Challenge Scholars: The Next Generation of Community Leaders

CHALLENGE SCHOLARS:

The Next Generation of Community Leaders

“Believing in yourself is important. It is hard to do anything you set your mind to if you don’t believe that you can do it,” Daney said to a gym full of her classmates, teachers, parents and community members at her recent Challenge Scholars induction ceremony. Daney is a sixth grader at Westwood Middle School. She, her Westwood classmates and sixth graders at Harrison Park School will be part of Union High School’s Class of 2025.

These students celebrated this milestone transition as Challenge Scholars surrounded by a community of supporters and with a program designed by them and for them. The students selected nearly every detail for the event from the dinner served to the theme for their special day, “Cree en ti mismo,” which means “Believe in yourself” in Spanish.

This group of amazing and motivated students joins five other cohorts of Challenge Scholars, including the inaugural Class of 2020, who will graduate from Union High School next spring to realize their educational and professional dreams.

A DREAM WITHIN REACH

Challenge Scholars is a transformational community initiative funded by Grand Rapids Community Foundation. It takes away the burden of affording post-secondary education for families on Grand Rapids’ west side. Through partnerships with Grand Rapids Public Schools and organizations such as Kent School Services Network and WestSide Collaborative, Challenge Scholars offers a way for families to prepare for and cover the costs of education after high school. Starting in 2020, students who stay on track and graduate from Union High School with good grades, good attendance and good behavior will be able to attend college or technical training tuition free.

When you remove the fear of not being able to afford college, anything becomes possible. Knowing that there is a plan to pay for education after high school lets Challenge Scholars dream, explore and know that their hard work will create a bright future.

This is true for students like Queanna, a rising senior at Union High School. She will be among the first Challenge Scholars to graduate in 2020. “If you tell yourself, ‘I can do this. I can succeed,’ then you start to believe that and you start to live that out,” she said.

A CULTURE OF SUCCESS

Challenge Scholars sets out to create a culture of success and achievements. Challenge Scholars is different from other scholarship and promise programs, because it provides wraparound supports to students and their families.

We know that a scholarship is not sufficient and that other supports are needed for students to have the experiences, attendance and grades that lead to post-secondary success. This includes hands on support from in-school college and career coordinators, access to leadership opportunities, mental health services, early exposure to college and career resources and mentorship programs. Through the Challenge Scholars Dream Fund, students also benefit from unique, teacher- or community-led projects that aim to uplift students, improve their attendance and engage them in learning and post-secondary aspirations.

While the first cohort of students has yet to walk across the stage, the program’s impact is evident. “The narrative is changing. Our building has incredible momentum, and more students are achieving at higher levels. They will have more options upon graduation,” said Aaron Roussey, assistant principal at Union High School.

Gaining exposure to leadership and learning opportunities helps Challenge Scholars students thrive. Union High School’s graduation rate has climbed steadily from 56% in 2014 to 81% in 2018. This year, 200 students took the SAT, a college readiness test, which was Union’s highest number of eligible test takers in the last seven years. Union has also tripled the number of students attending Kent Career Technical Center.

OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT

The future is bright for students like Daney and Queanna. To grow and prosper, our community needs talent. We can either bring it in from outside or we can nurture the talent that’s already here. As a community foundation, we are committed to growing our community’s existing talent.

In 2022, the Community Foundation will celebrate 100 years of service and leadership in Kent County. “As we work alongside our donor, nonprofit and community partners to chart the course for our next 100 years of investment in Kent County, we know that our commitment to equitable educational attainment for our community’s children remains,” said Diana Sieger, president of Grand Rapids Community Foundation. “That means that we will do what needs to be done, so that our commitment to help all students obtain a degree or high-quality credential will never waiver.”

Challenge Scholars will be part of the next generation of people who live, work, play, shop, lead and grow in Grand Rapids. To learn how you can support Challenge Scholars, contact a member of our development team at 616.454.1751 or visit challengescholars.org/give.