Yasmine Arrington's "ScholarCHIPS" program has provided 17 scholarships to date to children whose parents are imprisoned, and her work both on and off Elon University's campus has caught the attention of nonprofit leaders and government policymakers.
The topic is one near to Arrington’s heart. A nonprofit scholarship program she founded, ScholarCHIPS, provides scholarships and mentoring to high school seniors who are pursuing a college degree but whose parents are in prison.
Arrington, a strategic communications and history double major from Washington, D.C., was invited to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across the street from the White House because of her scholarship program as well as her Elon College Fellows undergraduate research on children of incarcerated parents. She joined on Oct. 8, 2014, with other local government and representatives of nonprofit organizations that work on improving the lives of those families affected by mass incarceration.
Arrington heard from policymakers, including those representing the Federal Bureau of Prisons, about ongoing efforts to reduce prison recidivism, improve reentry programming, create new caregiver support opportunities and assist with family reunification.
“I felt and still feel truly blessed and fortunate to have been a part of such a prestigious event with people who are sincerely passionate for this field of work,” Arrington said.