OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Jazmine Fournier is a motivated student and employee at Oklahoma City Community College.
Something she credits to the foster family that helped raise her.
“My mother, she was a single mother and addict. She also had mental health issues and a family I knew actually took me in and they became my permanent family,” scholarship recipient Jazmine Fournier said.
But when she graduated high school in Moore, she had to pay for college and came across the Arnall Family Foundation scholarship, which is a new program for former foster youth.
“As a little girl, I never thought I would have the opportunity to go to college and because of them and because of these scholarships it’s possible,” Fournier said.
The two-year $200,000 grant helps former foster youth pay for tuition and books but also academic advising, success advising, professional clothing and transportation to those who need it.
“It’s not just about tuition, fees, and books. It’s a wrap-around approach to helping these students with what they need,” OCCC President Jerry Seward said.
One of The Arnall Family Foundation’s main areas of focus is on child welfare.
Foundation President Sue Ann Arnall believes this scholarship will help give these children better outcomes.
“There’s always been that missing piece but there haven’t been partners we could work with to help the children and with OCCC we found a partner who would really use those dollars wisely,” Arnall said.
OCCC has 400 former foster children enrolled at the school right now.
Click here for more information about the Arnall Family Foundation scholarship.