Opening Doors for Foster Youth

When Jasmine was just three years old, her life changed in a way that would shape her future. Her parents, facing challenges they couldn’t overcome at the time, made the difficult decision to have Jasmine and her siblings live with their grandparents. “I always dreamed of having that perfect picture family,” Jasmine recalls. “But looking back, I feel blessed. My parents did what they thought was best for us.” 

Growing up in a full house with her...

Foster youth carry a lot on their shoulders. Trauma, instability, and loss coupled with lack of consistent support and frequent school changes often lead to mental health challenges like anxiety, PTSD, and social isolation. It’s also common for young people in and from foster care to cope with their trauma by engaging in high-risk behaviors such as violence, substance use, and delinquencies and to experience higher levels of unemployment, homelessness, and incarceration. 

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Every child deserves to feel loved and protected. Thanks to Pivotal, I finally know what that kind of support feels like, but it wasn’t always that way. I didn’t learn about Pivotal until my early college years, and I often think about how different my journey might have been if I’d known about their services earlier. Growing up, I faced many challenges that made it hard to feel safe, supported, or even hopeful about the future. I was born in Los Angeles, but when I was...

Left to right: Pivotal Dream Maker Circle Donors Leonard and Jessica Speiser, Pivotal Scholar Iris, and Pivotal CEO Matt Bell.

On October 9th, 40 guests gathered at the Los Altos home of Jessica and Leonard Speiser to support Pivotal  at a special Dream BIG event. The gathering wasn’t a fundraiser, but a chance to connect, reflect, and spread the word about Pivotal’s mission to help young people from foster care reach their educational and career goals. 

Jessica, who...

Nevaeh was just six years old when she lost her mother and she was placed in foster care, an event that echoed throughout her life. In high school, she often missed classes and saw her grades slip. In her sophomore year, she was placed on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to provide her with additional support. She was also introduced to Pivotal, and her coach Sarah. 

Nevaeh, age 3

“I was kind of nervous. I didn’t really know how it was going to work out and at...

For many of our scholars, stepping onto a college campus brings higher education one step closer to reality.  In April, De Anza College’s NextUp program hosted an immersive, on-campus experience, and six of our high school scholars visited the campus to learn about the opportunities available to them. The NextUp program is a dedicated support initiative for students from foster care. 

Pivotal’s Post-Secondary Coach Sarah Gentle, who serves students at De Anza,...