IMPACT SCHOLARS
Accepting New Students!
The Impact Scholars program recognizes the hurdles that students who have experienced the foster care system can face and aims to equip students with the tools to succeed. Impact Scholars is aware that those needs may look different for foster care impacted students and aims to meet those needs. By taking a holistic approach to need assessment Impact Scholars creates a network of support as well as focuses events on executive functioning and life skills.
Program Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the Impact Scholars program, a student must:
Have background/placement in the foster care system or have been in care of the state
Be an actively enrolled undergraduate student at the University of Utah or Salt Lake Community College
Be 16 years of age or older
MISSION
Support fostercare alumi on their journey to and through higher education.
VISION
Impact Scholars provides college access services to Utah's foster care community
by addressing barriers often preventing college enrollment and degree completion.
Impact Scholars serves anyone in Utah within state custody experience who is older
than sixteen.
GOALS
Serve students who transitioning into higher education. The support continues through
graduation. Currently, U and SLCC, Impact Scholars offers multi-year holistic support,
including mentorship, advising, scholarships, community and leadership development.
Congratulations to our Impact Scholars Graduates!
Faith Smart received her bachelor’s degree in Health Society Policy with a minor in
Health & Nutrition. She plans on taking an EMT course and registering for PA school
to further her goal to become a physician. During her time as an Impact Scholar student
she was most grateful for the mentoring support of the Program Manager that helped
her navigate imposter syndrome and her academics.
Milika is a Social Work major at the University of Utah. Plans on taking a year break
then looking into grad school programs at the University of Utah. Impact Scholars
has provided her with mentorship that has greatly influenced her experience providing
support throughout her academic experience.
Anna is a biology and biochemistry major at the University of Utah. She is going on
to a PhD and post-baccalaureate program in biochemistry at the University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign. Impact Scholars has helped her realize how much she can accomplish
in STEM and activism as a Chinese adoptee and former foster care youth, and its resources
have helped her reach her goals