Not all college students had a typical upbringing in a two-parent household.
Fostering Academics, Mentoring Excellence, otherwise known as FAME, is a resource center for those students at MSU who were previously in foster care, kinship care, or have experienced homelessness or living independently.
MSU alumna Angelique Day , who went through the foster care system herself, organized the program in 2007 to help students who experienced out-of-home care situations excel during their college careers.
“The program is voluntary, and we’re here to be a resource to meet the students’ needs,” said Andrea Martineau, program coordinator and FAME life skills coach .
Supported by the MSU School of Social Work, FAME has a financial assistance fund that offers scholarships to students.
“Part of the reason it’s valuable is kids in the foster care system don’t have many choices, time to create support, and connections maximize their potential — without some special efforts that often doesn’t happen,” said Director of the School of Social Work Steven Anderson. “It improves their life chances a lot.”
Through FAME, campus champions are set up in various departments on campus, such as financial aid and housing. These individuals serve as the main contact person to field FAME students’ questions.
The program also organizes an annual summer camp at MSU with individuals from across the nation and the student-run FAME Student Activity Board, which plans events throughout the year.
But mentoring and coaching are the two largest components of the assistance FAME provides students. Social work junior and President of the FAME Student Activity Board Sharonda Chaney said individual support gives students motivation to do well in school.
“With the coaching program they check up on you, make you set your goals for that year,” Chaney said. “‘Hey, I’m here for you’ would be what the mentoring program says to you because they want to provide everyone with support.”
Students in the program are paired with a coach, who also experienced out-of-home care at some point, and many said having that shared background makes them feel comfortable.
“Knowing that I have relationships with people, that I can talk to my coaches, is what I enjoy most,” Chaney said. “It helps guide you for success.”
