Correction: The original version of this article contained multiple errors. Katrina Griffiths has dedicated her life to raising her three children ““ one of whom has communication and developmental disabilities ““ all while balancing two jobs as a massage therapist and child care professional. She has worked at the Children’s Therapy Center in New Jersey, which helps children with special needs.
As a single mother, Katrina Griffiths had little time to dream of advancing her career through education. She dedicated her life to raising her three children ““ one of whom has communication and developmental disabilities ““ all while balancing two jobs as a massage therapist and child care professional.
Then Griffiths, 50, of Mahwah, New Jersey, stumbled upon a new online-only learning program, called Empowered UCLA Extension, that will begin offering classes this fall.
She applied for and became the first recipient of a scholarship that covers the full cost of tuition ““ she could not afford to pay the total cost herself.
The program, designed to educate adults of the baby boomer generation who want to change careers or re-enter the workforce, will eventually award $2 million in scholarships to Empowered UCLA Extension students, said Jarrod Agenan, an Empowered Careers spokesman.
Through Empowered UCLA Extension, students like Griffiths can receive professional certificates in areas such as sustainability and management, after a program of nine to 12 months that includes online courses and personalized career counseling.
With her scholarship, Griffiths will work toward a degree in patient advocacy to continue her work supporting children with special needs.
Three and a half years ago, Griffiths’ world turned upside down when her husband died of a heart attack.
Since then, she has worked at the Children’s Therapy Center in New Jersey, which helps children with special needs.
“It’s (working with impacted kids) that healed my heart,” she said. “They gave me a reason to get up in the morning.”
Griffiths plans to complete coursework in her limited amount of free time outside of working and being a full-time mother ““ online, which is a huge convenience factor for her, she added.
Last year, UCLA Extension, which offers certificate and continuing education programs to people who can be from outside the UCLA community, joined forces with Empowered Careers, an international online continuing education program co-founded by the Sherry Lansing Foundation, the Creative Artists Agency and entrepreneur Steve Poizner.
Most recently, UCLA Extension and Empowered Careers collaborated with other members of the Los Angeles community to create scholarships, such as the one Griffiths received, for individuals interested in continuing education.
“There (are) obviously a lot of people struggling in the economy today,” Agen said. “We are hoping to provide a full package in helping them change their careers.”
Annual tuition for the Empowered UCLA Extension program is $9,800, and expected to rise by $3,000 next year, according to the program’s website. Financial assistance is set aside for a portion of the students, Agen said. About 20 percent of the total enrollment is reserved for students on full or partial scholarships, he added.
All of the total $2 million in scholarships is funded by select Hollywood actors.
The money for Griffiths’ full-tuition scholarship will come from actor George Lopez, who her kids love, she said.
Pierce Brosnan, Geena Davis, Sally Field, James Franco, James Gandolfini, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Lopez and Rita Wilson each donated $250,000 to the scholarship program. The actors also recently participated in an online video promoting Empowered UCLA Extension.
The program will award the scholarship money to students based on their financial need and essay submissions that are part of the application process for the scholarship, Agen said.
“We’re hoping (the scholarship) will help people change their lives,” Agen said.
Martha Hochstrasser, a certificate adviser for college counseling at UCLA Extension, said she sees particular drive in her older students for specific goals.
“Some people have done (their profession) informally, and want to get formal training to (enhance) it, some want to start their own businesses and for some it’s about a career change,” Hochstrasser said. “This is a highly motivated group of students.”
Enrollment is currently open for the program’s certificate programs, and the program will accept scholarship applications through Aug. 13.
Griffiths said she is excited to begin classes this September and work toward the next step in her career.
“(Special needs children) don’t always have a voice of their own,” Griffiths said. “I want to make sure that they receive everything they deserve.”
Contributing reports by Tiffany Esmailian, Bruin contributor.