Students in the homecoming parade

RISE Scholars Program

Resilience. Independence. Support. Empowerment.

The RISE Scholars Program is dedicated to supporting students with lived experience in foster care, kinship care, adoption, child welfare involvement, or other experiences of being raised apart from their parents or primary caregivers. We are a supportive and empowering network of alumni, advocates, and allies. Nationally, only about 10% of foster/kinship care alumni pursue a four-year degree, and just 3% graduate. RISE exists to change that statistic.

United by lived experience in the child welfare system, our mission is to help one another reach our full academic and personal potential by creating pathways to college success, lifelong connections, and generational change. 

Students posing with the victory bell

RISE is Dedicated To:

  • Cultivating a sense of belonging
  • Promoting academic achievement
  • Encouraging personal development
  • Advocating for the unique needs of students with lived experience

Real support. Real connection. You belong here.

Are you interested in joining RISE?  Please complete the enrollment form!

RISE Events and Activities

Check out the full list of our events and activities on engage

Rise Staff

Tiffany Dixon

Tiffany Dixon Headshot

Student Advocacy and Engagement Specialist
 216 Turley Center 
 Tiffany.Dixon@fairmontstate.edu

Leah Govic

Leah Govic Headshot

Program Coordinator
 216 Turley Center
 Leah.Govic@fairmontstate.edu

Emily Swain

Emily Swain Headshot

Director of Middle College and RISE
 216 Turley Center
 Emily.Swain@fairmontstate.edu

RISE Annual Report

When RISE launched in 2025, we set high goals in hopes of making a big impact for system-involved students at Fairmont State University. Now, one year later, we have exceeded those goals and expanded the program to reach even more students. 

2025-2026 Successes

Goals Results
Engage a total of fifteen students in RISE SCHOLARS PROGRAM programming during the first semester of the 2025-26 academic year. 20+ students engaged, including an additional 19 students who enrolled as RISE SCHOLARS PROGRAM members.
Create a university network of 20 allies and advocates who actively participate in opportunities to learn from, engage with, and support students who identify as having lived experience during the first semester of the 2025-26 academic year. Established The Lift Alliance and achieved 21 regularly engaged volunteers. Also obtained additional consistent volunteer organizations and advocates.
Establish a 3–5-person student leadership team during the spring semester, who will facilitate planning act as liaisons between staff and students. Elected 5 student leaders and hosted an annual coaching and planning retreat to enhance their communication and leadership skills in spring 2026.
A group of people standing in front of a water fall

RISE Student Leaders

Cora Collier: President

 

Nina Tasker: Vice President

 

Andrew Fisher: Secretary 

 

Mykayla Stadler: Social Chair  

 

Haleigh Haines: Middle College 

RISE Offers:

  • Campus Navigation Support
  • Extracurricular Experiences
  • Community Dinners & Activities
  • Professional Networking
  • Connection with Broader Alumni & Advocate Community
  • Mentorship
  • Service Opportunities 
  • Educational Advising & Advocacy
  • Transition Resources
  • Policy Transformation & Advocacy Opportunities 
Students at a paint and sip event
A student sitting in a dorm working on a laptop

Middle College at Fairmont State

Middle College at Fairmont State University is a specialized academic and student success support program created for West Virginia youth who have experienced foster care. Middle colleges are common in American education and are pathways for 11th and 12th grade students to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and an associate degree (or college credit toward a bachelor’s degree). Middle College at Fairmont State is unique in that it solely serves youth who have experienced foster care.

Learn More about Middle College