RSP Program Updates 2022-2023

Program Updates 2022-23

From the Trustees

There are several highlights to share from the past academic year. One hundred thirty-nine Renaissance Scholars graduated, our largest group so far. This includes the first group (of 26) from the relatively new program in Chicago. Our team of 42 volunteers processed hundreds of applications and approved 220 new scholars. Since inception Renaissance Scholars are graduating within six years at an 85% rate, and 89% overall. This is down slightly from recent years, but still several times the average for first-generation college students. We don’t yet have sufficient data to understand this decline, but suspect COVID may have been a factor.

For the academic year just starting we are supporting more than 850 scholars, and Callie Forrest our Scholarship Manager is betting we shall hit our goal of 1,000 next year. This goal is based on The Renaissance Foundation’s long term expected financial capacity, which means that soon and for the first time, our selection rate may decline as the numbers of applicants increase and awardees stay static. Also this year, we have increased the annual scholarship awards from $4,000 to $5,000.

Thank you to our volunteers, to our staff Callie, Charlotte and Katie, to Diana Hoff and to our partners. As always feel free to ask questions and share comments.

Regards,

Irving Levin Irving Levin Stephanie Fowler Trustees

Stephanie Fowler

About the Renaissance Scholars Program (RSP)

The Scholarship This year we are excited to announce that the scholarship award amount has been increased from $4,000 to $5,000 per year! As the costs of college continue to rise, we hope that this increase supports students even more in their college journeys.

Scholarship funds can be applied to tuition and fees, housing, books and supplies, depending on each student’s individual financial need. The award may be used at any accredited, four-year college in the United States.

Our Scholars

Scholar Support

All scholars must meet rigorous standards: Will be first in their family to earn a bachelor's degree 3.0 GPA or higher High financial need Currently residing in Oregon or Illinois or planning to attend a partner HBCU Demonstrated strength of character and strong work ethic

RSP's first priority is encouraging scholars to connect with resources at their college.

However, we do provide a few RSP-specific resources. These include our online resource library, quarterly resource newsletter, virtual career panels featuring RSP alumni, and a few in-person social gatherings per year where scholars can meet one another, the Trustees, and RSP staff.

The scholarship is renewable for up to four years. Scholars are eligible for renewal if they maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA, have continued financial need, and are enrolled full-time at a four-year institution.

Partnerships RSP works closely with several mentoring organizations in Oregon and Chicago to ensure that scholars are supported beyond the scholarship funds they receive from the program.

Current Scholars

2023

$3.5M Renaissance Scholarship Support in 2023

Most-Attended Colleges

220 New Renaissance Scholars Selected

1. University of Oregon 2. Oregon State University 3. Portland State University 4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 5. University of Portland For the first time since the program’s inception in 2005, Portland State University has been unseated as our mostattended college.

139 Renaissance Scholars Graduated College

85%

3.42 Average Renaissance Scholar College GPA

Renaissance Scholars Identify as People of Color

Scholars Sourced From Other* 13%

866 Renaissance Scholars Awarded in 2023-24 Academic Year

Oregon

57%

30% Illinois

*Initially, our scholars were sourced through Oregon- and Chicago-based mentoring programs, and partner colleges. Over the years, that has expanded to include students in Oregon and Illinois unaffiliated with those programs as well. In 2021 as a test, we considered applicants from any state. The "Other" category includes the accepted scholars from this pool. (Without these scholars from outside our two initial states, the "Other" category would be 1%.) We ended this test after 2021 for new applicants and returned to our traditional applicant restrictions, but will continue to support those selected throughout their college careers, and will analyze results to reconsider our criteria in the future.

Renaissance Graduates 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.

Biology, political science, accounting, business, and public health were the most popular majors among the RSP Class of 2023. We are proud of our scholars’ achievements and the impact that they are making in their communities. To keep them connected with the program as they advance, we offer a few different engagement opportunities, and we are delighted that many alumni participate.

85% olars

h ance Sc ion s is a n e R at r Gradu Six-Yea te* Ra

*The “all-time” graduation rate including scholars who took more than six years to graduate is 89%.

480

139

213

All-Time Renaissance Scholar Graduates (2008-2023)

Renaissance Scholars Graduated in 2023

Renaissance Scholars Plan to Graduate in 2024

Alumni Engagement Opportunities

Attend scholar brunches and alumni socials Utilize CareerSpring resource to find mentors and jobs Participate on career panels for current scholars Volunteer on the scholarship selection committee

All graduates receive a Renaissance Scholars pin to wear at their graduation ceremony.

Alumni Spotlight JESSE MCDONALD is a Renaissance Scholars alumnus and current volunteer on the RSP selection committee. After serving in the Marines, he attended Portland Community College. After transferring to Portland State University, Jesse earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting. He currently works as a senior accountant.

How did you make the decision to attend college?

I lived in Montana and graduated from [high school] in 2007. I didn't plan on going to college right out of school.

I didn't really know what I wanted to do. When I was 21, I got married, and by the time I was about 23, I realized if I wanted to leave Montana and change the cycle of poverty that we were in, I would have to go to school or do something about it. So, I put out applications. Then, I clicked on a link on Facebook that said “do you wanna join the Marine Corps?” And I was like, “sure sounds great!” The recruiter called me back 10 minutes later.

When that happened, he got me in there as quick as possible, signed some paperwork, and I joined the military. I was in the Marine Corps from 2012 to 2016.

When I was done, I was 26 or 27 and I still wasn't really positive what I wanted to do. I came up to Portland because I had a brother who lived up here, and some friends from Montana. I originally chose PCC over PSU because I thought I would go to the Sylvania campus. I lived in Tigard and the campus just down the road. I had two children at the time. The whole reason that I went to school was so I would have a stable income and a way to take care of my family. So, just like that, I became an accounting major. It looked very appealing for what I want to do with my life. I started at PCC in September of 2017 and then realized shortly after that I still wanted to go to PSU.

Jesse and his family at the Oregon Zoo.

What was it like to enroll in community college as a nontraditional student?

I was very confident in my academic skills and my ability to do well in school. I didn't take any sort of prep, but if you don't practice it for 10 years, it goes away. So, I got some humble pie pretty quick when going back to school. I thought community college would be easy. It made me realize very quickly, if you want to do this, you have to put in work. I realized I had a lot to learn and I wasn't quite as capable as I thought I was after having that 10 year gap in between high school and starting college.

Jesse backpacking in Olympic National Park.

How did being the first person in your family to attend college affect your experience?

I came from a large family in Montana, my parents and I have seven siblings. I was right in the middle.

By the time I was hitting a lot of those benchmarks in becoming an adult, there was always someone I could lean on. My family could always help me with those pieces. Being the first one to go to school, I was just absolutely flying blind and had no idea what I was doing. I think that's part of the reason that I didn't start until I was 27. I didn't know how admissions worked. I didn't know how loans worked. I didn't know how scholarships worked. I had a longer lead up to breaking that initial barrier, but once I got in it was like “oh this is something I can totally do!” I told myself it'd be more difficult because my family hadn't done it, but they just hadn't had the opportunity yet.

How did you balance working and being a parent during college?

My advice for time management is to find what works for you. My calendar is a OneNote notebook. I don't use planners, I have to write it out note by note. It took me two or three years to figure that out and it's the easiest way. I can flip through my pages, I have it all digital. Time management just comes down to how well you can organize and prioritize your tasks in front of you. You probably won't do everything that you want to do and you have to prioritize your own deadlines while also being a human and making sure you have time for yourself. You have a brain and a heart, got to take care of those too.

Why did you decide to volunteer on the Renaissance scholarship selection committee?

Jesse running a marathon in Kennewick, WA.

Pretty plain and simple, the Foundation took really good care of me when I was in school. There was a direct relationship between the scholarship money that I got and the overtime I did not have to work. I was just grateful from the very beginning and to be able to pay it forward. They took care of me and as a result my one of my sisters has her associates, my niece just got her associates and I'm seeing people in my family have different trajectories because I went to school. I went to school and showed they could do it. I've helped with FAFSA forms and all the stuff and I was just able to do. I had other smaller scholarships, but this is the one that took care of the brunt of my financial burden.

How has your experience been as a Renaissance volunteer?

Even though I was a little older when I did it, it’s great to see how young and bright and how determined a lot of these students are. You read through the essays and no one had an easy path to get through. There's some candidates and the adversity that they've overcome is just absolutely incredible. I'm hoping to see some names somewhere down the road, maybe I had a a helping hand in that one. It's a pleasure to help get resources in the hands of people who are going to use it. I know it’s going to better their future. There's so much potential there and they just need a little help to get where they're going.

Read Jesse’s full interview and learn about his accounting career at rscholars.org.

Scholar Resources Each year, we survey RSP alumni to learn more about their college experience. We consistently hear that they wish they had more support in academic success, financial wellness, career development, and finding mentors. We are proud to offer several resources to address these interests.

Renaissance Scholars Resources In-Person Social Events Quarterly Resource Newsletter Virtual Career Panels Online Resource Library CareerSpring Platform

Spotlight on CareerSpring CareerSpring is a free online platform of career information, professional networking/mentoring opportunities, and job placement services designed specifically for first-generation college students. Renaissance has partnered with CareerSpring, giving our scholars access to the many resources they provide.

Connections to Mentors Informational interviews Resume review Company/positionspecific advice

Informational Resources Workplace how-to guides Day-in-the-life career videos

Job Placement Exclusive internship/job opportunities Personalized interview preparation

Partnerships In 2005, the Renaissance Scholars Program was founded in partnership with Portland State University. Since then we have expanded, partnering with other organizations that promote college access and success. In 2018, our expansion to Chicago was made possible by partnerships with Chicago Scholars, Cristo Rey Network, and College Possible.

Throughout the year, we work with our partners to support student progress on the scholarship application. We know that the support scholars receive from their mentors in addition to the scholarship funding they receive from us work together to support them on their path to a bachelor's degree.

Renaissance Scholars Partners

Chicago Scholars College Possible Cristo Rey Network Elizabeth City State University Portland Community College- Future Connect Portland State University Project Youth+ North Carolina Central University Stand for Children- Beat the Odds Stillman College

Celebrating Chicago Renaissance Scholars!

This year, we celebrated our first 26 Chicago graduates! We are so proud of these scholars and feel honored to have supported them on their journey through college. Our Chicago cohort continues to grow and we look forward to supporting many more scholars.

My college education to me means that I am given a seat at tables that I otherwise could only dream of being given a seat at. It has changed my life for the better and in unexpected ways. It has opened so many doors for me in life and in my career and has helped introduce me to people that have contributed so much to my life.

Fatou Dioum Chicago Scholars member University of Chicago 2023

The Renaissance scholarship has tremendously improved my life’s trajectory both in terms of education and career. It allowed me to focus on school instead of working to make ends meet. This set me up for success as I was able to concentrate on my classes and graduate with honors from the University of Chicago.

Thank You to Our Volunteer Committee!

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.

Our volunteers come from a variety of different professional backgrounds, including many current and former educators. This season, we are especially proud to share that over half of our volunteers were alumni of the Renaissance Scholars Program.

Adam Talkington* Portland State University 2010 University of Wisconsin Madison 2016 Agnes Hoffman Washington State University 1973 Northwestern University 1974 Portland State University 1977

Diane Mulligan University of Oregon 1974, 1979, 1994 Doris Medina University of Illinois at Chicago 2015 Fernando Aguilar* Pacific University 2020

Al Mollica Shippensburg University 1975 Delaware State University 1994

Gleennia Napper The University of Chicago 2003 Brooklyn Law School 2012

Alexander McPherson* Concordia University 2019

Haley Soller* Portland State University 2021

Amy Trieu Carleton College 2006

Helen Vu* St. Olaf College 2021

Barbara Kuzniak VanAmerongen State University of New York at Albany 1972 Ball State University 1975

Janet Bedolla Salinas* Portland State University 2023

Beatriz Najera Perez* Seattle University 2019 Cecily Smith Grinnell College 2018 Charlie Stillman Amherst College 1967 University of Washington 1983 Cierra Jackson Texas A&M University 2019 Texas Christian University 2022

Jesse McDonald* Portland State University 2021 Josie Bowlouden* Eastern Oregon University 2021 Julia Misenhimer* Portland State University 2021 Katrina Machorro Oregon State University 2009 University of Virginia 2013 Kelli Diaz Loyola University 1993, 1996

Cindy Fontenot Spelman College 1990

King Kwasitsu* Portland State University 2020

Citlaly Arroyo-Juarez* Portland State University 2022

Maria Than* Middlebury College 2021

Cynthia Bui* Brown University 2022

Marius Balola* Oregon State University 2013, 2019

DeShanna Brown Kennesaw State University 2003 DeVry University 2006 Nova Southeastern University 2016

Marty Mitchell Beloit College 1974 Brigham Young University 1991 Mayra Cordova* Portland State University 2020 Monish Lal* Portland State University 2012 Nicole Yip* Pacific University 2018 Florida State University 2022 Paulina Manzo* Portland State University 2017 Sarah Li* Portland State University 2018 Trevecca Nazarene University 2023 Shayna Beymer* Portland State University 2017 Shyann Montgomery* University of Oregon 2021 Susan Stillman Smith College 1969 Tom Bull Loyola University 1995 Northwestern University 2004 Tori Cook* Western Oregon University 2022 Yazmin Manzo* Portland State University 2020 Yuyan Luo* Portland State University 2021

*Renaissance Scholars Alumni

The Renaissance Team The Renaissance Foundation Irving Levin, Trustee Stephanie Fowler, Trustee Jonah Edelman, Advisor Lizzie Levin, Advisor

Renaissance Scholars Program

From left to right: Callie Forrest, Scholarship Program Manager Katie Varness, Scholarship Program Coordinator Charlotte Crabtree, Special Projects Coordinator Diana Hoff, Director of Operations and Administration

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The Renaissance Foundation

www.rscholars.org