The M.A.R.I.E. Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing educational equity for first-generation college students and students raised by single parents. The organization was established to address persistent financial, structural, and mentorship gaps that limit access to and success in higher education for underserved populations.

The foundation’s work is informed by lived experience. The founder was born in West Africa, Liberia, and raised by a single mother who assumed full financial and caregiving responsibility at the age of 17. Like many single parents, she faced significant barriers that made pursuing higher education unattainable, despite determination and capability. This experience reflects a broader systemic challenge faced by families without generational access to higher education. As a first-generation college student, the founder encountered substantial obstacles navigating academic systems, financial aid processes, and long-term educational planning in the absence of mentorship or institutional guidance.

These challenges highlighted a critical gap affecting many students who possess the motivation and ability to succeed but lack access to the resources, knowledge, and support networks commonly available to students from college-educated households. The M.A.R.I.E. Foundation was created to respond to this need. Its mission is to reduce financial barriers to education while providing mentorship, access, and resiliencecentered support to students who lack structural and generational advantages.

The foundation focuses on empowering students not only to enroll in higher education, but to persist, complete their studies, and build sustainable futures. By centering dignity, access, and long-term impact, the M.A.R.I.E. Foundation honors the sacrifices of parents and caregivers by investing in students whose success has the potential to strengthen families, communities, and future generations.