ATLANTA — Every year, hundreds of Georgia teenagers age out of foster care at age 18. For many, that means confusion, bewilderment and even homelessness.
But for others, it has brought a life-changing opportunity, thanks in great measure to a local non-profit.
It is an opportunity for teens who have aged out of foster care to set a path to pursue higher education, and it’s free.
“School was all that I knew that was my way out and was my way of hope, and so without education, I don’t know where I would be,” said Eshontee Rowe, who spent years in four different foster homes.
For Rowe, the opportunity for higher education meant graduating from Albany State and becoming an advocate for young people in foster care.
At the forefront of funding and mentoring foster teens aging out of foster care is an Atlanta nonprofit, the nsoro Educational Foundation, making the dreams of a college education a reality by providing all the support necessary to ensure a total college experience.
And Eshontee Rowe is not alone.
Michael Williams is pursuing a degree at Atlanta Technical College and, at the same time, working full-time at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
He spent five years in 10 different foster homes.
“It was the only way to stop me from being homeless was to go to school,” Williams said.
And for another student, Riheem Jefferson, who had been in foster care from age two in 15 different homes, higher education changed his life.
“I felt like I didn’t have the guidance or the tools that I needed to even get through high school,” he said.
Jefferson went on to graduate from Savannah State, then joined an accounting firm, and he is now close to becoming a certified public accountant.
And for Jamie Kelley, it's a proud milestone. She was determined to go to college after spending 10 years in two different foster homes.
She graduated from Georgia Gwinnett College.
“I am the first student in my family to go to college and graduate, and I am so excited for that,” she said.
However, reaching for a college degree takes significant support.
While part of it comes from the Georgia Department of Human Services with a yearly stipend of up to $5,000 to cover student tuition and fees, the nsoro Educational Foundation, founded by Atlanta entrepreneur Darrell Mays, fills in all the financial gaps and provides round the clock mentoring and counseling.
Mays knows the value of a college education.
“Education is the equalizer. I know being a first-time member of my family to graduate college, and I saw the difference it made once I got a college degree,” Mays said.
Since 2007, the nsoro Foundation has funded and fully supported more than 450 students, 74 from Georgia alone.
They have attended 191 colleges and universities in 33 states.
Graduates now include nurses, dentists, and lawyers.
For Mays, it is all about the future.
“I am hoping that we can continue to make this so much bigger than it is. There are lots more kids that need help,” Mays added.
You can apply for the nsoro college scholarship program by going to the link below.
And this footnote -- at a recent fundraising event for NSORO, the Foundation raised $1.3 million to continue building on its scholarship program.
Photos | Georgia foster teens who graduated thanks to local nonprofit
Additional links regarding foster care in Georgia: