When Paulette Parker’s daughter Crystal was preparing to start her career at Arizona State University in 2020, it was a dream come true for the Oakland, California, native.
The stay-at-home foster mom of two young children, ages 3 and 6, and three older biological daughters, was excited that Crystal was about to become a Sun Devil as a first-generation college student. But at one point she wasn’t sure the dream would happen.
“One day I was feeling confused, defeated and overwhelmed,” Parker said. “We were applying for scholarships, my family was helping with tuition, and my church gave me a sum of money, but it wasn't enough. We didn’t have a bank account or 401(k) that we could just tap into. Crystal was excelling academically, and I did not want her to stress over finances.”
Having attended ASU Family Orientation and Coffee Connection sessions via Zoom, Parker remembered hearing from ASU Family staff that "we are here to help." So she reached out and within a few days she was referred to a new ASU Family program called Direct Connect.
Through Direct Connect, families can connect one-on-one with ASU "family guides," volunteers who are family members of an ASU student, to ask questions about their experience at the university and get advice. Read more about Paulette's experiences here.
If you are interested in connecting with a Family Guide, please click here to fill out a short survey. If you would like to learn more about becoming a Family Guide, please compelte the Family Involvement form.
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