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Fostering Support: A Young Penn State Program Helps Former Foster Youth

For many Penn State students, a helping hand or word of guidance is as close as a phone call to Mom or Dad. Care packages show up at their dorm room regularly, and they come to college equipped with all the school supplies they might need.

Students who grew up in the foster-care system often aren’t so lucky—but that doesn’t mean Penn State students are left to figure things out on their own. The Fostering Lions Program helps fill in the gap of care and resources that former foster youth may experience.

When the powers-that-be at Penn State first approached the idea of creating a university-based program for students who had been foster children, “there was nothing like this in Pennsylvania,” says Cheri McConnell. McConnell’s title within the Fostering Lions Program at Penn State is technically “coach,” but a conversation with her proves just how much more complex—and important—her role is than just that simple word. 

McConnell has been part of the Fostering Lions Program since the very beginning, playing a role in its inception and building something brand new from nothing, to the great benefit of participating students. The program officially launched in 2018, but even four years later, McConnell is still working hard to expand and evolve it while also, in many cases, acting as the primary support system for program participants who find themselves in their first post-secondary education environment. 

Any student who’s ever been in foster care is eligible to participate in Penn State’s Fostering Lions Program. Once a student becomes involved in the program, they’re connected with a point of contact, which, at University Park, is McConnell. 

“I’m watching grades. I’m looking at their financial aid. If they have specific needs, they’re coming to me,” McConnell explains. Depending on those needs, McConnell will look for the right resources—on or off campus—to fill them. Student needs have ranged over the years from new tires for a student’s vehicle to school supplies like textbooks and computers. 

But it’s not just tangible or monetary support that the Fostering Lions Program provides. For McConnell, it’s also about a personal relationship with each student—and creating that personal relationship, she says, starts with building trust with each and every student who walks through her door.

“If these students do not trust me, that I am here to help them, that I will stand by what I do, if they don’t believe that I’m here to advocate for them, then they are not going to come to me with issues,” she says. “Therefore, the program isn’t even going to exist, because no one is going to feel it’s beneficial, or that they can trust me to come to me.”

McConnell meets with her University Park program participants monthly to talk about grades and financial aid as well as personal concerns. Thanks to community donations, she sends each student away with items like snacks and toiletries; she also sends out care packages and holiday treats because, as she says, “It’s letting them know someone’s thinking about them.” She also organizes a monthly supper-and-seminar series with guest speakers from around the university. 

‘I Have Constant Support’

For many students, these efforts make all the difference in their college experiences, especially when it comes to providing them with community and showing them the resources at their disposal.

Ashley Grant ’24 is a telecommunications major and a single mom. “I immediately felt comfortable talking about my story [with McConnell] and that she was there to really help me be successful on this college-single-mom journey. I think the biggest impact [of the program] is really knowing that I have constant support, for basically anything,” she says. “It’s really like a stress-free environment. We talk about my accomplishments and the steps to hash out the next ones. I love the monthly check-ins and group meetings.” 

Ashley Grant: “We talk about my accomplishments and the steps to hash out the next ones.” (Photo by Chuck Fong)

Junior Aqaveon Jackson ’23, a criminology and psychology double major, likewise says he loves the monthly group meetings and that McConnell has had a large impact on his life. He notes that “having someone that routinely checks up and makes sure that I am doing everything right and that I am fine” has been the program’s biggest impact on his experience. 

Hailey O’Rourke ’22, a biobehavioral health major double minoring in neuroscience and human development and family studies, says, “As someone who didn’t join many clubs or organizations, I valued being a part of Fostering Lionsbecause it got me involved in a smaller community within Penn State. … My favorite thing [about the program] is having someone to talk to about my current plans and goals, especially with someone who knows about the resources we have on campus.”

All three of the students have big plans for their post-college careers. Jackson has his eye on joining the FBI, while O’Rourke expects to attend graduate school to get her master’s in neuroscience, and Grant aims to become a traveling photographer and videographer.

Preparing the Pipeline 

There are currently approximately 60 identified Penn State students across the commonwealth’s various campuses who are eligible to participate in the Fostering Lions Program, and about 40 who are actively participating. Seem like a small number out of the nearly 90,000 students who are enrolled at Penn State campuses? That’s because the foster-care-to-college pipeline isn’t exactly overflowing. 

McConnell says, “Eighty percent of foster youth, when you ask them, say that they want to go to college. Only 20% go and only 2 to 9% graduate.” 

Aqaveon Jackson likes “having someone that routinely checks up” on him. Photo by Chuck Fong

But McConnell has a solution for this as well: the Fostering Little Lions Camp. An initiative interrupted by the pandemic that McConnell hopes to start up again soon, the camp invites foster youth to University Park for three days to stay in a dorm and learn about their post-secondary education opportunities. There are scavenger hunts and activities like attending a State College Spikes game—all things that make the experience a positive one for kids who often are setting foot on a college campus for the first time. “At the end of the day, I just want to get these kids interested in continuing their education,” McConnell says.

Doing so doesn’t just ensure better opportunities for those foster youth who want to attend college; it also helps the economy. 

“This is a very holistic program in that we’re not just helping students be successful with their grades. We’re helping them and mentoring them to be a productive, tax-paying citizen when they graduate,” McConnell says. She approximates that 28,000 children age out of the U.S. foster care system each year, and it’s estimated that tax dollars will pay $300,000 in various support over each child’s lifetime. “That adds up. We should want to help these youth. We should want to see them be successful, because it’s going to come back into the economy, in all honesty.” 

Looking Ahead 

What’s next? McConnell has big dreams for the future. She’d like to expand the program to include all children who have experienced homelessness, regardless of whether or not they’ve been in the foster system. She also wants to provide students with more of the basics that many others may take for granted, such as bedding and toiletries that could be ready and waiting for them when they arrive at their dorms. 

As she expands the initiative, McConnell has also been surrounding herself with a support system of both university and community contacts—a support system that she says has consistently come through for program participants. “I had a foster youth whose home burned down last January. I just reached out and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to be gathering up gift cards or things to send her if you would like to contribute,’” she recounts. “I had a girl who got COVID, couldn’t work, and couldn’t pay her bills. She had two part-time jobs. I felt awful for her. But, they also donated there. I was able to get them both $500. … There are so many resources available to these youth, and the community is great in helping them.” 

Want to Get Involved?

 “Penn State should be very proud of the program that, when I look at it, they have basically allowed me to create. They have allowed me to take this and run. I’ve built it and have future plans based on what I’m finding out from the students that they need and what agencies say is best for kids,” McConnell sums up. 

Want to support the Penn State Fostering Lions Program? Contact McConnell at [email protected]T&G

Holly Riddle is a freelance writer for Town&Gown.