Two weeks ago I wrote about Rachel receiving her college acceptance letter inviting her to be a Missouri State Bear Power student. Her college adventure begins January 2019. That video has had almost 70,000 views! It was a big week for Rachel and the Masts.  However, the acceptance letter was just the first of two monumental moments.

Rachel received a scholarship!  It is not just any scholarship though, it is a Ruby’s Rainbow Scholarship.  With cost of higher education what it is, a scholarship is always cause for celebration. There are very few scholarships available for individuals with Down syndrome. Post-secondary options are exploding, and those of you with little ones today will most likely have many, many options for post-secondary programs. I believe you will have many more scholarships available, and it is my sincere hope that programs will become more affordable. College is expensive, but many of the Transition to Post-Secondary Programs are even more expensive. I am high hopes for the future!

One reason I am hopeful is because of organizations like Ruby’s Rainbow and Liz who started this organization.  When Ruby was born, her mom, Liz, knew she wanted to show the world that her daughter was capable. She wanted her to do the same things as others and that included college.  On the Ruby’s Rainbow – About Us section, you’ll find a letter from Ruby’s mom and Co-Founder Liz.  She says:

“I remember so clearly coming to my husband when Ruby was about 6 months old and saying, “I think I want to help someone with Down syndrome go to college.” We didn’t even know if people with Down syndrome were going to college, but I knew in my heart Ruby was capable of amazing things and I wanted to help someone rockin’ it — just like her — go and do amazing things. This is when Ruby’s Rainbow was born. Well, actually, the organization was likely born the first time I held Ruby…I just didn’t know it then. Her spirit and determination have inspired us to start a non-profit and stand up and shout as loud as we can that people with Down syndrome are CAPABLE.”

I’m not sure but I’m guessing Ruby is about seven or eight now. In that short time, they have built a non-profit with a very specific mission:

The goal and mission at Ruby’s Rainbow is to grant scholarships to adults with Down syndrome who are seeking post-secondary education, enrichment or vocational classes, helping them achieve their dreams of higher education while spreading awareness of their capabilities and general awesomeness.

Many non-profits get distracted and do not focus on their mission. Not so with Ruby’s Rainbow. They have stayed true to their mission and have awarded $643,000 in scholarship grants to 224 Rockin’ Recipients.  We are so grateful that Rachel is one  of those Rockin’ Recipients!

I also love the cool way they make the Rockin’ Recipient Award notices. This year if the recipient was attending the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) in Dallas, arrangements were made for Ruby herself to give the award letter and all the goodies, including a way cool t-shirt, to the participants. How fun is that?

If you weren’t going to NDSC, Ruby’s Rainbow tried to work it out so a local donor/fundraiser could make the award. We were thrilled to have Nicole and her family meet up and present Rachel’s Award. Nicole is mom to four children and two of them have Down syndrome.

Many of Ruby’s donors/fundraisers are families of younger children with Down syndrome who are inspired to help make college dreams come true for students with Down syndrome. We all learn so much from each other, and it’s great for all of us to have role models.  That’s one of the reasons some of these families fund raise for Ruby’s Rainbow Rockin’ Recipients.  They are inspired and they see some of these individuals as role models for them and their children.  Lori Siegal, Karen Gaffney, Carrie Bergeron, and Fiona Hawks are just a few of our awesome role models. To take a page from Rachel’s quotes, it makes my heart happy to know that she can be a role model to others and makes me especially proud that our young friends with Down syndrome see her as a role model.

Here’s the short video of Nicole and her family presenting Rachel with her Ruby’s Rainbow Scholarship:

Rachel Mast – Ruby’s Rainbow Rockin’ Recipient

That should make all our hearts happy!  Just in case though – check out Rachel’s Thank You to Ruby!

Thank you Liz, Ruby’s Rainbow, volunteers, fundraisers, donors and supporters for seeing the possibilities and the possABILITIES and for doing something to help dreams come true! Rachel and her parents are proud and thankful that she is among the Rockin’ Recipients.

For more information about Ruby’s Rainbow or to find out how you can support their mission, click here Ruby’s Rainbow

For more information on Post-Secondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities, click here Think College