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EDITORIAL: Family overcomes despair by helping others pursue their education dreams

South Bend Tribune - 12/29/2019

Dec. 29--Larry and Sherry Swank could have been swallowed up by anger and despair when their 23-month-old son, Jaxson, died in a tragic accident.

Instead, they chose to establish a foundation in the toddler's name to help pay for the education of children who otherwise would not be able to afford it.

Called the JWAS Foundation in honor of their son -- Jaxson William Augustus Swank -- the foundation provides scholarships to children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The Swank family covers the foundation's operating expenses while additional financial support raised from other resources, such as wine dinners and auctions, goes directly to Jaxson Scholars.

Ten years ago a small event helped to raised $25,000 for the foundation. At the most recent dinner and auction at the Carriage House dining room, more than $600,000 was raised.

The foundation accepts applications every year from families with children ages 2 1/2 to 5 and whose parents earn at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, which is $60,625 for a family of four.

It's a rigorous application process. There were 25 applications last year, but the foundation accepts no more than one or two children a year.

The first student -- Jolie -- was selected from a family who was staying at the Center for the Homeless in South Bend. In 2008, Jolie began attending Good Shepherd Montessori School in South Bend and today she's a freshman at LaLumiere School in LaPorte. Her younger sister, Marilynn, is also a Jaxson Scholar and an eighth-grader at Good Shepherd.

A parent's grief over the loss of a child can never be understood, but the Swanks have turned their loss into something that benefits the community and carries on the memory of their son. In doing so they've set a great example and also helped to changed lives.

----Ivy Tech Community College has developed a program that helps students find the resources they need to stay on track with their lives while continuing their education.

Pod 7, an on-campus food pantry, does more than provide grab-and-go meals for South Bend and Elkhart students in need. It also provides counseling services.

It was created in response to an alarming number of Ivy Tech students dropping courses because they did not have support in meeting basic needs that contribute to overall student success.

Pod 7 began in 2016 with one binder of resources and a licensed health care navigator in one portable classroom. Today, students can stop by the Pod 7 Resource and Referral Center on South Bend and Elkhart County's campuses for assistance with anything from applying for health insurance to getting public housing information to child care referrals.

Pod 7 served roughly 230 students during the 2018-19 school year. So far this year, the resource center has served more than 300 Ivy Tech South Bend-Elkhart students.

Navigating college can be tough, especially when you consider all the demands in today's world. Pod 7 give students the support they need so they can concentrate on pursuing their education.

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(c)2019 the South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Ind.)

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