his work as a science, math and Spanish teacher thanks in no small part to the support he received at Cal State San Marcos and its ACE Scholars Services program that is transforming the futures of former foster youth.

“Cal State San Marcos gave me an opportunity, and because they gave me an opportunity and gave me support, I now have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many kids,” Acosta said.

Acosta was recognized by Teach for America as the winner of the Innovation in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Award during San Diego’s Innovation in Education Awards on March 9 at the Central Library in Downtown San Diego.

“Mr. Acosta is a magnificent teacher,” said Fernando Hernandez, principal at Grace Perkins K-8 School in San Diego’s Barrio Logan. “He has an extraordinary ability to connect with his students. He has a deep and genuine respect for his kids, and they see that and return that respect.”

The award for Innovation in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion recognizes inspiring educators who utilize innovative practices to address diverse student needs. Those skills come in handy at Perkins, where approximately one of three students are homeless and nearly every student is poor enough to qualify for the free or reduced lunch program. More than half of Perkins students have limited English proficiency.

“I let my kids know that I’m there for them,” said Acosta, whose parents left Cuba during the Mariel boatlift of 1980. “I want to help provide some stability in their life. After we get that understanding, then we move on with the math and science lessons.”

Acosta’s students share many of the same traits he did as a child just trying to survive while moving from foster home to foster home from age 6 to 16. But despite poor grades and behavioral problems, Acosta held on to one dream: becoming a teacher.

“As a kid, I was a kind of a knucklehead and getting in trouble a lot, but one time, I was about 9 years old and in the fourth grade, and I was helping a classmate with his math,” Acosta said. “My teacher, Miss Chase, saw what I was doing and told me I would make a really good teacher. That was the first time someone said something positive about my academics. Ever since then, I wanted to be a teacher.”

First, he had to become a good student. And that didn’t happen until he somehow graduated from Madison High School and dropped out of community college twice.

“School and I were not best friends,” said Acosta, only half joking.

His turnaround came when his best friend convinced him to attend a sermon at the Rock Church in San Diego. It was there that he became a born-again Christian and met his future wife, Rachel, a student at the University of San Diego.

“She showed me how to write, how to organize my schedule,” Acosta said. “She taught me how to study, which at that time was a foreign concept to me.”

Acosta re-enrolled at San Diego Mesa College, then transferred to CSUSM in 2008. He worked nights at a Coca-Cola packaging plant and took on student loans to pay for his tuition.

As soon as he heard about CSUSM’s ACE Scholars Services, he signed up for the program that supports former foster youth by providing a variety of personalized services including academic advising, priority class registration, workshops and counseling.

“We provide them with whatever it takes to get them through college,” said Jim Mickelson, the program’s director. And it works. ACE scholars have an 86 percent retention rate.

“ACE Scholars had a tremendous impact,” Acosta said. “I had people who believed in me, who supported what I was doing, and who gave me the confidence that I could complete my educational journey.”

Acosta graduated in 2011 and quickly found a job as a substitute teacher at Naranca Elementary School in El Cajon. His first full-time teaching job came a year later at King-Chavez Preparatory Academy, a charter school in San Diego Unified School District. Standing in his classroom before students began filing in the first day has left an indelible impression.

“It was surreal,” he said. “After all the experiences that I had been through, foster homes, homelessness, I realized that this was why I was put here. This was my calling. It was so vivid. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

But Kelsey has a dark history. The youngest daughter of parents who both struggled with drug addiction, she was placed in the foster care system at just eight weeks old. Fortunately, she landed in the home of foster mother Beatrice Beiler whom Kelsey affectionately called "grandma."

When Kelsey was five, her parents had conquered their addictions and reunited their family. Although she has happy memories of the time when her family was together, those memories were short-lived. Two years later, her mother was fatally shot by the ex-partner of a family friend while Kelsey and her sisters watched.

After the devastating loss of his wife, Kelsey’s father was no longer able to care for his daughters and they were returned to the foster care system, where they were separated and moved from home to home for the next two years. The day before Kelsey was to move yet again, she received a phone call from her "grandma," the foster mother that had cared for her as a baby.

Beiler had heard about what happened to Kelsey’s mother and had finally found Kelsey. At the age of nine, Kelsey returned to the home of her "grandma" where she stayed until she graduated high school.

Her tenuous and tragic childhood could have profoundly hindered her ability to succeed in life, but Kelsey is committed to sharing her story as an example of triumph and fulfilled dreams.

"When people hear where I come from, I don’t want them to think ‘woe is me,’" Kelsey said. "What I experienced made me the person I am. And even though I had a difficult childhood, some of my peers have had an even harder story."

They Won't Let Us Give Up

It was during the CSU application process that Kelsey found out about the ACE Scholars Services program.

ACE, CSUSM’s one-of-a-kind program serving former foster youth, provides academic, career and personal counseling, scholarship resources and employment opportunities to help students excel in college and beyond.

The support that ACE staff provided her, even during the application process, ranged from navigating unfamiliar registration and financial aid processes to finding housing and funding resources.

"I knew before I even came to Cal State San Marcos that I would be welcomed and taken care of," shared Kelsey. "The staff let me know that I had a home there. They’re not just my counselors; they’re my friends."

As Kelsey has navigated the challenges and obstacles of college life in her unique situation, ACE Scholars Services staff have been her counselors and cheerleaders. When she took a semester off of school, the staff kept in close touch, provided information about additional resources and offered encouragement to come back.

"They won’t let us give up!" Kelsey said with a laugh. "As a foster youth, quitting is what we know. There are all kinds of statistics that say a lot of us don’t make it in college, but you have no excuse not to make it with this program."

Kelsey is now a junior majoring in communication.

"Despite the many challenges that Kelsey has experienced, she has an amazing ability to maintain a positive focus and to persevere," shared Laurie Orr, a staff social worker in ACE Scholars Services. "She is determined to make her dreams a reality."

ACE has a motto that while others look at where you came from, they look at where you are going. With her spirit and determination, Kelsey is going far.

Lacking family support, Karen fought through self-doubt, wondering if she would be able to finish her degree. She credits ACE Scholars Services—CSUSM’s one-of-a-kind program serving former foster youth—for providing the guidance, support and listening ear that helped her rise above the difficult circumstances of her childhood to succeed in college.

“As a student from ACE Scholars Services, I am represented, known and loved. They are my family,” she said.

ACE Scholars Services connected Karen to academic and career support services and helped her navigate the complex financial aid and registration process, allowing her to focus her energy on her studies. The Jan and Esther Stearns Center for ACE Scholars has become a new haven, a place where she can study, receive guidance and connect with fellow students.

“Despite not growing up with a traditional family, I try to surround myself with people that support me and help me improve," said Karen. "The ACE staff always make themselves available and they truly care."

An undergraduate in biotechnology, Karen had the opportunity this past summer to gain hands-on scientific experience through the Summer Scholars Program, a coveted research-based internship where students work in labs on campus under the oversight of science faculty members. Her faculty mentor, biology professor Betsy Read, supervised Karen’s research on the mutation rate of a strain of marine algae when exposed to ultraviolet light.

“In my laboratory student-researchers are invaluable in terms of moving high-risk experiments forward to help advance new areas of study,” said Read. “Students like Karen bring energy and fresh ideas to a topic and often stimulate me to think in new and different ways.”

Forward Together: Offering Support and Changing the Statistics

Jim Mickelson, director of ACE Scholars Services, knows how high the odds are stacked against foster youth seeking brighter futures. He says only about half of foster youth nationwide obtain a high school degree. And of those graduates only about three to five percent attend college, with half of those students actually earning a four-year degree.

“Over the now almost four decades that I have been a social worker in child welfare, I’ve explored every way possible to improve the quality of life for young people,” said Mickelson. “I worked in child abuse prevention; I worked to change public policies to serve more children; I even worked one-on-one with foster youth. Through it all I eventually came to the belief that one true thing can best help challenged youth—education. Education is key.”

Since the program’s founding in 2007, CSUSM has established memorandums of understanding with two counties—San Diego and Riverside—to ensure that young people emerging from foster care in the University’s region will have a guaranteed seat if they meet admission standards. CSUSM also guarantees admission to graduates of San Pasqual Academy, a residential high school for foster youth in Escondido.

ACE Scholars Services is truly making a difference. Over three times as many foster youth persist to graduation at CSUSM compared to their peers at other universities nationwide. And now through the campaign, Cal State San Marcos is raising funds for scholarships, working scholarships and expanded programming, ensuring that ACE Scholars Services can help former foster youth excel academically and personally.

As for Karen, she plans to finish her degree next May and has plans for a career in healthcare administration where she can combine her passions for science and helping others with her gifts in leadership.

“As ACE Scholars we are all trying to break the statistics,” she said. “We know the odds are stacked against us but we want to impact and inspire other students like us.”

To learn more about Forward Together: The Campaign for California State University San Marcos and how you can help prepare tomorrow’s leaders through ACE Scholars Service and other initiatives, visit: www.csusm.edu/forwardtogether.

In the fall, the Stearns gifted $1 million to ACE Scholars Services – the largest donation in the program’s history – to establish the center, as well as an endowment that will provide ongoing support.

“Very few people really understand the circumstances of young people who have been in foster care – but CSUSM gets it,” said Esther Stearns, who became involved in the program five years ago after reading a news article about ACE in the U-T. Stearns and her wife are longtime advocates for foster youth and have three adopted foster children.

“We are moved and humbled to be part of this innovative program that is making a difference in the lives of former foster youth,” she added. “We think of all of the ACE Scholars as part of our family, and we are thrilled to partner with CSUSM to ensure that this good work continues for many generations to come.”

A New Home and a Stronger Future

Located off Tukwut Courtyard in Craven Hall suite 3400, the new center features a large study area outfitted with new computers, a state-of-the-art training room, program offices and a community resource office, as well as a spacious student lounge furnished by Jerome’s Furniture.

ACE currently serves 55 students. With the Stearns gift, CSUSM will have the capacity to grow the program to twice that size, serving up to 100 students.

More than 200 guests gathered in Tukwut Courtyard for the dedication of the new center. The occasion was an emotional moment for President Haynes, who fought back tears twice as she thanked the Stearns for their generosity and shared commitment to former foster youth.

“Cal State San Marcos is fortunate to have two community-minded heroes that share our appreciation for our ACE Scholars,” said Haynes. “We are so very proud to place their names on the Center’s wall and dedicate this new space in their honor.”

Blazing a Trail for Foster Youth

Founded in 2007, ACE Scholars Services—also known simply as ACE—is an on-campus, comprehensive resource program for former foster youth, meeting their unique needs and improving their rates of matriculation, graduation and career success. Working from a place of trust and understanding, ACE offers counseling and assistance on anything from housing to academic counseling, financial aid or admissions.

CSUSM is the only university that guarantees admission to foster youth and maintains two admission agreements with the Counties of San Diego and Riverside. This May, the program will have 37 alumni.

“When I began my presidency at CSUSM a little over a decade ago, I directed our efforts toward achieving an audacious goal – we would settle for nothing less than raising the educational attainment rate for our region,” said President Haynes in her remarks at the grand opening. “This meant actively reaching out to and serving populations for whom the dream of a college education remained out of reach. Today, we stand as a university that stands for these students.”

ACE Scholars Services serves more former foster youth per capita than any other university in the nation and prides itself on its high rate of student retention, which exceeds the national average by 30 points at 80 percent.

“From our hearts, we want to thank Jan and Esther Stearns for what they have done to build our new home on campus,” said ACE Scholar Karen Lopez, on behalf of her fellow scholars. “Without your help, devotion and support, many of us would not in the promising places in our lives that we are today.”

At the ceremony, ACE Scholars Services Director Jim Mickelson presented the Stearns with a symbolic lifelong key, which will hang in an honored place within the center.

“This key will serve as a reminder that this place that you helped build is as much your home as it is ours,” said Mickelson to the Stearns. “Because of you, future generations of ACE Scholars will find the gates of opportunity open to them at Cal State San Marcos.”

Special remarks will be given by President Karen Haynes, Jan and Esther Stearns, and ACE Scholars Services Director, Jim Mickelson.

Jan and Esther Stearns announced plans in the fall to donate $1 million gift to establish the new Center at CSUSM. Their gift provides support for Center operations and programs as well as establishes the ACE Scholars Services Endowment, providing support into perpetuity.

About the Center
Founded in 2007, ACE Scholars Services—also known simply as ACE—is the on-campus "home" to former foster youth, providing services that meet their unique needs and improve their rates of matriculation, graduation and career success. Working from a place of trust and understanding, ACE offers counseling or assistance on anything from housing to academic counseling, financial aid or admissions. CSUSM is the only university that guarantees admission to foster youth and maintains two admission agreements with the Counties of San Diego and Riverside.

Most notably, CSUSM’s ACE Scholars Services serves more former foster youth per capita than any other university in the nation and prides itself on its high rate of student retention, which exceeds the national average by 30 points at 80 percent.

When: Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015
12:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Ceremony begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by refreshments and tours

Where: Tukwut Courtyard, Craven Hall (Third Floor)
CSUSM is located at 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road in San Marcos
Complimentary parking and shuttle service is available in Lot B

New Degree Program: Child and Adolescent Development

The College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences is launching a brand new degree program this semester, Child and Adolescent Development (CHAD). CHAD focuses on the study of the developmental processes that occur from conception until the end of adolescence through both classroom and clinical education. CHAD majors will learn to evaluate, assess and interact with children and adolescents and their families in a variety of settings. Developed in close collaboration with local community agencies, this research-centered program is designed to prepare students for careers in the fields of research, education, healthcare, public policy, counseling and law.

Grand Openings for New Campus Spaces

A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Student Health and Counseling Services Building will take place on Thursday, January 22 at noon. The 20,000-square-foot, two-story building was completed in October 2014. Located adjacent to Parking Structure 1 on Campus Way Circle, the new health center includes clinical and counseling offices, health and wellness education spaces and a pharmacy, as well as a conference and resource room. Student Health and Counseling Services was previously located off campus in the Palomar Pomerado Health Building.

The Jan and Esther Stearns Center for ACE Scholars will officially open on February 10 with an open house celebration. The newly remodeled space on the third floor of Craven Hall near Cougar Central will be the new home to ACE Scholars Services, a one-of-a-kind program at CSUSM that provides support to former foster youth pursuing their college degrees.

On February 12 at noon, an open house will be held to celebrate the School of Nursing’s move to the University’s main campus. The remodel of the nearly-11,000-square-foot space on the third floor of University Hall was completed in late 2014 and provides state-of-the-art skills labs, simulation labs, mock exam rooms and administrative space for the School of Nursing. This is the first time that CSUSM's nursing program has been located on campus since the program was founded in 2006; it was previously located in a nearby medical building.

(photo for Illustrative purposes only. Design to be determined.)

The Sports Center Groundbreaking

Later this semester on March 23, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held for The Sports Center, CSUSM’s new multi-purpose athletics facility. Scheduled to open by fall 2016, The Sports Center will become another hub of student life at CSUSM, complementing the recently opened University Student Union and bringing all Cougar athletic events to campus. In addition to hosting home games for men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball, the new facility will be used for campus recreation, kinesiology classes, lecture seminars and numerous community events.

The Stearns recognize that most foster youth want to go to college but have numerous barriers preventing them from successfully entering and graduating from an institution of higher learning. According to recent surveys, there are 500,000 foster youth currently living in the United States and approximately 4,000 of these young people are in CSUSM’s service region. Even though 70 percent of foster youth desire a college experience, most age out of the system only to find themselves ill-prepared and unsupported for success: 65 percent become homeless, 20 percent are arrested or incarcerated, and less than two percent graduate from college. Their gift will provide current use funds for Center operations and programs as well as establish the ACE Scholars Services Endowment, providing ongoing support into perpetuity.

"I have been especially impressed with CSUSM’s commitment to serving first-generation and underrepresented college students," said Esther Stearns, who is also a member of the University’s Foundation Board.

"People come here for opportunity. I’ve talked to students whose lives have been changed through education—and that change has a ripple effect that impacts their entire family and our community."

Founded in 2007, ACE Scholars Services—also known simply as ACE—is the on-campus "home" to former foster youth, providing services that meet their unique needs and improve their rates of matriculation, graduation and career success. Working from a place of trust and understanding, ACE offers guidance or assistance on anything from housing to academic counseling, financial aid and admissions. CSUSM is the only university that guarantees admission to foster youth and maintains two memorandums of understanding with the Counties of San Diego and Riverside. It is the largest program of its kind in the nation.

"The Stearns have generously supported ACE Scholars Services for many years, and this new gift continues and expands our ability to make a Cal State San Marcos education available to every talented, hard-working former foster youth in our region who desires it," said Jim Mickelson, founding director of ACE. "Their donation assures that the program will have a long and healthy future, impacting countless young people as they move beyond their past and earn their college degrees."

When it comes to college, children in foster care clearly have the deck stacked against them, experiencing some of the lowest educational outcomes of all youth. Only half of foster children in the nation earn a high school degree. Of those who do, only three percent end up on a university campus, and from there the odds of actually graduating with a bachelor’s degree are even slimmer.

In an effort to turn these statistics upside down and increase the academic success rate of foster care children in the region, CSUSM President Karen Haynes and San Diego County Board of Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts, along with other County officials, recently renewed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to prepare San Diego County foster youth for entrance into the University. The agreement, first signed in 2008, will ensure that all foster youth county-wide will have a better chance of academic success and guarantees admission to CSUSM for those who meet minimum entry requirements. Not only does this MOA guarantee admission to Cal State San Marcos but it helps students become college-ready, qualified to apply to any of the CSU system’s 22 other campuses.

“We know that this partnership is about more than institutions coming together—it’s about changing lives,” said President Haynes. “Together, we want all foster youth in San Diego County to know that we have a place for them at Cal State San Marcos. We are telling these young people that if they are willing to do the work, they are in with a guaranteed spot at CSUSM and a very real opportunity to earn a college degree.”

The agreement, signed on September 16, states that San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency and the Child Welfare Services Department will prepare the foster youth academically for Cal State San Marcos. Once they arrive for their freshmen year, CSUSM will provide unique and individualized assistance through its ACE Scholars Services program. Founded in 2007, ACE helps former foster youth overcome barriers and supports them in earning a college degree. The program has an 88 percent student retention rate and currently supports 57 foster youth—the largest number per capita at any university in the nation.

“We take our responsibilities for these kids very seriously,” said Supervisor Cox. “That’s why over the years I’ve partnered with Supervisor Ron Roberts to continuously improve our foster care system. We opened the award-winning San Pasqual Academy for foster teens. We made sure our foster kids had access to library cards. And we ramped up our adoptions efforts. But the sad fact remains that most foster kids don’t make it to college—and those who do need a support system. Eventually, all foster kids age out of the system and we have to prepare them for adulthood. That’s where the ACE Scholars Services program at CSUSM comes in. And that’s why our Board is renewing our commitment to this program and extending our partnership with Cal State San Marcos.”

Julius Williams, a visual arts and technology major, came to CSUSM from San Pasqual Academy. He credits CSUSM and ACE Scholar Services for helping him achieve his academic goals.

“I did not grow up with any support from my family, and going to college was something I wanted but didn’t know if I could achieve,” he said. “To all of those out there who, like me, were not raised in the most ideal of circumstances —who are struggling to hold on to their dreams of a bright future—I encourage you to hang on…because Cal State San Marcos believes in you and we have a place for you here.”

For more information on the ACE Scholars Services program at CSUSM, visit www.csusm.edu/ace.

WHO:  Supervisor Greg Cox, County Board of Supervisors

            Supervisor Ron Roberts, County Board of Supervisors

            Dr. Karen Haynes, President, California State University San Marcos

            Debra Zanders-Willis, Director, County Child Welfare Services

            ACE Scholars Services Students (Note: Spanish-speaking ACE Scholar will also be available for interview)

WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 12:00 PM

WHERE: County Administration Center, Room 302—1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego 92101

WHY: Foster youth face a number of challenges in their personal lives that often impact their education. The ACE Scholars Services program helps former foster youth overcome barriers and supports them in earning a college degree. The program has an 88 percent student retention rate, compared to the national average of 50 percent. Currently there are 57 foster youth in the ACE Scholars Services program while 27 have graduated with a bachelor’s degree since the program was launched in 2007.

CONTACT: Luis Monteagudo: (619) 962-1692 

The Stearns recognize that most foster youth want to go to college but have numerous barriers preventing them from successfully entering and graduating from an institution of higher learning. According to recent surveys, there are 500,000 foster youth currently living in the United States and approximately 4,000 of these young people are in CSUSM’s service region. Even though 70 percent of foster youth desire a college experience, most age out of the system only to find themselves ill-prepared and unsupported for success: 65 percent become homeless, 20 percent are arrested or incarcerated, and less than two percent graduate from college.

“I have been especially impressed with CSUSM’s commitment to serving first-generation and underrepresented college students,” said Esther Stearns, who is also a member of the University’s Foundation Board. “People come here for opportunity. I’ve talked to students whose lives have been changed through education—and that change has a ripple effect that impacts their entire family and our community.”

Founded in 2007, ACE Scholars Services—also known simply as ACE—is the on-campus "home" to former foster youth, providing services that meet their unique needs and improve their rates of matriculation, graduation and career success. Working from a place of trust and understanding, ACE offers counseling or assistance on anything from housing to academic counseling, financial aid or admissions. CSUSM is the only university that guarantees admission to foster youth and maintains two Memorandums of Understanding with the Counties of San Diego and Riverside.

“The Stearns have generously supported ACE Scholars Services for many years, and this new gift continues and expands our ability to make a Cal State San Marcos education available to every talented, hard-working former foster youth in our region who desires it,” said Jim Mickelson, founding director of ACE. “Their donation assures that the program will have a long and healthy future, impacting countless young people as they move beyond their past and into their bright future.”

Futures Made Possible

Among the students positively impacted by ACE Scholars is Brittany Forester, who recently earned her bachelor's degree in Human Development. Brittany was eight years old when she entered foster care. In and out of more homes than she can count, her resilient spirit kept her determined, inspiring in her a desire to change the foster care experience. While earning her degree at CSUSM, she applied her studies working with at-risk youth at North County Lifeline, a local not-for-profit. When unexpected medical expenses nearly halted her educational dreams, the support of CSUSM's ACE Scholars Services and the help of generous scholarships kept her in school.

In May, Brittany became the first in her family to earn a bachelor's degree. This fall she will begin the Master of Social Work program and take her next step toward her goal of becoming a legislative advocate for foster youth and neglected children. Watch the video below to learn more about her story...

A One-of-a-Kind Program

Thanks to the efforts of ACE, 88 percent of former foster youth at CSUSM go on to graduate, far exceeding the national average of only 50 percent. Over the last seven years, the number of students served annually has grown from nine to nearly 60, making CSUSM the university with the highest number of former foster youth per capita of any other in the United States.

“We are proud to support the efforts of Cal State San Marcos, particularly when those efforts make such a profound impact,” said Jan Stearns. “Students in the ACE Scholars program inspire us with their hard work and determination and we are glad that we can be a small part of their success.”

“We are grateful for the Stearns’ friendship and their commitment to helping our students succeed,” Cal State San Marcos President Karen Haynes said. “With their support, we are fulfilling our goal of raising the educational attainment rate of our region. The Jan and Esther Stearns Center for ACE Scholars is an important part of our culture of inclusiveness as we work to ensure that the most educationally at risk have the knowledge, skills and support that they need to graduate from college, lead meaningful lives and meet our region’s workforce needs.”

A special ceremony will be held in early spring 2015 to officially dedicate The Jan and Esther Stearns Center for ACE Scholars and recognize the Stearns’ philanthropy.

For more information on ACE Scholars Services at CSUSM, visit: www.csusm.edu/ace