Paul Mata and CSUSB alumni think about how many miles one ...

A homein collegecontributionsBy Carmen Murillo-MoyedaAlex Brittain’s path to graduationfrom Cal State San Bernardino this pastJune was not without its challenges.As a youth, the 24-year-old history majormoved from one foster home to another.Surviving malnourishment andother illnesses caused by his biologicalmother’s Munchausen by proxy syndrome,Brittain had always aspired to acollege education.Kapreese Feese knew she wanted togo to college ever since she made honorroll in the third grade. But, as a fosterchild with very few resources, shewondered how she could ever accomplishher dream. Feese’s birth mother,who suffered from substance abuse,surrendered her to social services whenKapreese was 2.But for Tina Mitchell, going to collegewas the furthest thing from her mind asshe struggled each day for survival, livingwith her schizophrenic mother andextended family members in a physicallyabusive home. From the time shewas 8, she repeatedly witnessed heraunt, violent in nature, brutally beat herown children, often getting caught inthe crossfire. But when her baby brotherwas injured, social services removedthe children from the home, placinghim for adoption and Mitchell in fostercare at age 15.Not your typical candidates for a futurein college. But today, foster youthsuch as Brittain, Feese and Mitchell arerealizing their goals of a degree, thanksto an endowment of $207,000 fromthe Children’s Fund of San BernardinoCounty to CSUSB. In partnership withCal State San Bernardino’s EducationalOpportunity Program’s Foster YouthProgram, the endowment will providefour $2,500 scholarships annually toformer foster youth.Both wanted to go to college. But the emotional roller coaster that typically attends the lifeof a foster child did not make the dream come easy for Alex Brittain and Kapreese Feese.(Photo by Robert Whitehead)Brittain, an Eisenhower High Schoolgraduate from Rialto, lived with severalfoster families before being “aged out”of the system at 18, when he became alegal adult and was no longer supportedby the state.“It’s easy to give generously to infantsand grade school children (in fostercare),” said Bill Nietschmann, boardmember, and former chairman of theChildren’s Fund and leader of the projectsince 2003, “because those conditionstug at our hearts. But once fosterteens are emancipated, this age groupdoesn’t have the support system thatcollege students normally have withintheir birth families.”Brittain credits one of his foster families,Jerry and Gloria Young, with theinspiration to attend college. Next, heplans to attend the University of California,Riverside to pursue a doctoratein classical history.Mitchell remembers ditching school,using illegal drugs, becoming pregnantand facing abortion, barely able tomaintain passing grades in high school.“I never received any praise or recognition,either from my biological motheror my foster families,” she said, describingthat period of time as one filled withself-pity, trying to escape the harsh realitiesof her unstable life, eventuallyhitting rock bottom. Ultimately, the lastfoster home in which she lived was thatof Lola Wright – or Ms. Wright as all thefoster children referred to her out of respect– whom Mitchell credits for bringingstructure and discipline to her otherwisechaotic life.“It was the praise and recognitionthat made me push for more. All I wantedwas someone to be proud of me,and she always made me feel like shewas proud of the good things that I did,”Mitchell added.Mitchell, who attended EtiwandaHigh School, had never considered attendingcollege until her senior year(Continued on next page)csusb magazine | 19