Investing in Foreign Female Scholars

I was introduced to the U.S. nonprofit organization SHE-CAN by a community member when I was asked to participate in the group's mentoring program. I just fell in love with this organization, as SHE-CAN (Supporting Her Education Changes A Nation) focuses on rebuidling former war-torn countries through bringing young female scholars to the United States for college.

These young women don't have access to the type of higher-education opportunities in their home countries. After receiving their degree in the U.S., SHE-CAN scholars return to their communities to support the rebuilding process.

SHE-CAN Scholars are vetted by the organization and then are matched with a group of mentors who guide them through the college application and financial aid process. When the Scholars arrive, mentors help them adjust to college life and act as their family during their college stay—hosting them during holidays, visiting campus during family weekends, and communicating with them regularly.

Although I do not have the bandwidth in my schedule to be a mentor and commit to 5 years of mentoring due to having three teenage children, I have committed to donating for 5 years to help support the financial needs of a scholar.

SHE-CAN is making a big impact in the lives of these women and the many people whom they touch after returning home. The website demonstrates the true impact this organization is having on developing capabilities of young women to be leaders in these countries that are in desperate need of leadership.

I hope to be a mentor to a young scholar one day—I know it will be a mutually rewarding experience.

By Andrea Bloom, Pleasanton, CA, United States