Pasadena City College Foster Program Holds Rising STARS Award Gala

The Rising STARS (Scholars Transitioning and Realizing Success) Award Gala, which honored and supports foster youth success and raised funds for the far-reaching program, was held on May 19 in the Pasadena City College Creveling Lounge.

The event was hosted by the PCC Foster & Kinship Care Education and Independent Living Programs, which provide quality education and support so caregivers may meet the educational, emotional, behavioral and developmental needs of children.  The program provides preparation for foster, adoptive, and kinship care providers.

In 2006, the STARS Program was launched because the city of Pasadena had one of the largest populations of “transition age youth” in Los Angeles County.

It was designed to eliminate barriers to higher education, recognize student cognitive processes in preparation for college, maintain a collaborative working relationship with on and off-campus transition youth support programs, and create a supportive environment.

Judeana Velasquez, sociology major and a STARS peer mentor, assists foster youth (ages 16 to 24) transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Velasquez, who has been a foster youth almost her whole life, knows firsthand how powerful the program is.

“I went into this program at the age of 16 and it’s been a tremendous help to me,” she said. Now at the age of 22, she’s reflective about her past. “I’m lucky I’m on a good path,” she said.

For more information about STARS, please contact Theresa Reed, educational advisor of the Community Education Center, at (626) 585-3037.