Rasmussen University celebrates $20K giving milestone for the "I Have A Dream" Foundation

Since its founding in 1981, the “I Have A Dream” Foundation has served nearly 18,000 children from under-resourced communities nationwide, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. That connection to first-generation college students is one of the reasons why Rasmussen continues to support the organization. During the Summer 2022 term, 38 percent of Rasmussen University students self-identified as first-generation.

“Rasmussen University is actively involved in the communities we serve. We believe higher education access and opportunity is a critical vehicle for changing lives and communities—and this partnership with the ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation is such a perfect alignment of our respective missions,” says Dr. Savitri V. Dixon-Saxon, senior vice president and provost at Rasmussen University. “The Foundation works to prepare first-generation students for higher education and Rasmussen’s faculty, staff and support services are committed to helping our students be successful as they pursue that dream of a college degree.”

Not only can higher education help improve a person’s lifetime earning potential,¹ it can also show them they are capable of achieving great things.

“Our mission at Rasmussen includes empowering students, faculty and staff to succeed through academic excellence, community enrichment and service to the public good. We encourage our students to dream large, connect the dots from their passion to their purpose, cement their confidence and go out to make the world a better place,” says Dixon-Saxon.

Funds donated through the partnership provided emergency grants to Foundation Dreamers and families to help address additional financial strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including laptops and Wi-Fi boosters to support virtual learning, personal protective equipment and grocery store gift cards to combat food insecurity.

“We at the ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Rasmussen University, which could not have come at a better time. Rasmussen’s generosity allowed us to extend the services we provided to our Dreamers and their families, allowing them to continue to attend school, work and—at times—keep food on the table,” says Eugena Oh, president and chief executive officer for the “I Have A Dream” Foundation.

Through its on-going referral program, the University is on pace to reach $25,000 in giving to the “I Have A Dream” Foundation by this fall. Along with supporting this important organization, prospective students referred to Rasmussen may also be eligible for the University’s Change a Life Scholarship, which can save students up to $500 on their tuition. To learn more about Rasmussen University’s referral program, visit www.rasmussen.edu/trailblazer.

The "I Have A Dream" Foundation^® is a registered trademark of the "I Have A Dream" Foundation Corporation.

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics, [salary data accessed April 4, 2022] https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm.