How We Began
The first seed for the New Leaf Scholars Foundation was planted in San Diego in 2021. Mark B., a retired business executive and sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous, had placed his son Chris in The Fellowship Center (TFC), a drug and alcohol treatment facility in Escondido, California, where Mark served on the Board of Directors. Chris found brief recovery after his treatment was completed, but suffered a devastating relapse and soon succumbed to his alcohol addiction. Grief stricken, Mark decided to try to find a way to bring recovery to more men like Chris.
The first seed for the New Leaf Scholars Foundation was planted in San Diego in 2021. Mark B., a retired business executive and sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous, had placed his son Chris in The Fellowship Center (TFC), a drug and alcohol treatment facility in Escondido, California, where Mark served on the Board of Directors. Chris found brief recovery after his treatment was completed, but suffered a devastating relapse and soon succumbed to his alcohol addiction. Grief stricken, Mark decided to try to find a way to bring recovery to more men like Chris.
Soon after, Mark met Oscar B. , a graduate of TFC who was staying clean and sober and participating in the Rising Scholars program at Palomar Community College. Rising Scholars is a statewide program of the California Community Colleges system, which provides support for justice-impacted men and women enrolled in one of the College campuses. Mark became deeply involved with the Rising Scholars program and together with Dr Nora K., the program director of the Rising Scholars program at Palomar College, began to explore ways that recovery from drug and alcohol addiction could help these men and women succeed in college, and vice versa.
Soon after, Mark met Oscar B. , a graduate of TFC who was staying clean and sober and participating in the Rising Scholars program at Palomar Community College. Rising Scholars is a statewide program of the California Community Colleges system, which provides support for justice-impacted men and women enrolled in one of the College campuses. Mark became deeply involved with the Rising Scholars program and together with Dr Nora K., the program director of the Rising Scholars program at Palomar College, began to explore ways that recovery from drug and alcohol addiction could help these men and women succeed in college, and vice versa.
This collaboration led to the establishment of a “scholarship” at TFC, whereby scholarship recipients would be awarded:
- free room and board on TFC campus
- a bus pass
- a personal computer.
The recipients would be required to meet certain benchmarks, such as:
- active 12 step recovery participation
- random drug testing
- attending and completing a 2 year Associate degree through the Rising Scholars
This collaboration led to the establishment of a “scholarship” at TFC, whereby scholarship recipients would be awarded:
- free room and board on TFC campus
- a bus pass
- a personal computer.
The recipients would be required to meet certain benchmarks, such as:
- active 12 step recovery participation
- random drug testing
- attending and completing a 2 year Associate degree through the Rising Scholars
Oscar B was awarded the first scholarship, and soon after 3 more graduates of TFC were awarded places in the program. It was soon found that this kind of support was allowing these men to devote all their time and energy to their education and recovery, and they were succeeding in both. It soon became obvious to Mark and Nora that they had developed a winning strategy for achieving both education and recovery. It was now time to apply this strategy to the other community colleges in San Diego, and eventually throughout the state.
Oscar B was awarded the first scholarship, and soon after 3 more graduates of TFC were awarded places in the program. It was soon found that this kind of support was allowing these men to devote all their time and energy to their education and recovery, and they were succeeding in both. It soon became obvious to Mark and Nora that they had developed a winning strategy for achieving both education and recovery. It was now time to apply this strategy to the other community colleges in San Diego, and eventually throughout the state.
And thus was born the New Leaf Scholars Foundation, whose mission it is to continue this two pronged approach to helping justice-impacted men and women – education and recovery. We hope all will see the value we can render to these men and women, and the impact this will have on local communities. Men and women who formerly had few options other than eventual re-incarceration will now be armed with a clean and sober lifestyle and a college degree.
Please join us on this mission.
And thus was born the New Leaf Scholars Foundation, whose mission it is to continue this two pronged approach to helping justice-impacted men and women – education and recovery. We hope all will see the value we can render to these men and women, and the impact this will have on local communities. Men and women who formerly had few options other than eventual re-incarceration will now be armed with a clean and sober lifestyle and a college degree.
Please join us on this mission.