Photo credit: Tess Barend
High school students with learning disabilities often face great challenges when it comes to applying for and attending college. Petaluma-based advocate for students with learning disabilities, Tate Barend, has announced a fundraising drive for his inspirational Lift Off Scholarship to increase the impact and inspire the aspirations of the recipients.
Many students with Learning Disabilities have high IQ’s but neurological differences in brain structure and function affect their ability to receive, store, process, retrieve or communicate information. Because they learn differently students with learning disabilities face challenges in traditional school systems which often usher them towards their diploma instead of preparing for college.
UC Berkeley and Petaluma High School Alumni Tate Barend relates to this strongly after experiencing firsthand the difficulty for students like himself who wanted to successfully transition to higher education. In 2015, Barend founded with his own finances the Lift Off Scholarship with the goal of uplifting students with learning disabilities who have overcome the odds to pursue college.
“With the pandemic unraveling traditional education, I fear that students with learning disabilities are falling through the cracks," says Tate. "This is why I'd like to transition this scholarship to a larger non-profit that will increase the impact. To do this I need donations''
Although a corporate donor or an individual who has the passion and resources to provide longevity to this local scholarship in the future would be ideal in Tate's quest for funding, every donation, of any amount, will help young recipients realize their potential by inspiring those with a learning disability that they have the power to go after their dreams.
Tate launched his initial Lift Off scholarship after receiving a scholarship from 10,000 Degrees in high school. "I instantly felt the support that the organization provided through its Near-Peer Fellow who checked up on me throughout the semester," he explains. "College is an intense and confusing place. I hope the additional support will provide each annual recipient the added support to go after his/her dreams!”
“I'm asking for people who care to open up their hearts and help with donations of any size, large or small. It can make a huge difference in a student with a learning disability’s life, knowing people care and support their dreams enough to donate and fund the Lift Off Scholarship in partnership with non-profit 10,000 degrees. Receiving the scholarship is for many with learning disabilities the first time in an academic setting they have been awarded and recognized for their hard work. I've seen the power of recognizing this struggle for students with learning disabilities.”
It can be hard to understand the challenges a student with learning disabilities faces, unless a person has walked a similar path through school and life. Graduating high school is often the highest goal set for a student who struggles in traditional academic systems.
“The average high school graduation rate for students with disabilities, is 67.1 percent, according to the latest data [in 2017]. That’s 17.5 percentage points lower than the 84.6 percent rate at which all students graduated” wrote Carol Cohen, a former director at the National School Boards Association.
The Lift Off scholarship was started since many students with learning disabilities have a hard time competing for scholarships that are based on academic achievements because although they work as hard if not harder than many of their peers it's not always reflected in a high GPA.
“Research shows standardized testing struggles often disqualify high school LD students for institutional and state merit scholarships,” writes Stephanie A. Knight of Beacon College.
Tate's scholarship is specifically for students with learning disabilities to acknowledge their efforts and offer support and encouragement when they take the next step in pursuit of their dreams.
The Lift Off Scholarship has supported six years of graduates from Petaluma High School. The next chapter of the Lift Off Scholarship is to partner with 10,000 Degrees — a leading college success nonprofit in California.
Partnering with 10,000 Degrees will enable the scholarship to provide academic and financial support for all four years of a student's college and expand it to all of Marin and Sonoma County’s public high schools.
Any High School Seniors with learning disabilities no matter the GPA who have aspirations for higher education may apply to the scholarship at 10,000 degrees website by March 2nd.
Please consider donating to Tate's fundraising drive by clicking here so that he may continue to inspire students with learning disabilities to believe in themselves and reach for the stars. If you have any questions for him reach out at liftoffscholarship@gmail.com.
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