For many Penn State students, a helping hand or word of guidance is as close as a phone call to Mom or Dad. Care packages show up at their dorm room regularly, and they come to college equipped with all the school supplies they might need.
Students who grew up in the foster-care system often aren’t so lucky—but that doesn’t mean Penn State students are left to figure things out on their own. The Fostering Lions Program helps fill in the gap of care and resources that former foster youth may experience.
When the powers-that-be at Penn State first approached the idea of creating a university-based program for students who had been foster children, “there was nothing like this in Pennsylvania,” says Child Maltreatment Solutions Network's Cheri McConnell. McConnell’s title within the Fostering Lions Program at Penn State is technically “coach,” but a conversation with her proves just how much more complex—and important—her role is than just that simple word.
Read more about Fostering Lions and McConnell's role in this StateCollege.com article.