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Scholars' Hope Foundation 

Building the Foundation for Success

Founded 1997

Scholars' Hope Foundation was founded in 1997 in Huntington Beach, California. It is currently run by our CEO, Colleen Mensel. We have evolved through the years to meet the ever-changing demands that students face in their education and in life.

As of 2020, we have moved to an all online platform in hoping to expand our reach and include students in need of our one of a kind program all over the United States. This move has allowed us to implement much more one on one guidance for your student.

Our team is highly trained to address your students' unique needs. We provide online personalized attention and support that will motivate your child to actualize their full potential.

Our Mission

Through whole child instruction, Scholars’ Hope’s mission is to lay a balanced foundation for success through academic, social and emotional development to achieve personal well being, essential life skills, and a lifelong love of learning.  

21st Century Whole Child Approach

Why:

We are at a pivotal point in human history in which student stress levels are at an all time high. At Scholars’ Hope, we firmly believe the social-emotional wellness of every student impacts their ability to succeed academically. 

 

What:

Scholars’ Hope Foundation is a supplemental enrichment program. Our proven, whole child approach provides each student with the vital skills necessary to navigate life’s stressors by becoming the best version of themselves. 


How: 

We utilize 1 to 1 and group coaching, academic support, and the development of emotional intelligence to support resilient, confident and successful students. 

 

What We provide: 

  •   Personalized, one on one and group coaching with a credentialed teacher

  •   Regular access to a credentialed guidance counselor 

  •   Individualized college readiness advising  

  •   Career development support 

Learning POD SEL Program

Meet The Team

We have high quality, trained staff that addresses your child's individual needs. We provide online personalized attention and support that will motivate your child to actualize their full potential. 

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Colleen Mensel

Chief Executive Officer

 Colleen has been with Scholars’ Hope since 2011.  In her time with SHF, she has led the organization and stewarded its growth from a field trip based program to an in depth academic and social emotional learning environment based on the latest educational research.  

Credentialed teacher

Hanna Tran
 Elementary & Middle School Educator

Hanna is a credentialed teacher, she holds a Masters degree in Education from UC Irvine. She has been working with students in the field of education for over 7 years. She is currently a Reading Intervention Teacher at a public school in Orange County. Her goal is to equip students to become lifelong learners that will continue to thrive as they transition into high school. She also has a passion for art and believes every student is an artist ready to create their own masterpiece.

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Tara Polich
High School Educator & Community Liaison 

Tara attended college at Cal State San Marcos where she received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She went on to graduate school at Alliant International University where she earned a Master of Arts in Education with a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential in School Psychology. Over a span of 10 years, Tara has extensive experience working with children and adolescents of all ages in both home and school environments. She has a passion for ensuring every student reaches their full potential and has the opportunity to succeed in their academics regardless of any obstacles that may be in their way.
 

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Marisol Farfan
Program Coordinator 

Marisol has a Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation Services from Cal State LA. She has worked in the Nonprofit environment for ten years, providing academic support to students experiencing homelessness, and has experience implementing recruitment strategies. She is passionate about doing work with a purpose and making a difference for future generations.

Board of Directors

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Emily Zhou
Director of Education 

Emily has her Masters in School Counseling with a Concentration in Bilingual School Counseling and her Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of San Francisco. Emily has provided social emotional school counseling to students from various grade levels, including elementary, middle, and high school. She believes social emotional learning plays an integral role in students' academic achievement and growth. She also has experience as a college counselor guiding high school students step-by-step throughout the application and admissions process. Emily loves supporting her students and connecting with them.

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Lauren Ventimiglia
Social Media & Website Design Specialist 

Lauren has been with Scholars' Hope Foundation since 2017. She oversees all of our Social Media  and website design. She has her Associates of Arts in Sciences from Everett Community College . She is passionate about making sure that anyone who wants to succeed can with the right guidance from Scholars' Hope.

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Claudia Gomez Psychologist

Claudia R. Gomez has

worked with our parent

program for two years. She is

a Spanish-speaking

credentialed School

Psychologist from San Diego

State University.

She has worked in the high

school setting for 17 years by

providing social/emotional

counseling services for

students of all grades.  She

also coordinates intervention

meetings to address

difficulties with academics,

attendance or behavior. One

of her passions is working

with parents and providing

information and resources

related to adolescent

development.

Roni Ellis 

Chair of the Board

Principal, J.H. Mcgaugh Elementary

Los Alamitos Unified School District

Stan Mullin 

Vice Chair of the Board

Managing Member,

Mullin Capital & Asset Management, LLC

Mark Czepiel 

Treasurer of the Board

CFO, Menlo Micro

Toni Gregory

Secretary of the Board

Retired Educator

Dede Markel

Member at Large

Assistant Fund Controller,

Capital Group Companies

Cameron Jalbert

Member at Large

Chartered Financial Consultant, ChFC

Chatterton & Associates 

Go Team

Board of Directors

Our Partners & Supporters

Ueberroth Family Foundation

Crevier Family Foundation

Fluor Foundation

Wells Fargo Foundation

Western Digital

DevTo Foundation

Green Family Foundation

NFL Foundation

Orange County Community Foundation

Tony & October Gonzalez

Teach a Man to Fish Foundation

US Bank Foundation

Assistance League of Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach City School District

Huntington Beach Union High School District

Finance Lab

2019-2020

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