Page 4 - 2020-21 Women's Fund Brochure

MAKING AN IMPACT
“David” is a smart guy who entered high school with serious problems at home—a mother mired in substance abuse and an abusive father who could not accept his gay son. Caring for his mother, avoiding his father, and struggling with his own identity, David had no confidence and, by his own admission, was unlikely to
make it through school.
Enter the Academy for Success, a local high school program that provides academic and emotional support for students who identify themselves as not likely to make it to graduation. “The Academy changed my life,” said David—who not only graduated, he went on to earn a
college degree in psychotherapy and is working on his master’s.
“I want to focus my work on under-represented populations, especially Latino families.” Starting at home, David helped his mom into a treatment program and has established a relationship with his father.
272 Academy for Success students have graduated since 2008. The program has a 98% graduation rate.
A $60,000 Women’s Fund grant in 2016 funded mental health services and helped the Academy expand to all three Santa Barbara high schools.
For more information, visit:
sbefoundation.org/the-academy-for-success
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