UW-Stout fund supports former foster care students

Dec. 6—MENOMONIE — During Stout Gives Back last year — UW-Stout's annual National Giving Day event — two donors who had never met matched each other's $2,000 gifts.

Following that, Viola Riebe of Melrose, Fla., and the anonymous donor came together again and decided to each make a gift of $15,000 to start the Fostering Success Program Endowment Fund in hopes that it would lend permanency to the program that supports students who were in foster care.

"For two complete strangers from opposite sides of the United States to come together because of a similar history and shared interests in supporting students — that doesn't happen often in our world of giving," said Brenda Thompson, senior development officer at Stout University Foundation.

For the third annual Stout Gives Back event on Nov. 30, Viola gave an additional $1,000 to Fostering Success as part of a matching gift challenge, in hopes of encouraging others to give.

Needed resources

The Fostering Success staff provides holistic support, guidance and resources for youth who have been in foster care, homeless or orphaned and who want to pursue higher education. Once at UW-Stout, the program educates students about grants and scholarships and provides leadership and involvement opportunities.

Donations provide stability to the program, allowing students to receive direct aid for scholarships and expenses, and the Fostering Success Closet, which provides students with food and household items, clothing, hygiene items and school supplies. There are 45 students in Fostering Success this academic year, up from 42 last year and 35 the year before.

Viola, who will turn 90 at the end of the month, grew up wanting a different life experience than her parents. Her family came from a poor background, and she did not benefit from her parents reading her books, she said.

"My mom would say she graduated from the 'School of Hard Knocks,'" she said. "I didn't agree with that. I believe education, education, education is a way out of a socio-economic situation."

When Viola entered nursing school, she found her situation was much different than her classmates'. She had no permanent address or phone number. She and her brother moved frequently, living temporarily with family friends.

In contrast, her husband, Herb, came from a privileged background, as the son of a U.S. rear admiral and dentist. Herb graduated from UW-Stout in industrial technology in 1957. He was working on a letter of intent to fund a UW-Stout scholarship before he died in 2002. "Herb cared deeply about Stout and thought his career came from the foundation of his education there," Viola said.

Viola visited UW-Stout that year to donate some of Herb's machinery to the School of Engineering. She was introduced to the Fostering Success program and immediately felt a connection to the students and the program's purpose.

"The most difficult thing to do is to ask for help, because society doesn't often offer it or believe you when you ask," Viola said. "And if you have an unmet need, it is harder to focus on academics.

"The most moral and ethical thing you can do is to share your wealth. To share gives me pleasure — to provide a safety net for those less fortunate."

Clearing hurdles

The biggest challenges for students in Fostering Success are financial barriers and the need for a trusted adult to support, guide and cheer them on. It's a common misconception that foster youth attend college for free, said Angie Ruppe, director of Student Support Services and Fostering Success.

"In the state of Wisconsin — even with an estimated family contribution of zero dollars, Pell grant and max student loans — foster youth have an unmet financial need, and many of our students are working full time while carrying a full credit load," she said.

National research shows that only 1% to 3% of former foster youth complete any type of secondary degree and that 40% to 50% of youth become homeless 18 months after aging out of care. When supported, former foster youth complete their college degrees at a similar rate as their nonfoster-care peers, an average of 72%, Ruppe explained.

Viola believes the university has an enormous task to invite these students to understand how important education is, as well as the cost and commitment they have to make. "Retention is a big issue," she said. "The Fostering Success staff support them in every way possible."