NEWPORT BEACH, CA, August 02, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- The Simon Family Foundation (SFF), known for its Simon Scholars program that provides disadvantaged students with scholarships to enhance their self confidence and prepare them for success in college, has appointed Dr. Kathy Simon Abels as executive director of the nonprofit organization. Abels will be responsible for spearheading SFF's ongoing growth and development, and overseeing the management of its multiple chapters in Orange County and San Diego, Calif.
SFF has become known for its intensive hands-on college preparatory support programs, designed to provide educational opportunities that otherwise might not be available to students that come from difficult life and economic circumstances. Abels, the daughter of the nonprofit's founder, Ronald M. Simon, has been integrally involved in the organization since its inception in 2003. Her roles have included more than six years of service on the board of directors, as well as leadership over several regional SFF chapter, including a chapter she initiated in Atlanta, Ga., where many of the current Simon Scholar programs were created.
"I'm thrilled to be taking the helm of such a unique and highly successful organization that truly changes the lives of promising, yet underprivileged youth," explained Abels. "I look forward to further integrating the program and its local chapters—expanding the Simon Scholars' peer and support networks and broadening the shared resources available to each group."
Abels will also focus on SFF's growth throughout Southern California, including the forging of new partnerships with Certified Simon Scholar High Schools in districts throughout the region; as well as the creation of an organization-wide alumni association that will provide an enhanced level of support for the Simon Scholars even after college graduation. Her nearly 20 years of experience in psychology has provided her with a distinctive understanding of human behavior and group dynamics, which will support her goal of improving SFF's ability to meet its students' whole-person needs.
Abels graduated with highest honors from Occidental College in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She then continued her education at the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, where she earned her doctorate in clinical psychology in 1985. In 2007, Abels was honored by the NAACP for her contribution to the Atlanta, Ga. community.
About Simon Family Foundation:
Established in 2003, the nonprofit Simon Family Foundation (SFF) was created to assist capable and qualified students who face difficult life and economic circumstances to advance themselves through education, and succeed in their quests to achieve the American dream of independence and self-sufficiency.
The largest of SFF's programs is the Simon Scholars program, which features six-year scholarships that exceed $32,000 in value each, and begin during a student's junior year in high school. From etiquette and life skill classes, to financial management training programs, exposure to the arts, academic enhancement, leadership conferences, and ongoing personal mentoring and coaching throughout high school and college, Simon Scholars are required to participate in a series of life skills training opportunities aimed at grooming them to become responsible, accountable and successful individuals. With headquarters in Newport Beach, Calif., and locations in San Diego, Atlanta, and Santa Fe, N.M., the Foundation has awarded more than 300 scholarships in excess of $10 million over the course of its first 6 years. Learn more about the Simon Scholars program and opportunities for local volunteerism, mentoring, tutoring and internships, by visiting http://www.simonff.org.
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