Monthly News for Our Donors & Partners

Thank you to all who contributed to the success of the “Celebrating Our Scholars” fundraising brunch on April 13 at Ursuline Academy. More than 80 scholars, mentors, parents, and friends gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of our scholars and raise funds to help them achieve their life goals through the pursuit of education.

Keynote speaker Amber Saeidi Asl shared her journey of being a Chatfield College student to now serving as a mentor with The Chatfield Edge. “By mentoring, I have the pleasure of following in the footsteps of some of my great mentors at Chatfield. I hope to be a resource for my mentee, Alissa, for many years to come. It has been a pleasure to hear of her achievements, recognize her difficulties, and suggest ways to make her goals a reality. And we discovered that by chance my mother was her kindergarten teacher!”

If you missed the event, there’s still time to help us reach many more student scholars and mentors before the end of June. Click here to donate today!

Please click here to take a short survey to help us plan future fundraising events.

The Chatfield Edge serves students of all ages and backgrounds. At our recent scholarship brunch, two of our students who are decades apart in age shared how they are benefitting from our support.

Jackie Schmidt obtained her associate degree from Chatfield College in the late 1990s while working full-time and raising two small children. She advanced in the corporate world, without any encouragement to pursue additional education. In her early 50s, her career came to a halt when she was affected by downsizing associated with the Covid 19 pandemic. When seeking a new job in her same field, she consistently found that she was lacking one required credential: a bachelor’s degree. Read more about how The Chatfield Edge is helping Jackie earn her bachelor’s degree at Purdue University Global.

In 2022, nearly 30 years after Jackie graduated, Arneqka Lester graduated with honors from Chatfield College. But her educational path was not without its challenges.

“I struggled when I was younger. I had complications throughout high school, hated school, and misbehaved,” Arneqka shared. “I came across Lighthouse Youth & Family Services one of the times I ran away. And that’s what got me thinking that I might want to help people in group homes or shelters.”

Today, with support from The Chatfield Edge, Arneqka is pursuing her bachelor’s degree at Mount St. Joseph University, hoping to give back to the community that has supported her. Read more about Arneqka’s story here.