A Path Forward: Rising Scholars at College of the Redwoods

Published on Sep 28 2026

When the Rising Scholars Juvenile Justice (RSJJ) Program arrived on the College of the Redwoods Eureka campus through grant funding two and a half years ago, Summer Ferrier was hired as its administrative office coordinator.

Since then, both the program and Summer’s role have grown.

“Our mission is to help students see college, and the opportunities that come with it, as something that is possible for them, regardless of what they have experienced in the past,” Summer says.

The program serves students who are considered justice-impacted. But what does justice-impacted mean?

RSJJ is dedicated to serving students who have been involved in the juvenile justice system, including students who have experienced incarceration or have been referred to probation between the ages of 13 and 26.

For those students, getting to college is only part of the journey. Many of them need additional support.

“The program provides more than access to classes. We surround students with the academic, financial, and personal support they need to be successful. We work with them during their involvement with the juvenile justice system and as they transition into the college environment and beyond,” Summer says.

That support can include laptop rentals, transportation assistance, school supplies, paid tuition, waived student fees, priority registration, textbook vouchers, mental health support, parking passes, and housing stipends.

But behind those services is something more profound for Summer: research into the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“A self-fulfilling prophecy is the idea that the expectations we have for someone can influence how we treat them, which can then influence how they see themselves, impacting how they behave and the outcomes they experience,” Summer says. “In education, for example, when a student is consistently viewed as someone who is unlikely to succeed, those expectations can affect the opportunities, encouragement and support they receive.”

“Over time, the student may begin to internalize those expectations themselves. They may disengage, stop believing in their own abilities, or become less likely to pursue opportunities, leading to the outcome that appears to confirm the original belief.

When asked what Summer wished people understood about justice-impacted students, Summer says, “Justice-impacted students are not defined by the worst thing they have ever done or by the circumstances that brought them into the justice system. Accountability and opportunity can exist at the same time. We get to watch them learn new skills, overcome obstacles, become more confident and start imagining possibilities they may not have believed were available to them before.”

For Summer and the Rising Scholars Juvenile Justice Program, the work is ultimately about making sure a student’s past never gets the final say in their future.

And for these students, that future is looking bright.