Our Story

Breaking the cycle of poverty one student at a time.

This is the mission of Joya Scholars. And education is the key.

The Garnet Neighborhood in the City of Fullerton, also known as the Gem District, is five small blocks where more than 1,200 low-income children make their home. This neighborhood, in the middle of one of the wealthiest counties in the country, is marked by one startling statistic:

There have been no college graduates to emerge from Garnet over the last decade.

Every child deserves access to a college education. Yet many from this neighborhood are unaware this is an option. And those who do find it difficult to navigate the often complex process that is college admissions. Yet without a vision for college, the alternative for many of these kids is bleak: dropping out of high school, a life on the streets, teen pregnancy, or working low-paying jobs is often what awaits them. We're changing that.

Joya Scholars is a non-profit collaborative organization with the simple goal of inspiring and preparing students from the Garnet Neighborhood for college and university. Many graduates we hope, will return to their neighborhood to invest in other kids and families bringing transformation and hope. This is where we need your partnership.

Our students rely on you and the generous support of other individuals, corporations, churches, and foundations. It is only with your involvement that students and their families from the Garnet Neighborhood can aspire to college, be nurtured by loving and supportive mentoring, and have access to the best in educational and life-skills training so that each student can reach their goals and be successful.

When you give, you are offering far more than your time, money or your talent. You are opening up the imagination of a child to a new world. You are providing the valuable gift of opportunity, vision, encouragement, and hope – through education. Please join us in overcoming poverty one student a a time.