The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Special to The Eagle by Mark Funk

The Governors’ Scholarship for Foster Youth helped Jessica Asmus bridge the financial gap she faced on her journey to getting her degree from Whitman College.

Upon graduating from Wahkiakum High School four years ago, Jessica received a Governors’ Scholarship award of $4,000 per year. Although her total tuition was more than that, the scholarship provided an important financial piece to her college education.

“I wouldn’t be graduating college without it,” Jessica said. “It’s true. People think I could get a loan, and I say, ‘No I couldn’t; I don’t have anyone to co-sign for a loan. You have your parents or grandparents, but I don’t have anyone.’”

Jessica, 21, was placed in foster care for the first time when she was just 6 years old. After her mother died when she was 9, Jessica was shuffled among relatives until she was 12, when she went to live with her biological father.

But that only lasted a couple of years. At the end of her ninth grade year, Jessica returned to foster care until she became an adult. In spite of her rough childhood, Jessica managed to stay focused on school and graduated from Wahkiakum High School in 2009 and will graduate from Whitman on May 19, 2013, with a bachelor’s degree in German studies.

Jessica is the featured speaker at the May 17, 2013, Governors’ Scholarship for Foster Youth awards reception, when 50 foster youth will be awarded scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $4,000, depending on their college of attendance.

The Governors’ Scholarship is administered by the College Success Foundation and helps young men and women from foster care continue their education and earn a college degree. The scholarships can be accessed for up to five years to complete an undergraduate degree.

“The Governors’ Scholarship really, really helps kids in a tough situation,” Jessica said. For foster youth who lack the financial safety net that a stable family provides, the scholarship “is just one of the most incredible gifts you can give kids in a tough situation.”