The “I Have A Dream” Foundation Los Angeles has returned to Pasadena schools after a 15-year absence, guaranteeing college tuition for 65 Madison Elementary first- and second-graders through their 2037 high school graduation.
The relaunch, announced Oct. 29, marked the start of Program 21, a 12-plus-yearM commitment at a Title I school. The initiative provides academic, social-emotional, and financial support from early childhood through college.
Executive Director Chaznae Walker described the relaunch as a “full circle moment,” noting that alumni who once benefited from the program now help deliver it.
“Pasadena is part of IHADLA’s history,” Walker said. “This community helped shape the organization and returning after 15 years is a continuation of unfinished work.”
Alumni Connections
Antonio Banuelos Figueroa, who graduated from Program 15 in 2010, now works for the Pasadena Unified School District and played a key role in bringing the program back. He joins Raquel Alvarado, his former program coordinator, who now serves as coordinator for Program 21.
“One of the inspirations for coming back is seeing our alumni thriving and giving back,” Walker said.
She added that Figueroa’s journey reflects the program’s mission: “His journey reflects exactly what we want to replicate for the program — students who grew into leaders within the same community that raised them.”
Tuition and College Culture
The guaranteed tuition covers housing and back-to-school essentials in addition to tuition costs, Walker said. Students begin visiting college campuses in first grade, exploring lecture halls, cafeterias, and dormitories to build what Walker called a “college-going culture.”
Some alumni have attended out-of-state historically Black colleges and universities.
“When children know college is guaranteed, they can dream differently,” Walker said. “They can dream bigger.”
Selection and Support
IHADLA partners with Title I schools and selects students based on need rather than individual socioeconomic status or learning ability.
“IHADLA is unique in that we don’t cherry pick our students,” Walker said. “No matter their socioeconomic status or learning ability. Selection is need-based and focus on schools where systematic barriers exist.”
Family trust in the program comes partly from relationships with school administrators, including Madison Elementary principal Dr. Elisa Pérez, Walker said.
Dedication Ceremony
The dedication ceremony took place Oct. 23 at Madison Elementary, drawing community leaders and alumni. Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, himself a Madison alumnus, attended alongside Vannia De La Cuba, Deputy to the Mayor, also a Madison graduate.
Representatives from Pasadena Unified School District and the Pasadena Fire Department joined as well.
“This partnership reaffirms Pasadena’s commitment to lifting up every student,” Gordo said in remarks at the ceremony, according to IHADLA’s announcement. “As a Madison alumnus, I know firsthand how transformative community support can be for young learners.”
Walker described the event as a family reunion.
“The community really showed up for these babies. I call these students babies,” she said. “It felt like a family reunion where everyone showed excitement and readiness for supporting our students and their educational journey.”
Mayor Gordo gifted one of the Dreamer Scholars his mayoral pin during the ceremony, which Walker called “a beautiful exchange to witness.”
Looking Ahead
IHADLA projects a 96 percent high school graduation rate for Program 21 students, based on data from its most recent graduating classes, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The organization commits to supporting students regardless of the path they choose after high school.
“Although we are a college-going program, we make the commitment now and then to continue to meet them where they are, whether they decide to go into higher education, a trade school, enter the workforce, or pursue the military,” Walker said.
Mission and Continuity
Ultimately, Walker said, the return to Pasadena underscores IHADLA’s mission. “Dreamer scholars who once received support now stand on the other side giving it, and that is the heart of IHADLA’s mission.”
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