JUNE 2025 NEWSLETTER

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years of Rise Together Education. Seeing how much RTE not only changed my life, but continues to be a beacon of hope to others, fills my heart with joy. My dream of pursuing a career in education was only possible with RTE, and I will always be grateful. I look forward to seeing how RTE evolves in the next 10 years. To the current and future recipients of RTE, may you continue to dominate, flourish and break barriers.”

— Stephanie Estrada, BS and MS in Education San Francisco State University (Paly ‘15),

IN THE NEWS: 10 YEARS OF CARING AND MENTORING

The May 11th edition of the Palo Alto Weekly included the article below on RTE’s 10th Anniversary which returned to Stephanie Estrada’s years at Paly and how she inspired the founding of our organization.

SEEING IT THROUGH … When Stephanie Estrada was a senior at Palo Alto High School, her education didn’t always take the front seat. She spent the majority of her year homeless, sleeping in shelters and caring for her younger siblings, before moving into a family member’s house in East Palo Alto, Zoê Norall, a former Paly student, wrote in a message. When she was accepted to the college of her choice in 2015, San Francisco State University, she saw a path forward – until tuition fees got in the way. A full year’s tuition at the university cost over $20,000 at the time, and Estrada’s financial aid didn’t cut it. “I had a breakdown because I thought all my hard work was going to go to waste — all those all-nighters studying,” Estrada had previously told the Weekly. “I’m not going to get a chance to be something in life and go out there and get a career and go to school.” So, Palo Alto High School faculty rallied together to raise the money she needed to attend university, where she eventually received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. At that moment, school staff knew they wanted to continue the work and created the nonprofit Rise Together Education, which has been providing low-income students with tuition assistance and college and career mentoring for 10 years. Oftentimes, when students don’t know what to expect regarding tuition payment, they feel scared and take a step back, said Tida Violante, Rise Together Education board president – and that’s when the nonprofit steps in. “Mentorship is equally, if not, more important than the actual money itself. … We get the student on board in May, they meet their mentors, and then they stick with the mentors until they graduate from college, and then when they graduate from college, we also try to help them with their first job,” Violante said. And some students, she said, have even returned as mentors. So far, the nonprofit has served more than 130 students – 85% of whom are the first to attend college in their families – and distributed over $700,000 in scholarships. Now, a decade after the program was created, Rise Together Education seeks to expand by welcoming more alumni and mentors to its team, who can directly work with future students headed to college. “I have witnessed firsthand the profound impact this organization has had on our students’ futures,” Palo Alto High School Principal Brent Kline wrote in a public statement, calling the organization “extraordinary.” For more information about the nonprofit visit its website at risetogethered.org.

CELEBRATING A DECADE OF SERVICE WITH A FRESH NEW LOOK!

In honor of our tenth anniversary, RTE alumna Brooklyn Hutchinson (Paly Class of 2020, RIT Class of 2024) graciously redesigned our logo. We are so pleased with the results which echo our previous logo but also provide a fresh, new look. Bravo, Brooklyn!

DRUM ROLLS.. MEET OUR NEW COLLEGE GRADS!

RTE is proud of our 6 college graduates who earned their bachelor’s degrees this spring. Scholars’ profiles are posted here. Three of them were featured during our Spring Fundraising Campaign: Karla Suárez (SJSU - Forensics), Wumi Ogunlade (UCSC -Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and Legal Studies), and Esmeralda Villalobos Pérez (UCD - Psychology and Chicano Studies). Woohoo!

MENTOR PROFILE: JOHN FITTON

John Fitton is a Palo Alto resident with more than 38 years of public service in California. He worked as a college administrator at multiple universities, including UCLA, Santa Clara, SDSU, and Southern Oregon University. In his various professional roles at the college level, he acted as a counselor, advisor, and mentor for first-generation and low-income students. In addition to his work in higher education, John also served as the chief executive officer of the San Mateo County Superior Court in California for many years. 

John’s children attended Palo Alto High School and he has been volunteering with Rise Together Education for more than four years.

Q: Can you tell us more about your background?

A: I got my master’s in psychology counseling and later worked at Santa Clara University as a counselor and in student services. After Santa Clara, I worked for several other schools, including Southern Oregon University, where I specialized in student support services. Altogether, I spent roughly 22 years in higher education… Read more

WELCOME, PALY‘25 SCHOLARS!

RTE proudly welcomed our most recent scholar cohort.  Ten grads joined us from Paly’s Class of 2025. On May 20th, RTE held a New Scholar Orientation to allow the new scholars to meet with their mentors and learn about the ways RTE will support them as they embark on their college journeys. 

On May 29th, these ten RTE scholars were recognized at the annual Paly Senior Awards ceremony. Congratulations to all the Paly graduates from the Class of 2025.

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

Our Annual Spring Fundraiser was held from April 23 to May 6. We raised $27,625 towards our goal of $50,000. Thank you to those who were able to donate. It is only through your generosity that RTE can deliver on our mission. If you didn’t get a chance to donate, it’s never too late! Donate on our website - any amount is always appreciated.  

Our fundraising work is never done! If you work for Google and can help us with the Google Giving drive this fall, please contact us. Thank you!

www.RiseTogetherEd.org