‘My Story Didn’t End Where It Could Have’
After believing a college degree was unattainable, new Rutgers–Camden graduate Gichera Loman plans to pursue a master’s degree. Her success is in large part thanks to a donor-supported Rutgers program for students who have experienced the child welfare system or are at risk for homelessness.
For Gichera Loman, growing up in foster care for years and facing its many challenges made a college education seem unreachable. Today, however, she is the first in her family to earn a college degree, graduating from Rutgers University–Camden with a bachelor’s degree and a double major in health science and psychology.
“I honestly never knew I would make it this far,” says Loman, who plans to pursue a master’s in health care management. “There were moments where it felt like life kept stacking obstacles in front of me, but I kept pushing anyway. Looking at graduation now, it doesn’t just feel like finishing school—it feels like proof that my story didn’t end where it could have.”
Graduating feels overwhelming “in the best way—almost unreal. There’s a deep sense of pride, but also reflection on everything it took to get here,” she says.
After graduating from Cherry Hill High School West in South Jersey, Loman attended Rutgers–Camden where she received the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Scholarship and participated in the Rutgers School of Social Work’s Institute for Families (IFF) Fellows program. Funded completely by private donations, IFF supports Rutgers undergraduates in Camden and New Brunswick who have had lived experience in the child welfare system or are at risk for homelessness.
Loman says scholarships and the IFF program played a major role in getting her to this point. Beyond financial help, they provided the encouragement and confidence she needed to thrive and excel.
“It was support that lifted a burden and allowed me to stay focused on school when life was already heavy,” she says. “It meant I didn’t have to give up when things got difficult, and it gave me the chance to keep moving forward when I didn’t always have the resources to do it alone.”
For more about Rutgers Institute for Families Fellows program and how donors make a difference, read “Helping Former Foster Youth Find a Home at Rutgers” from August 2025.
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