Every Child’s Hope Scholarship Recipient Uses Education to Pay it Forward

“Genuinely, I would not have been able to pursue my master’s degree if not for Every Child’s Hope (ECH) [based in St. Louis] and the scholarship from the Carroll family,” says Jen (name changed for privacy), a 24-year-old graduate student and former Steppingstone resident. “It’s lifted a massive amount of weight and offered freedom to pursue a career in social work, where I’m going to be able to support people the way Steppingstone supported me.”

Jen’s journey with ECH began in 2020, just before her 19th birthday, when she made the difficult decision to leave an unsafe home and enter the Kansas City Steppingstone transitional living program.

She remembers the stark contrast between the day she arrived and the day she left. “I walked in terrified and uncertain about reality, feeling childish and unstable,” she says. “But then, that first night, I felt peace, like I could finally breathe. Three years later, I left with confidence, direction, and purpose.”

At Steppingstone, Jen gained stability through weekly meetings with a case manager who offered consistent support in a way she had never experienced. She received free therapy sessions. She learned emotional strategies such as boundary setting, as well as practical life skills like completing FAFSA forms and grocery shopping on a budget. Perhaps most importantly, Jen was given the space and a safe place to heal.

In 2022, Jen was awarded the Henry Eugene Carroll and Elsie Aufmuth Carroll Scholarship. The scholarship fund has provided $310,000 to 85 ECH clients across Missouri over the past seven years. The fund was set up by the Carrolls’ son, Gene, in their memory.

Through the scholarship, she was able to earn her bachelor’s degree in social work in 2025 and is now completing her master’s, set to graduate in 2026. Jen will soon begin her career as a therapist—coming full circle to offer others the same steady care and guidance that once changed the course of her own life.

Hope is at the heart of everything we do at ECH, our name reflecting a promise to the youth we serve,” says Julia Adami, CEO. “A glimmer of hope can be enough to change the trajectory of someone’s life and, in the best case, move them toward the things that set their soul on fire so they can make an impact of their own.”

“Jen’s story is the perfect example of that,” Adami adds. “A young woman who once found hope through our Steppingstone program will soon be a licensed social worker, walking alongside children and families facing their own challenges. Every life Jen touches throughout her career will feel the ripple effect of the care and support she experienced at ECH. The hope that helped unlock her potential is the same hope that will now touch countless others through her work.”