UM-Flint's Mpowering My Success helps foster care students earn college degrees

Just 3% of youths in foster care programs who go on to attend college stay in school long enough to graduate. This spring, the University of Michigan-Flint was proud to have helped two individuals who had been in foster care make that rare transition to college graduate.

Jeriah Gatlin, a communications major, and Emily Jackson, a social work major, walked across the stage at the commencement stage of UM-Flint's Riverfront Conference Center in April and are starting the next phase of their lives.

Each of them was able to benefit from UM-Flint's Mpowering My Success, a program within Education Opportunity Initiatives, that supports students who have experienced foster care. Mpowering My Success provides students with skills that focus on education, mental health, belonging and relationships. Last year, the program received the highest evaluation score of any in the state.

Gatlin, a native of Wayne County, started at UM-Flint in 2018 and was with Mpowering My Success throughout her time at the university. She chose the downtown campus because of its diversity and community feel.

"My experiences with UM-Flint and Mpowering My Success have been very valuable to both my academic and personal growth," said Gatlin. "In particular, Mpowering played a huge role in my success at the university. Throughout my four years, the consistent emotional, academic and financial support aided in easing some of the unique challenges I faced as a student in foster care and allowed me to fully prioritize school and work. Even if I just needed someone to talk to, I always knew that I could rely on Mpowering to be there for me."

After graduation, Gatlin moved to Florida to work in the Disney College Program.

Jackson, who lives in Grand Blanc, was in and out of foster care since she was 7 years old, and was officially adopted by a foster care family she lived with at 12 years old. Jackson chose to attend UM-Flint because of the Mpowering My Success program.

During her time at UM-Flint, she found her passion for helping people led to a path in social work. As a student, she worked in assisted living facilities in the area.

"My experience with the Mpowering program has been nothing but great," Jackson said. "They have helped me through my educational journey and supported me by teaching life skills throughout my time at the university. Mpowering supported my personal experience as a foster care alum by being consistent and reliable each week."

Jackson will head to Spring Arbor University in July to start a Master of Social Work advanced standing program.

Gatlin and Jackson aren't the only ones celebrating their recent success. Mpowering staff members are also feeling proud about having two students from the program become UM-Flint alums.

"This is a really big deal for the program and doesn't happen very often," said Rachel Osmer, Mpowering My Success life skills coach. "Our two students who graduated this year are a testament to their hard work and show that if you have the right support in place you can do it. It's also a big deal for our incoming freshmen and current students who get to actually see their peers who graduate. So often there is doom and gloom associated with the trajectory of youth from foster care, but having two graduates is a major beacon of hope."

To learn more about the Mpowering My Success program, visit its webpage.