For years, conservatives condemned the use of diversity statements by universities, which ask job applicants to detail their commitment to improving opportunities for marginalized and underrepresented groups.

But the use of diversity statements continued to grow and eventually became a requisite when applying for a teaching job at many of the country’s most selective universities. That seems to be changing.

In his new book, From Foster Care to College, Royel M. Johnson shines a light on an often-forgotten subset of students: those from foster care. 

Through capturing the lived experiences of foster youth in college, Johnson finds that, beyond the misconceptions that plague them, foster youth are a remarkably resilient group with college-going aspirations. They can also be reluctant to ask for help once they get there.

Photo: Elaine Cromie

For King Bethel, his music helped carry him through the pandemic, when COVID nearly took his mother’s life, when he practiced alone at home, and when he changed schools in hopes of more opportunity.

Bethel is among the millions of American high school students who spent their freshman year online. Now, he's heading to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He describes the pandemic as a defining moment, one that challenged his strength and sharpened his understanding of the fragility of life.