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FOSTER CARE TO SUCCESS KICKS OFF 2012 AIM HIGHER PROGRAM; CONNECTS FOSTER YOUTH W/ PRESTIGIOUS, CAREER-BUILDING INTERNSHIPS

FC2S Staff | June 14th, 2012

Washington, DC – On Thursday, Foster Care to Success (FC2S), a national nonprofit committed to helping foster youth attend and graduate from college ready to enter the workforce, kicked off their 2012 Aim Higher Fellowship program. Created in 1994, the program places outstanding FC2S students in prestigious internships in Washington, DC and other major cities across the U.S. and provides the assistance they need to participate.

“In this tough economy, an internship is more than a resume builder; it’s a critical step between college and the workplace,” said Foster Care to Success Executive Director Eileen McCaffrey. “Far too often, internships are unpaid and foster youth, without support from mom and dad, cannot afford to work unpaid. What’s more, often the best internships go to the children of friends and family, and foster youth may lack these connections. We’re proud to give these hardworking young people the same opportunities as their peers through Aim Higher.”

Each summer, FC2S brings a select group of students from across the country to participate in some of the most competitive internships in Washington, DC. The organization offers them not only transportation, housing and a stipend but the professional and cultural experiences unique to the nation’s capital.

This June, 19 students arrive in Washington, DC for internships in the halls of Congress and at organizations ranging from the American Bar Association to the Small Business Administration.

According to recent statistics, nearly 60 percent of interns are offered full-time paid positions by the companies they work for.

“For many foster youth, it’s simply a matter of getting their foot in the door,” McCaffrey said.

Since 1994, FC2S has brought hundreds of students to Washington, DC and helped others across the country launch their careers through InternAmerica. FC2S interns have worked at the White House, the Smithsonian Institution, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and on Capitol Hill. They have also worked at the Siemens Corporation, Burston-Marstellar, Hyatt Hotels, the Washington Hospital Center, Alliant Credit Union, Morgan Stanley, and the American Bar Association.

“Working at the American Bar Association allows me to get a closer look into not only social work but law as well. I am being challenged like never before and building lasting relationships with those who are my foundation for the future,” said Sean Hudson, a rising senior majoring in social work at the University of Alabama. “This wouldn’t even be possible if it wasn’t for Foster Care to Success’ Aim Higher program.”

Hudson plans to attend law school to study civil rights and juvenile justice / child welfare law after getting his masters degree in social work next year. He hopes to help others like himself who have been in the foster system.

Foster Care to Success (formerly Orphan Foundation of America) has been helping foster youth graduate since 1981. Specifically, they provide them with scholarships and grants; help them navigate the post-secondary education system; assist them in charting a viable career path; and advise them in everything from selecting the right classes to understanding financial aid.

Email comm@fc2success.org for more information.  Bios on Aim Higher fellows from AL, AR, AZ, CO, MD, MO, NC, NY, and OH available.

NOTE:  In 2013, Foster Care to Success changed the format of the Aim Higher Fellowship Program from internships to leadership and communications training.