Biddy Mason foundation awards nearly $100K in scholarships to LA County foster youth

The Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation (BMCF) hit a milestone this August when it awarded nearly $100,000 in scholarships to current and former foster youth from LA County. Now in its seventh year distributing the awards, 2024 also marked the nonprofit’s highest number of applicants and recipients to date, with winners in all eight service planning areas in LA. Among the recipients, 31 were from the San Gabriel Valley.

“Submissions increased 75 percent over 2023, and we’ve awarded approximately $650,000 in scholarship aid since 2018,” says Dr. Cynthia Hudley, BMCF board member who runs the scholarship program. The amount is notable, adds BMCF CEO and President Jackie Broxton, given that the program launched with an unsolicited $30,000 gift from a single donor. “We’re grateful to have been able to impact the lives of so many current and former foster youth in such a meaningful way.”

Foster youth face arduous barriers to completing their education, including frequently changing schools and a lack of familial support, financial resources, and access to college-preparatory programming. To help them overcome these challenges, the nonprofit imposes no age limit on their scholarship, and applicants pursuing any vocational program or college degree can apply, including community college or graduate school students.

At the ceremony celebrating the recipients, BMCF board member Dr. Krystal Bowen shared her own story going from foster care to single motherhood to her successful career as a psychologist. She left the crowd with a crucial reminder: “Education is your most powerful weapon.”