SVF’s 20th anniversary scholars get a ‘Pep Up’ for life after university

The Supreme Ventures Foundation (SVF) hosted its annual Pep Up Session for its 20th anniversary scholarship recipients, most of whom are approaching graduation in 2025. The full day session dubbed ‘Elevate: Empowered for Excellence’ held recently was aimed at providing a balanced blend of motivational activities, skills-building workshops and practical resources to prepare the students for life after university. This is the third pep up session being staged for the scholarship cohort.

“It’s not just the scholarship but also these Pep Up Sessions that have kept me motivated,” shared Joshua Gazader, one of the scholarship recipients. “It’s rare to find a scholarship that does so much more than fund your education.”

The SVF Pep Up Session opened with the ‘Journey Board’, an interactive welcome exercise encouraging students to visualise their career aspirations. Attendees also had the chance to capture professional headshots with Adrian Creary of Studio Craft, a gesture that not only celebrates their academic journey but also prepares them for professional networking.

Warren Thompson, director of children and family programmes at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), underscored the critical impact of these sessions on young people who have faced adversity.

“This engagement means a lot for young people who have been in state care and have encountered challenging experiences,” he said. “I only wish opportunities like this existed when I was their age. Branding, networking, managing finances, and navigating social media are essential skills for today’s world. The sessions equip them not just for their careers, but to build a life.”

Throughout the day, SVF scholars participated in several workshops and presentations.

Monae Williams, another scholarship recipient, expressed how these sessions have kept her motivated through the challenges of university life.

“The facilitators’ support throughout this journey has been incredible,” she shared. “Sometimes it gets stressful, but these sessions remind us of our goals. I am truly grateful for this scholarship and everything it’s opened up for me.”

As part of its 20th-anniversary celebrations in 2021, the SVF awarded 20 university and college students who are transitioning from state care with financial aid that covered all expenses related to tuition, boarding, and other educational costs throughout their tertiary level academic programmes.