Raised in a traditional Mexican-American household in Los Angeles and later placed in foster care as a child, Murillo moved between homes before finding her way to Humboldt. “I wanted to get away from the city and be surrounded by trees,” says Murillo, who was a transfer student at the time. “When I learned Humboldt offered the Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies program, I knew this was where I wanted to be.”
Just before moving to Humboldt in January 2024, she connected with ELITE Scholars Director Sasheen Raymond, who invited her to meet other students in the program over lunch. “I connected with other students and didn’t feel ashamed of my background because we understood each other. That was beautiful.”
"Utilizing a strengths-based approach, ELITE Scholars works to support students holistically as they not only navigate their academics but also their development as individuals. I feel blessed to have worked with all these amazing students over the years. They keep me invigorated in the work and motivated as I watch them go out and make the world a better place,” says Sasheen Raymond, coordinator ELITE Scholars and the Indian Tribal & Educational Personnel Program.
Cal Poly Humboldt’s ELITE Scholars Program was established in 2009 under the leadership of founding director Adrienne Colegrove-Raymond, currently the Special Assistant to the President for Tribal & Community Engagement. Since then, the program has supported foster youth, guardianship, and homeless students.
To date, 391 former foster youth have enrolled at Cal Poly Humboldt, with 51% of those students graduating with a bachelor’s degree. Among Elite Scholar alumni, 22 have earned master’s degrees, eight are currently pursuing graduate studies, and two have completed doctorates.
These outcomes far exceed national averages. Studies have found that only 3–4% of former foster youth nationwide obtain a four-year college degree, and just 2–6% complete a two-year degree.
ELITE Scholars helps foster youth navigate college throughout their entire college career, shaping the trajectory of their educational experience. The program offers peer and professional mentoring, connects students with mental health and wellness resources, and also assists with everyday responsibilities such as registering a car and applying for housing.
“It’s also nice to have a community of students who understand what you are going through. The program helped me survive and thrive,” Murillo says.
Encouraged by the program to “reach for the moon,” she applied and was accepted to a prestigious research fellowship in Mexico studying structural violence against women. Working with one of Mexico’s leading professors in the field, she learned to conduct culturally sensitive research and publish academic work.
Murillo now serves as a Peer Health Educator, an internship made possible through ELITE Scholars, and she is preparing for graduate school. “Very few foster youth make it to the university level,” she says. “ELITE Scholars makes sure foster youth don’t just get to Humboldt. It helps students like me succeed.”
For more information about the Elite Scholars Program, visit humboldt.edu/elitescholars.