By Kelly Finzer On Wednesday, April 10th, Gina Gallagher, Dr. Burkhardt, and I joined with some outstanding high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Baldwin High School for dinner at Ann Arbor favorite, Pizza House.  These students were on a tour of nine colleges in Southeastern Michigan, gathering information and ideas about the different types [...]

Jaqueline (Jaqui) Duarte is wrapping up her senior year as a proud wolverine at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (GO BLUE!).  She is pursuing a degree in Sociology with a minor in Latina/o Studies.  She was born and raised in the Windy City, Chicago, IL.  Jaqui is very interested in education policy, more specifically higher [...]

By John Burkhardt Last week I was in Fort Worth, Texas visiting with an individual who has directed some of his wealth to support colleges and university students in their efforts to learn about the role of philanthropy in U.S. society.  His foundation has provided $100,000 to allow UM students in our ED 769 class [...]

We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to our funders, and their continued generosity and support of our work. Below is a list of our previous funders. For more information on specific funded projects, please visit our Funded Projects page. To view our current funders, visit the Current Funding Partners page. Previous Funders American College Personnel Association [...]

In spring of 2012, the National Forum was invited to partner with Focus: HOPE to create a research project about education attainment and culture in the community.  Focus: HOPE is a civil rights organization founded in 1968 that serves the community in the HOPE Village neighborhood of Detroit.  For over forty years, Focus: HOPE has [...]

Kathy is a third year dual masters student in public policy and higher education at the University of Michigan and is a graduate of the University of Florida in Criminology with a focus on juvenile justice.  Her desire to improve educational outcomes for underserved students led her to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in [...]

Over the past couple years, the National Forum has partnered with leaders of the Brightmoor community, a neighborhood in the northwest region of Detroit, to promote and establish a college access network for Brightmoor youth and adults.  Assisting in this task is Raquel K. Welch-Johnson, an AmeriCorps member within the Mentor Michigan College Coaching Corps [...]

Throughout life we are all tasked with dilemmas regarding our reasoning for existence.  Discovering your life’s purpose isn’t always easy, and getting some insight as to your purpose can certainly help you get some focus and clarity on your path.  No matter what culture, race, religion, or gender, we all have had that one time [...]

Ally is currently a senior at the University of Michigan, pursuing a degree in both Communications and Sociology.  She was born and raised in Rochester, Michigan.  This is her first year at the Forum as a communications assistant, and she is excited to finally have an experience that will integrate her double major.  In addition [...]

Merranda McLaughlin is currently a freshman at the University of Michigan in the school of LSA, and she is planning to double major in Psychology and English.  Her future plan is to become a psychologist in an in-resident facility for adolescents.  Merranda is originally from Kentwood, Michigan.  Currently at UM she is involved in UROP [...]