A Flourishing Partnership

Pictured above: Mariana Acevedo ’16, Dan Waage, All Saints' Director of Enrollment Management, and Pam Fronk-Cole, Executive Director, The Challenge Foundation Phoenix

Last Thursday night, Manning Hall was packed with supporters of the Challenge Foundation. All Saints’ alum, Mariana Acevedo, was the keynote speaker. As she spoke about her experiences with Challenge, an important line from her speech stood out to me. She shared, “You have always helped me feel seen,” as a person, a learner, and a leader. Both the Challenge Foundation and All Saints’ strive for all of our students to feel this way. 

Mariana is the first Challenge Foundation Scholar to go through the Phoenix program. After graduating from Xavier College Preparatory, she earned the highly competitive Questbridge Scholarship, which provided a full scholarship to Pomona College. Mariana completed four internships in college, including positions with Ivy Brain Tumor Institute at Barrow Neurological Center, the Desert Botanical Garden, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Challenge Foundation. This spring, she will graduate with a degree in Molecular Biology. 

As Mariana talked about herself as a learner in college she shared that her “whole life feels like a mission to understand something greater.” We are incredibly proud of Mariana, all of our past and present Challenge Scholars, and the partnership created eleven years ago. We are proud to house the Phoenix Challenge Foundation office on our campus in the former front office.

The Challenge Foundation’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty through educational opportunities. Challenge Foundation Scholars complete a rigorous scholarship application process before being evaluated for admission to All Saints’. Once accepted, Scholars receive robust support throughout their time at All Saints’, during high school, and through their college experience. Resources extend beyond tuition, including mentorship, social services, and much more.

From six scholars entering middle school in 2013, our partnership has flourished over the last decade with sixty-six current Challenge Scholars from fifth grade through college. All of the Scholars now in high school and college are proud All Saints’ alumni. 

The growth of this program is all thanks to the enormous support and shared commitment to the importance of education— as evidenced by the crowd turnout that night. Creating real change takes more than just funding—we have to provide universal support through our philosophy, our commitment of time, and our community philanthropy. The Challenge Foundation places mentors with students, supports college admissions, and provides ongoing collaboration and support in a variety of other ways. We are honored to have the Challenge Foundation as a partner in our community, in our mission, and in our work.

To learn more about The Challenge Foundation please visit their website or contact Pam Fronk-Cole, Executive Director, Arizona.