What We Do
Financial Support | Academic Support | Career Development | Holistic Support
Holistic Support
Adult immigrants deal with many physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual challenges in the United States that take a toll on their health and wellbeing. In order to better serve students, Upward Scholars takes a more holistic approach to the support provided to students.
Through its holistic support, Upward Scholars looks at the whole person, including their mental health, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing and that of their family. By providing emergency funds, safe spaces, support groups, spiritual and emotional counseling, resource navigation support, and references—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic—Upward Scholars ensures students stay healthy and focused on their academic and professional goals.
Student Safety Net Fund
During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 80 percent of our students reported loss of employment, housing and food insecurity, and not enough money to pay for medical and childcare expenses. As a result, their education was no longer their top priority. In these unprecedented times, we created a safety net so our students could focus on moving up the economic ladder through education, employment opportunities, and professional development. The Student Safety Net Fund allowed the Upward Scholars family to give hope and relief to hundreds of family members so students could remain focused on their academic and professional goals.
Plática Entre Familia (Spanish only)
Plática Entre Familia—a virtual and bilingual monthly student support group with our Executive Director and a bilingual/bicultural grief counselor—provides students with spiritual and emotional counseling in a safe and confidential environment for people of all beliefs. Pláticas allow Upward Scholars to create a safe community space during isolation and give students an outlet to share their personal and academic challenges and successes with peers and staff.
Platiquitas (bilingual)
Platiquitas provide students the chance to participate in regular small group meetings with grief counselor and Reverend Gerardo centered on how spiritual issues such as grief or loneliness can manifest and affect us, and how to cope with these issues. This is a more intimate space for students who want more spiritual guidance.
If students want one-on-one or family spiritual and emotional counseling with Rev. Gerardo, they can also reach out to him directly to schedule their appointment(s). These can be in Spanish, English, or Spanish/English bilingual.
Student-only WhatsApp Group
The student-only WhatsApp group is a group chat where students share challenges and successes with one another, including community resources, employment opportunities, advice, on-the-job discrimination, and encouraging and inspirational words. Upward Scholars staff moderates the group along with a few active students and also post important announcements from time to time.
Resource Navigation
Upward Scholars helps students navigate resources around the Bay Area and makes introductions or referrals to key partners who offer services our students need. We provide students with accompaniment to counseling or disability resources on their college campuses, immigration appointments, domestic violence counseling, DMV appointments, and much more. Through resource navigation we aim to help students meet all of their and their families’ needs.
Written References
Written references provide students with letters of reference or recommendation for immigration appointments, job or apartment applications, scholarships, and more.