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Paving the Way: Pivotal Scholars Explore De Anza College

De Anza College Visit Blog Banner

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, welcomed scholars along with De Anza staff members Flora Payne and Cindy Montoya. The day was...

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EOY Celebration Banner 2025

End of Year Celebration with Pivotal

Last month, we hosted an unforgettable end-of-year celebration at Cataldi Park in San Jose to honor our post-secondary students. The day was filled with summer vibes, delicious food, and even better company as we came together to celebrate our scholars’ hard work and achievements as the school year came to a close. 

It was a perfect summer day for a BBQ, and everyone enjoyed delicious food, laughter, and community camaraderie. Many scholars and graduates brought their families...

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tFYPC Advocacy Day Blog Banner

Pivotal Joins tFYPC for Advocacy Day

On March 26, Pivotal joined fellow members of The Foster Youth Pre-College  Collective (tFYPC) in Sacramento for Advocacy Day. This opportunity enabled youth advocates to connect directly with California state legislators and elevate the voices and needs of foster youth across the state. 

Highlighting the Data: Destination Graduation Report 

Pivotal’s Director of Program Partnerships, Ashley Matysiak, MSW, and CEO Matt Bell introduced policymakers to the mission and...

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Hanais

Hanais – In Her Own Words

I was 12 or 13 when I came to the United States from South Africa. There was a lot to get used to but learning about a new culture and environment, and meeting people from different backgrounds helped expand my experience and open my mind. I hadn’t been great in school in South Africa, but when I started school in the U.S., I found the teaching style worked better for me. I understood more and had so many more resources available; it made it easier. 

I was involved with Catholic...

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National Foster Care Month Recap

National Foster Care Month Re-Cap: A Look Back

May is National Foster Care Month, and at Pivotal the month was filled with powerful moments of learning, celebration, and connection, thanks to the support of our trusted partners, scholars, and community members. Here’s a look at how we celebrated our scholars and our work throughout the month: 

Building Awareness with Coffee & Conversation 

Throughout May, we also hosted a series of Coffee & Conversation virtual events. These 45-minute sessions gave community...

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California Foster Youth Education Summit

California Foster Youth Education Summit

On April 7th and 8th, Pivotal’s Director of Program Partnerships, Ashley Matysiak, MSW and CEO Matt Bell attended the California Foster Youth Education Summit. This annual two-day conference hosted by the California Foster Youth Education Taskforce brings together individuals and organizations from across the state working to improve the educational and life outcomes for students from foster care.  

Sharing Best Practices for Supporting Foster Youth 

Ashley and...

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Chelsey Souza, Pivotal Chief Development Officer, named a 2025 Woman of Influence

Chelsey Souza Named a 2025 Woman of Influence by Silicon Valley Business Journal

We’re thrilled that our Chief Development Officer, Chelsey Souza, CFRE, has been named a 2025 Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal! With nearly 25 years of experience in fundraising, enabling philanthropy and building community, Chelsey brings strategic leadership, integrity, and passion to everything she does for Pivotal and the young people we serve.  

Before joining Pivotal in 2023, Chelsey led Essex & Drake Fundraising Counsel as President and...

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Briana's Story

Briana's Story

“Sometimes success feels like staying afloat.” 

That’s how Pivotal scholar Briana describes her life journey. Briana emancipated from foster care at 18, two years before the Extended Foster Care bill passed. Also known as AB12, this California law extended services to foster youth beyond their 18th birthday, but it passed long after Briana could take advantage of it. She was on her own. She had started at Dominican University six months earlier, with the help of a...

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2025 Children's Summit, attended by Ashley Matysiak, Pivotal's Director of Program Partnerships. Photo in top right taken by Timothy Alcorn of The Social Ground Foundation.

Pivotal Joins the 2025 Kids in Common Children’s Summit

On April 24th, Pivotal had the honor of attending the annual Children’s Summit, hosted by Kids in Common, a long-time Pivotal Partner. Since 2008, this annual event has brought together over 250 cross-sector leaders in Santa Clara County (SCC) dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families for the better.  

The summit focuses on racial equity and social justice, continual improvement, and successful collaboration through educational workshops and data-driven...

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Equinix and Pivotal staff posing with scholars

Pivotal Career Day at Equinix

What happens when you bring together ambitious young scholars and some of the leading minds in digital infrastructure?  

Recently, Pivotal hosted an unforgettable Career Day at the offices of our corporate partner, Equinix. Equinix connects organizations through secure, reliable, and sustainable data centers. Six post-secondary scholars and one high school scholar had the opportunity to tour Equinix’s state-of-the-art facilities alongside Pivotal staff members Ashley, Adam,...

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Jennifer's Story

In Her Own Words: Jennifer

Being from foster care is a lot. For me, the challenges I faced while in the system knocked me off my educational path. I struggled with substance abuse, homelessness, and incarceration. I didn’t graduate from high school, and I never really knew how to get to college. Growing up, it was never something that I thought I could do. I just assumed it wasn’t for me. 

I eventually got my GED and decided to go to San Jose City College to get certified as an alcohol and drug...

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Thank you Acer!

Acer Bridging the Digital Divide for Foster Youth

Five years ago, Pivotal surveyed our scholars to understand if they had access to the technology they needed for school. We were shocked to learn that only about 40% of our students had access to a reliable laptop. 

“To do my schoolwork, I either had to spend hours at the local library or write my papers on a tablet,” said Destiny, a former foster youth and Pivotal scholar attending San Jose City College. “I didn’t have internet at home, so I had to go sit on a...

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