Guardian Scholars Program: Susan Kischmischian, Outreach & Program Coordinator and Angelica Perez, Co-Coordinator & Case Manager

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This month, the Division of Student Affairs would like to highlight Susan Kischmischian (left) and Angelica Perez (below) for their hard work and contribution to the Guardian Scholars Program (GSP). The Guardian Scholars Program is a campus support program for unaccompanied homeless youth, under the McKinney Vento Act. The program provides services to students such as academic advising, career advising, professional mentoring, priority registration, emergency funding, internship opportunities, and community building.

This program is eligible to students who are foster youth, dependent or ward of the court, an emancipated minor, orphan, homeless or at-risk of being homeless, and guardianship. With only 3% of foster youth graduating from four-year universities statistically, the GSP program offers students solid foundations, as well as assures students have a sense of belonging, support, guidance, advocacy, and have a safe place to go to.

According to Mrs. Kischmischian, her favorite part of working for the GSP is being able to work at Sacramento State’s commencement ceremonies: “It is one thing to see all the graduates excited, relieved, teary-eyed and filled with joy, as a whole, but to see one of our GSP students graduate, is a whole new level of joy for me. It is such an honor to see the students dressed up in their graduation cap and gown, but to see them cross the stage with their big smiles is a heartfelt memory for me. I try to greet the students as they exit the arena to give them a “congratulations” and a big hug of ‘you did it!’”
Thank you to Susan Kischmischian and Angelica Perez for your dedication to bettering the student experience.


Written By: Carina Arroyo '22