Volunteer Spotlight: Mallory Mangold
Each day, Ready to Succeed Scholars are empowered by the commitment of a dedicated volunteer network, and supporters like you. This month’s Volunteer Spotlight is Mallory Mangold. Mallory is the Senior Director of Marketing at Tapas Media, with previous roles at major companies like Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures. Mallory loves to stay active and give back, when looking for her next volunteer opportunity she was connected to Ready to Succeed through board member, Elizabeth Friedman. Moved by the incredible network of supporters and volunteers, like you, and the motivated Scholars, Mallory asked, “How can I help?” Mallory works closely with [...]
Meet Harriet Zaretsky, New RTS Board Member
Meet Harriet Zaretsky Please welcome Harriet Zaretsky, one of two newest Ready to Succeed Board Members. She is a community activist, served on the Board of CASA LA, and is proud to honor her son’s memory and passions through the various efforts of the Dillon Henry Foundation. What are some of your favorite hobbies? My favorite hobbies are travelling the world and following local and national politics. I also have two golden retrievers named Ringo and Pheobe. Why did you choose the RTS board? I have been involved with CASA for over 25 years, and I actually met Romi Lassally [...]
Meet Deanne Yamamoto, New RTS Board Member
Meet Deanne Yamamoto Please welcome Deanne Yamamoto to the Ready to Succeed Board of Directors. Deanne has an agency career spanning the past 25 years and is the Managing Director of Golin Los Angeles. Now let's get to the fun stuff. What are some of your favorite hobbies? I have a new hobby that I have gotten really into- making charcuterie boards. I find that it is a fun way to express creativity and bring people together. I come from a big family, and to me the charcuterie board can be the centerpiece that brings friends and family [...]
Scholar Spotlight: Georgette S.
Georgette S. is a senior at Cal State University Long Beach. She joined RTS last year, and her path toward graduation has not been a conventional one. As a former foster youth, Georgette knew that she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, but after graduating from High School her classes at a local community college didn’t seem all that important to her. She dropped out of school, and as time went on she felt more and more that her options were limited without a degree. Even though nearly 95% of foster youth want to graduate college, [...]
Service Fellowships Open Doors to New Opportunities
Maripau poses at her 2020 UCLA graduation January marked the start of recruitment season for the 2023 Pat McCabe Service Fellowship Program. This program provides motivated Scholars with project-based internships, workshops, personalized coaching and professional mentorship. Scholars gain work experience and personal and professional connections all while working at local mission driven non-profit organizations. “My internship at the National Center for Youth Law allowed me to understand the inner workings of the organization, and how the law can be used to help foster youth communities like my own. Now I am one step closer to my dream of becoming [...]
Staff Spotlight: Welcome Yadilena!
Yadilena and RTS Career Advisor, Adri, debrief during a recruitment trip to UCLA Earlier this year, Yadilena M. joined the RTS staff as a program coordinator. She is originally from Los Angeles, and a recent graduate of UCLA (Go Bruins!). Yadilena has a special connection with the mission of Ready to Succeed because not only is she a first-generation college student, she is also an RTS alum! Yadilena understands what many of our Scholars experience first hand, and shared that one of her biggest challenges during college was imposter syndrome and self-doubt. When she came to RTS as [...]
Holiday Fun: Gingerbread Houses
In December, because of your generosity, RTS hosted a night of gingerbread building and gift giving. Many Scholars, who may not have a family to celebrate with, will always have a RTS network of caring people all year round. While Scholars built gingerbread houses, and even a few gingerbread stadiums, they were also building social networks that will help them feel more secure and able to weather the challenges of college and career searching. RTS Alum Kristina C. shared, “When you have a foster care background there are many people who come in and out of your life. At RTS [...]
Friendsgiving Brings Scholars Together
New and old friends gathered for delicious food and deep conversation. Some students who were reunited at Friendsgiving realized that they had gone to the same high school, and even attended the same college without realizing they had so much in common. This and other events are just more examples of how you make Scholars feel supported. This support carries them through graduation, and helps ensure that they continue on track to their dream career. Highlights from this year: During Parents’ Weekend, RTS hosted Scholars for a day of go-karting bringing scholars together for fun, adventure and bonding [...]
Fall Fun Event: Go Kart Racing
Community building and connecting with peers is a critical component of academic and career success. So is having fun! During the fall months, many colleges and universities host "Family Weekends," but many former foster youth don't have a family they can invite to join them on campus. To help get those Scholar's through their last semester of the year, RTS hosted a Fall Fun Event: Go Kart Racing at K1 Speedway in Gardena. Scholars joined RTS staff members from colleges across Los Angeles and even UC Santa Barbara students got in on the activities. More than racing around the track, [...]
Workshop Spotlight: Fellowships
Last month, thanks to your support RTS was able to host a number of workshops aimed at providing Scholars with the skills and information that they need to succeed and advance their academic and career goals. RTS Career Advisor, Zoe Fried, led an online workshop A Bag of Money: Exploring Fellowship Opportunities. In this interactive workshops students heard from a former Fulbright East Asia-Pacific fellow, RTS Program Coordinator, Madison Braybrooke, who taught elementary English in Taiwan. For many of the young people in the workshop who attended large universities, this was their first time hearing about Fellowship Opportunities. The [...]
Run to Support RTS Scholars in the LA Marathon Next Spring!
Run to Support RTS Scholars in the LA Marathon Next Spring! RTS Alumna Julia R. Running in Support of RTS Scholars at the Ironman Race. There are many ways generous supporters like you could have an impact on the lives of RTS Scholars. This year, the McCourt Foundation, the foundation behind the LA Marathon, has selected Ready to Succeed as an official partner organization. This means that participants at the LA Marathon and Charity Half Marathon on Sunday, March 19, 2023 can fundraise in honor of RTS Scholars! Earlier this year, RTS alumna Julia R. ran in [...]
Event Recap: RTS Open House
Event Recap: RTS Open House Supporters like you ensure that Ready to Succeed Scholars have the resources, opportunities, and relationships that they need to thrive. For foster youth and first-gen Scholars, building relationships is a crucial part of building a network that could unlock the opportunities of their dreams. Last month, RTS Scholars got the chance to connect with dedicated volunteers Howard Spector and Deborah Brazil over coffee and donuts at El Granjero Cantina. After two years of virtual networking events, RTS Scholars were finally able to put their networking skills to the test in person! The beginning of [...]
Project Dorm Room at UCLA
Project Dorm Room at UCLA As part of our 2022 summer and fall Project Dorm Room program, we partnered with UCLA Bruin Guardian Scholars to distribute dorm room essentials and gift cards for college students impacted by foster care. These materials came directly from donations from supporters like you. You and 183 other generous supporters helped us raise $102,934 and ensured that 240 college students impacted by foster care had all of the dorm room essentials that they needed! Here are what some Project Dorm Room recipients had to say about what they received: “I signed up for extended [...]
Participating in the LA Marathon? Run to Support RTS Scholars!
Participating in the LA Marathon? Run to Support RTS Scholars! Every year, kind-hearted LA Marathon runners use their participation in the marathon as an opportunity to fundraise for their favorite causes. This year the McCourt Foundation, the foundation behind the LA Marathon, has selected Ready to Succeed as an official partner organization. This means that participants at the LA Marathon and Charity Half Marathon on Sunday, March 19, 2023 can fundraise in honor of RTS Scholars! All running levels are welcome. If you want your marathon or half-marathon run to ensure that foster youth and first generation college [...]
