When Ottawa Hills native Pete Kadens announced two years ago he would cover all post-secondary education costs for 2020 Scott High School graduates and one of their parents, it was the boost Abena Rowland needed to get her life back on track.
Just a few months before, her home burned down, and her husband, Sean, died from smoke inhalation, she said. But with Mr. Kadens’ “HOPE Toledo promise” she knew her son Chris would have his post-secondary education paid for while she likewise had a newfound opportunity to further her education.
Now more than two years after Mr. Kadens made his pledge and formed Helping Our Population Educate — or HOPE Toledo — Ms. Rowland has emerged as the first beneficiary of the grant program to complete her education — graduating in December from Stautzenberger College with a certificate in addiction counseling. She now works as a case manager for Empowered for Excellence and assists young adults.
“[HOPE Toledo] was more like a miracle in disguise... the blessing in it is I didn’t know how much I would need this program because right in the middle of it is when my son was murdered,” she said, referring to the March 2, 2021, shooting death of her eldest son, 29-year-old Javon Porter. “The things I was dealing with at the time…I almost couldn’t finish.
“The classes that I was actually in weren’t just something I needed to pass — they helped me from what I was going through,” she added. “All of those classes about trauma and helping people deal with their grief encouraged me to keep pushing. And now, just the fact of being able to receive such as blessing and then, through the storms, be able to come through... it’s an honor.”
John Jones, CEO and executive director of HOPE Toledo, said between 120 and 150 Scott graduates and about 35 of their parent or guardians have taken advantage of the HOPE promise since Mr. Kadens made his pledge in January of 2020 — a promise which he extended to the 2021 Scott graduating class the following year and on Monday made a similar promise to graduates of five Chicago high schools.
Locally, there are some caveats with the promise, as it only applies to any accredited Ohio public college, university, or trade school, as well as Eastern Michigan University and Lourdes University. The program has set academic guidelines, such as maintaining a minimum 2.0-grade point average and attending monthly meetings with HOPE Toledo advisors to ensure that students are taking advantage of the opportunity.
When thinking back to two years ago, Mr. Jones said there were many questions as well as doubts about whether paying for graduates’ education was the best course of action. Some also questioned whether Mr. Kadens would follow through. But since then Mr. Kadens has expanded his promise to include schools in Chicago where he now lives while he now feels a sense of vindication after seeing Ms. Rowland overcome her obstacles to become HOPE Toledo’s first graduate.
“I believe she is a full picture that hope is real, that the efforts that we’re making have meaning and that it can change lives,” he said. “When people see [Ms. Rowland], I want them to see a picture of hope. She navigated through what arguably would have taken most individuals out, and so I want folks to see that and know that they too can do this.”
First Published March 2, 2022, 1:40 p.m.
