It's Meet the Family Friday! Today, we spotlight current Upward Scholars student Elizabeth.

The career education and development opportunities students receive through our MoveUp Initiative helps them create better lives for themselves and brighter futures for their families and our community. Marta Lily is one of many students benefiting from the Upward Scholars MoveUp Initiative. We are excited to share her journey to showcase what is possible when immigrants have access to career and employment opportunities.

Together, we can help transform the lives of many more students like Marta Lily so they, too, can MoveUPward & Onward!

Upward Scholars student Luis was recovering from COVID-19 when he decided to attend the Upward Scholars Plática Entre Familia, a monthly student-staff gathering over Zoom whose purpose is to provide a safe and welcoming space for Upward Scholars students to share struggles, seek support from one another and staff, and celebrate each other's achievements.

About one in every six children is diagnosed with a developmental disability in the United States, according to a report by the CDC. It’s not hard to imagine that a significant portion of those children do not or cannot get the help they need to succeed in their academic journeys. Upward Scholars alum Cindy wants to change that.

If you missed our “5 de mayo a las 5” Spring Event or want to share it, click below to watch. Read the launch of our Spring Appeal and view the executive summary of Upward Scholars’ 2021–2023 Strategic Plan.

Read our April 2021 Newsletter to learn about our Spring Event “5 de mayo a las 5”, our 2020 Impact Report, and our newest JobUp Referral Program!

During our upcoming Spring event, local thought leaders from Upward Scholars, Puente de la Costa Sur, and Cañada College will highlight the experiences of Latinx immigrants in San Mateo County during the pandemic.

Upward Scholars invites you to watch below as our Executive Director Dr. Linda Prieto provides a brief update on all we’ve accomplished in partnership with our donors, volunteers, and other supporters a year after the shelter in place ordinance began. Then, enjoy hearing from our student Bertha and her children as they express their gratitude to those who helped us establish our first-ever student Safety Net Fund at the end of 2020!

At seven years old, Mario’s life changed. On a trip back to Guatemala from the United States, his aunt — a student at Cañada College at the time — gave Mario a backpack. It was “just a backpack… but when I read the words ‘Cañada College’ on it, I imagined myself there.”

In 2009, at the age of twenty-four, Mario immigrated to the U.S. and enrolled at San Mateo Adult School to learn English.

With Kamala Harris making history as the first female U.S. Vice President, Upward Scholars has a related milestone to share: Our first female alum to attain a bachelor's degree, Katherine, is also the first Upward Scholars alum to graduate from UC Berkeley.