There was a time when Rachelle Cruz, M.F.A. ’12, had all but given up on getting her poetry collection published. A 10-year labor of love, she recalled sending out “ God’s Will for Monsters” 20-25 times before taking a two-year break from her attempts. As a last-ditch effort, Cruz submitted...

A decade ago, Tuppett Yates, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, launched the Guardian Scholars Program in the hopes of creating a support system for students who grew up in foster care. Beginning with four students who were provided $500 scholarships during the 2008-2009 academic year...