July 27, 2010 – Sandra Emerson – Contra Costa Times – Pomona, CA, US
Cal Poly Pomona officials on Monday announced the university had received the largest endowment in California State University history.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded $42 million to the university in honor of the 150th birthday of its founder W.K. Kellogg.
“Programs like this are not only about receiving college degrees. Programs like this are life saving,” said Stephanie Serrano, who participated in the program and graduated with a sociology degree.
“They literally saved my life because the alternative to getting a college degree for foster youth is being in the prison system or being homeless and that could really ruin someone’s life.”
Serrano suggested that the money be used for a life coach to help students in the program mentally and spiritually.
“I feel a life coach would be someone who helps reinforce the importance of education and let’s them know they can do it, and it’s not going to be easy, they’re going to fall, but to get back up and give them the reinforcement usually a parent figure would provide,” she said.
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