There are currently 70 students in the Arizona Friends of Foster Children scholarship program. Benjamin is a junior attending Arizona State University. Here he shares how the AFFCF scholarship has helped shape his experiences, hopes and dreams.
“Hello, my name is Benjamin. I’m 21 years old and a junior at ASU pursuing a degree in business administration. My current goals around this degree are to pursue an analytical position until I can open my own analytical company. In my free time, I enjoy gaming and trying new food places, as well as exploring new recipes.
An Impossible Dream
“A few years ago, I thought going to a university was impossible for me. There were many hardships I had financially that always made the journey to college seem like a pipe dream. For this reason, I want to thank the AFFCF scholarship for all it has allowed me to pursue. Without the financial backing to go to ASU, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
“With out the financial backing to go to ASU, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Benjamin, AFFCF Scholar
A Deeper Connection
“Since coming to ASU. I have become very involved in many things such as collegiate esports where I play on our Rocket League team and now coordinate our program for it as well. I also have become more involved in my foster care identity, helping out where I can in the First Star and Bridging Success programs at ASU. These have allowed me to make a deeper connection with the past I was running from and now take pride in. I recently took a position with DCS as a Youth Advocate Specialist which allows me to more directly assist those who are still writing their story now.
Being given the opportunities that I have has allowed me to find who I am as a person. I was a very shut-in person all through high school and only really found who I really was through college. University has taught me a lot not only through my major but through the friends I’ve made and the positions it has set before me. I now am adventurous and rarely miss out on a new experience.”
“Being given the opportunities that I have has allowed me to find who I am as a person.”
Give Opportunity
You can help more students from foster care, like Benjamin, have the opportunity to discover their potential, as well as the world around them. By supporting the AFFCF scholarship program, you’re giving young adults who have aged out of foster care the ability to chase their dreams
AFFCF is a Qualifying Foster Care Organization, which means you can receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your Arizona state taxes, up to $500 for individuals and up to $1,000 for couples. Donate by April 15, 2022, and you can count it toward your 2021 tax returns.