INTRODUCTION
Next year, Renaissance Scholars Program will celebrate our 20th anniversary! In that time, we have proudly supported the graduation of over 800 Renaissance Scholars. As we reflect on this major milestone, we are honoring our impressive alumni with the launch of the first annual Alumni Newsletter In this first issue, you will find updates on RSP, our current students, and current trends in higher education. Most importantly, we are excited to share updates from several of our wonderful alumni!
While this inaugural issue only contains a handful of alumni updates, we hope that future issues will feature many more including you! Current Renaissance Scholars, education partners, our volunteer committee, and the wider RSP community are always thrilled to hear what our alumni are doing We love to hear about your accomplishments, no matter how big or small. Our alumni continue to impress us with interesting jobs, notable accolades, unique hobbies, growing families, and great adventures! As first-generation college graduates, your success stories continue to provide inspiration and motivation to our community
If you would like to share an update with us, there is information on submitting through the Alumni Survey at the end of this newsletter. We will also be raffling off three different prize packages for those who take the survey, all of which include a gift card We hope you will take the survey so we can share your story in the next edition of the Alumni Newsletter. In addition, this issue includes other ways to get involved with RSP.
Whether you ’ re a current volunteer or checking in after many years, we are so happy to have you as a distinguished RSP alumni. We hope you will enjoy this newsletter and hope to hear from you soon!
Callie Forrest,
Diana Hoff, Director
Crabtree,
Katie Varness, Scholarship Program Coordinator
ALUMNIBYTHE NUMBERS 809
Ensuring that our scholars graduate is our top priority. According to The Pell Institute, the national average graduation rate for first-generation, low-income students is 21% We are especially proud of our scholars' success in the face of this enduring disadvantage
87%
RenaissanceScholars Six-YearGraduation Rate*
*The “all-time” graduation rate including scholars who took more than six years to graduate is 89%.
2023-2024 AT RSP
We have had a great year at the Renaissance Foundation! We’ve stayed busy supporting our scholars, reviewing applications, and hosting a variety of events. In addition to graduating our largest class in RSP history, we also welcomed a new cohort of wonderful scholars!
205
NEW SCHOLARS
176 UNIQUE COLLEGES
PORTIA O'CONNELL AlumniSpotlight
PortiaO’ConnellisaRenaissanceScholarsalumnus.SheattendedPortlandStateUniversity andearnedherbachelor’sdegreeincommunityhealthpromotionwithaminorinbusiness administration.Aftergraduatingin2021,PortiamovedtoMontanatopursuehermaster’s degreeinpublichealthattheUniversityofMontana ShenowlivesinMissoulawithher husbandanddog,spendingtimeoutsidewhenevershecan Recently,PortiaacceptedaroleasaprogramleadfortheOfficeofHealthResearchandPartnershipattheUniversityof Montana.
Why did you decide to attend college?
I think my biggest motivator for going to college was because I had two parents that didn't, and I kind of saw the struggle that came with that, and I knew that that was something that I wanted to do I knew the benefit of having a college degree, especially in this day and age. I feel like when my parents were growing up, you could get away with work experience and just kind of working your way up Right now, I feel like if you don't have a degree, there's only so far you can go I knew that I wanted to be able to provide a better life for my future children and be able to help support my family when that time came. So, that was one of my big motivators for getting my degree
How did being the first person in your family to attend college affect your experience?
I don't know if it's so much affected my college experience so much, but definitely leading up to it I did College Possible in high school, which I think was super helpful because I didn't have any sort of guidance. I didn't have an older sibling that could say,
“Okay, you need to make sure you apply for FAFSA, and you need to apply for these scholarships, and here's where you go to do that.” I was really out on my own.
After I had learned about all this stuff in College Possible, I would be going to my mom and letting her know, “Okay, my FAFSA opens up on October 1st, I need you to take time out of your day so you can sit down with me so I can make sure I get this taken care of ” My mom was also learning with me as I went through and now she does financial education for all these younger kids So, she's relaying all this information to them I had a lot of friends where their parents went to college and were reminding them, but it was almost like I had to remind my mom, because we had no idea
What surprised you the most about college?
I think the biggest thing that surprised me was how much everything cost Not even having to do so much with [tuition], but with school and outside of school Like how much a textbook costs, and when you really look at it, how much just one college credit is worth I was always super big on checking my bill and making sure
everything was adding up It made me grow a deeper appreciation because I was paying for my education, so I needed to make sure that this wasn't my money down the drain.
One thing that really helped in my freshman year, I took a personal finance class as a requirement for my business minor, and that was by far one of the most useful classes that I could have ever taken I would highly recomm something that should the high school level b college, so you just hav
How did the Renaissa your college experien
The Renaissance Scho because I did not have student loans. I took ou loans my first year and my undergrad, I was on was because the Rena helped me out so muc of my schooling. I think
partly why I was okay going to get my master’s and taking on a little bit more debt for that, because I didn't have a ton of debt in my undergrad
What do you like to do for fun?
Being in Montana, the Clark Fork River goes right through town Over the course of the summer, my husband and I have spent a lot of time out on the river floating it. We're an e done a arding during ves the water, water too, and e board I love nity I can to do
Portia with her husband and mother on the day of her graduation from the University of Montana, 2023
Portia and her husband on Blue Mountain in Missoula, summer
AlumniUpdates ALUMNI NEWS
Josie Bowlouden, Class of 2021 Politics and Economics - Eastern Oregon University
“I am happily married for six years and enjoy spending time with my mini-Australian shepherd I love working in public defense to mitigate the harms caused by the criminal justice system. I am currently studying for the LSAT and planning to apply to Law School.”
Fara Mendy, Class of 2019 BA in Communications + MS in Educational Leadership - Portland State University
“I transferred from PCC to Portland State University in 2019 to complete my bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. After graduating, I worked as an administrative assistant in the OHSU Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, where I supported program residents and medical students studying anesthesia
During graduate school, I worked as a graduate assistant for the PSU Department of Education Abroad, providing advising and administrative support for our study abroad programs.
I just graduated this past spring from PSU with a master’s in Educational Leadership and Policies. I am currently looking for job opportunities, mainly in nonprofits, universities, and hospitals.
In addition...my mom and I are excitedly preparing to launch our own photo booth rental business, Alegría Photo Booth, in mid-July 2024. Alegría Photo Booth, aims to redefine the photo booth experience by infusing it with creativity and sustainability. We're passionate about bringing joy to our clients through unique, hand-crafted photo booths while prioritizing eco-friendly practices to minimize our environmental impact If you have a wedding or
Taiz Gomez, Class of 2022
Psychology - University of Oregon
“In the fall of 2022, I began my career journey as an assistant project manager and quickly progressed to the role of associate project manager, where I've been able to contribute significantly to our team's projects and goals.
Outside of work, I took on a new challenge by running a half marathon last fall, despite having no prior running experience It was a tough yet fulfilling achievement that ught me valuable lessons in rseverance and goal-setting ”
Sarah Li, Class of 2018
Biochemistry - Portland State University
“Last year, I graduated from PA school and landed an opportunity to take care of patients from different walks of life and from a variety of cultures I am also a Renaissance Scholars volunteer and enjoyed getting to know the scholar candidates through their applications/essays.”
Shayna Beymer, Class of 2017
Social
Science - Portland State University
“After graduating from PSU in 2017, I continued to work for the [Renaissance] Foundation while also working part time as an insurance specialist at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Salem. I got married in September 2018. In 2019, I moved to Chicago with my husband and began full time remote work for the Foundation. After several years working remotely, I left the Foundation and got an in-person position advising students at the University of Chicago.
One of my biggest projects has been creating a first year advising Canvas course for our freshmen students to have access to the many resources available to them and to help students reflect and prepare for our quarterly required meetings It was the pilot project year in 23-24 and it was approved for another year!”
ALUMNISCRAPBOOK
Graduation Dinner, 2017
Graduation Dinner, 2019
Portland Scholar Brunch, 2015
NEW + NOTABLE IN EDUCATION
It has been a very eventful year for higher education! Notable changes include the delayed rollout of a new FAFSA form, the innovations and challenges of artificial intelligence, and the Supreme Court’s ruling on Affirmative Action. In this section, read more about how these events have impacted first-generation students.
FAFSA Changes + Delays
At the end of 2023, the Department of Education launched the “Better FAFSA.” This new version of the form is simple and uses a new aid calculation formula. Unfortunately, the form was launched several months later than usual and has been plagued by technical issues and other errors. This has caused delays in financial aid awards, college decision deadlines, and more These issues are especially challenging for low-income students In some cases, students were forced to make a college decision without knowing how much aid they would receive
SCOTUS Ruling Ends
Affirmative Action
Troubled rollout of FAFSA overhaul causes major delays (NPR)
Untangling the Bungled FAFSA Launch (Inside Higher Ed)
Last summer, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that ended the use of race in college admissions, effectively ending affirmative action Experts worried that this would be a major setback for equity in college admission and enrollment. As freshmen begin the 2024-2025 school year, the results of this decision are just beginning to unfold. So far, the SCOTUS decision has not had a major impact on the racial distribution of college applications Experts are waiting to see information on enrollment in a few months However, the ongoing FAFSA issues may obscure the exact cause of any changes
Learn More
Learn
Artificial Intelligence + Education
For more than a year, artificial intelligence has been a hot topic in almost every industry The use of AI in education has been a particularly controversial discussion Many schools and educators worry about the impact of AI on students, while some institutions have embraced the technology. See the articles below to learn more about the current state of AI in both K-12 and higher education.
Learn More
AI In Education: Teachers’ Opinions On AI In The Classroom (Forbes)
Divided Over Digital Learning (Inside Higher Ed)
A quarter of U.S. teachers say AI tools do more harm than good in K-12 education (Pew Research)
Inside Barnard’s Pyramid Approach to AI Literacy (Inside Higher Ed)
Enrollment Trends + Challenges
In the wake of the pandemic, a changing economy, and shifting views on education, colleges are experiencing a number of notable trends in enrollment. See the links below to learn more about a few of these notable changes.
Learn More
Persistence and Retention Rates Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels (Inside Higher Ed)
Report on American attitudes about college (Pew Research)
Listen: Issues with FAFSA could mean many students don't go to college in the fall (NPR)
Video: Why fewer young men are choosing to pursue college degrees (PBS NewsHour)
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALUMNI
Even after graduation, we strive to continue supporting our amazing scholars! This page outlines a few engagement opportunities available to Renaissance Scholars alumni
CareerSpring
RSP has partnered with CareerSpring, a nonprofit organization that helps first-generation students reach their career goals with their online platform
Our alumni have free access to CareerSpring’s online platform, which includes a job and internship board, video library, the chance to connect with mentors and more. While this resource is most useful to recent graduates, alumni of any career stage can leverage the opportunity for networking and career education
Sendusan emailtolearn more!
RSP Events
Throughout the year, we love to see alumni at our in-person and virtual events! Our scholars always value the opportunity to hear alumni advice and stories
For those in the Portland and Chicago areas, we host annual brunches This can be a great chance to meet current scholars and network with other local alumni.
a Volunteer!
Every year, each scholarship application is evaluated by three different readers to ensure a fair average score We are grateful to have a dedicated volunteer team to help us facilitate this process Last year, half of our volunteers were RSP alumni! We appreciate our alumni volunteers for their unique perspective as firstgeneration students and former applicants
If you have a few minutes, we would love to include an update about you in the next newsletter and/or our website. By completing the survey below, you can opt to provide a quick update (5 minutes to complete) or answer a few additional questions to build an alumni profile.
To thank you for your time, everyone who completes the survey by November 30th will be entered to win one of three $25 Amazon gift cards!
IfyouareaRSPvolunteerwhocompletedthesurveyinJuly, youwillbeautomaticallyenteredintheraffle.
There is also information in the survey about getting involved with Renaissance Scholars through our upcoming anniversary celebration, volunteering, or scholar events.
Alumni at our Portland Brunch, 2023
Alumni Dinner in Portland, 2022
