Greg and Yasmin said EST’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty and improving the quality life for foster and low-income youth by helping them access and complete post-secondary education.
It stems from these findings from Pew Charitable Trust and the National Center for Education Statistics:
- Pew Charitable Trust says many foster youth experience unemployment, go on public assistance, or become involved in the criminal justice system when they leave high school and don’t enroll in college. Less than 3 percent of former foster youth ever graduate from college without the support of a warm and caring individual.
- National Center for Education Statistics says only 16 percent of low-income students graduate from college.
EST’s CAP program provides solutions which include college counseling and preparation, mentoring and networks of support, plus financial coaching and support. Once in college, EST has paid tuition, bought books, clothing, jackets, medicine, and food – in other words, do everything to ensure those students “graduate and thrive and create positive generational change.”
Since the inception of Greg and Yasmin’s program, 100% of their students have been accepted into some outstanding colleges and universities, 96 percent are on track to graduate on time, and over the past three years, their scholars have received almost $11 million in scholarships.
“Our long-term goal is that more significant numbers of foster and low-income youth successfully graduate from college at percentages that exceed the national average, that our scholars can build generational wealth because of not being overburdened with student loan debt, and that our alums become part of a professional network of graduates who pay it forward by volunteering to help others,” Greg and Yasmin said.
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