The PSP community is lucky to have so many dedicated partners. Thanks to the enthusiasm of our donors and sponsors, hundreds of scholars set out on a path toward achieving their goals that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. For over 13 years, Dana Oder and the Oder Family Foundation have been prominent supporters of Partnership Scholars Program. To date, they have helped 29 scholars develop their interests and prepare for college success.
Dana Oder first heard about PSP in 2004 through the Southern California Grant Makers, an association of grant-making foundations. “As soon as I heard there was mentorship involved we were very interested and I knew that it would be a good fit,” says Dana. Dana reached out to Meg Sanchez, who had helped launch the organization in 1996. Meg, Dana and PSP’s founder, Glenn Langer, all met in Lennox where Dana learned more about the mentorship program, and Dana agreed to become a sponsor.
“The next important part [was] the leadership. When I met Glenn and heard about his past and the passion for the children, it [stuck] with [me]. He was very enthusiastic!”
As a sponsor of several students a year through her family foundation, Dana has been able to see the organization grow and evolve over the years. “Every year I could see that difference,” says Dana. “It’s really been a fulfilling experience.” She felt so strongly committed to PSP’s mission of helping low-income students succeed that she joined PSP’s Board of Trustees for a time.
Dana has had the pleasure of meeting some of the students and their families at PSP events, such as induction and graduation ceremonies and takes great pleasure in receiving regular updates in the mail from the students she sponsors. “The letters and post cards are really impactful,” says Dana. “I’ll take those that are sent to me and I pass them around to those who work with the foundation. It’s impactful to see the pictures and get to see what the students are getting out of the program.”
The biggest reason Dana continues to give and be so involved with the organization is seeing the students reach their goals time and time again. “To see them from start to finish…it’s a remarkable process,” says Dana.
