St. Louis Graduates

Transforming Lives through
Postsecondary Education Equity

Who We Are

St. Louis Graduates is a collaborative network of K-12 and higher education, youth serving non-profit organizations, business and philanthropy committed to eliminating equity gaps in postsecondary educational attainment for low-income students and Black students.

CO-CHAIRS

Trent Ball
Associate Vice President for Equity and Access, Academic Support Centers, Equity, Access and Behavioral Health, Southeast Missouri State University

Melissa Findley
Executive Director, Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation

Scott Baier
Executive Director, College Bound

Elizabeth Bender, Ph.D.
Associate Superintendent for College and Career Readiness, St. Louis Public Schools

Dr. Lover LM Chancler
Assistant Professor in Child and Family Development Director of the Multicultural and Inclusivity Center
University of Central Missouri

Cynthia Curry Crim
Foundation Program Manager, Commerce Bank

Wendy Jaffe
Executive Director, The Trio Foundation of St. Louis

Jerron Johnson
Executive Director, Missouri College Advising Corps

Jennifer McCluskey, Ph.D.
Vice President, Student Success, Maryville University

Amber M. Mitchell, M.Ed., PLPC
Professional School Counselor, Hazelwood East High School

Amy Basore Murphy
Director of Scholarship and Donor Services, St. Louis Community Foundation

Constance Rush
Director of Advocacy, Deaconess Foundation

Allison Williams
Immediate Past Co-Chair, St. Louis Graduates and Senior Vice President, Wyman

James Williams
Director of Postsecondary Success and Strategic Partnerships, Boys Hope Girls Hope

Laura Winter
Executive Director
(314) 880-4952

What We Do

St. Louis Graduates works to make the postsecondary education system more equitable, so all students can benefit from education beyond high school.

Read the Report + Watch the Video

Degrees with Less Debt

Two-thirds of all jobs require a postsecondary degree or certificate, but when it comes to education beyond high school, opportunity is not equal. Many barriers hold back low-income students and Black students.

Read the new report Degrees with Less Debt: Postsecondary Strategies that Enhance Low-income and Black Student Success to learn what colleges can do to support low-income students and Black students and watch the three-episode video series at dwldstl.org!

St. Louis Graduates is proud to be designated as a Talent Hub by Lumina Foundation and Kresge Foundation.

Why It Matters

Two-thirds of all jobs require a certificate
or degree beyond high school.

There are significant disparities in who has the training and education to access well-paying jobs and career pathways.

In the St. Louis region, there is a

16-point gap

in degrees between
African Americans and the population overall.

Only 16%

of the lowest income students complete a degree compared to 62% of those from the wealthiest families.

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Transforming Lives through Postsecondary Education Equity

Transforming Lives through
Postsecondary Education Equity