Readers Care: Non-profit shows the way to college

Beau Saperstein spends a lot of time studying for the GED test these days. He enjoys the worksheets of math problems and is glad to be back to school.

After earning his GED, Saperstein, 22, will start classes at one of Seattle's community colleges and plans to later transfer to a four-year school. Working with him along the way is Seattle Education Access, which helps low-income and marginalized people earn college degrees.

Like many of SEA's clients, Saperstein wanted to return to school, but had no idea how to get there. Being homeless for several years did not make it any easier.

A few months ago, Saperstein got off work at the Everett Boeing plant and stopped for dinner at a drop-in center for homeless youths in Seattle. A woman was talking about educational opportunities, including SEA. This wasn't the first time she had made the speech, apparently, because she seemed not to expect much interest from the group.

"She started to leave, and I said, 'Wait, talk to me,' " said Saperstein, recognizing an opportunity. "She didn't really give me a lot of information, but she got the important stuff across -- school, free, you can do it."

And she handed him SEA's business card.

"It'd be dumb of me not to (call). It's like, 'Here, you should do this,' and it's totally a good idea," Saperstein said. "So I made a few calls."

The staff of SEA helped him register to take the GED test and get into transitional housing. In fulfilling its mission, the group helps clients find and use available resources -- such as financial aid.

Most of the association's clients qualify for various financial aid programs although SEA does offer some additional scholarships and financial help. The goal of SEA is to provide a community of support and help clients access existing programs, SEA Executive Director Polly Trout said.

Trout started the program because of her own experiences. Like many of her clients, she had a troubled youth and ran away from home as a teenager. She spent several years living on the streets and figures her clients have not done anything she hasn't done herself.

Like Trout, SEA's small staff understands the challenges facing their clients. Many come from backgrounds that include homelessness, dealing with addiction, being abused and immigration issues. All have been economically and emotionally isolated and feel marginalized.

Trout remembers when she felt so isolated and overwhelmed. And she remembers where she became empowered to overcome those frightening feelings.

"School was always a sanctuary for me, a place where I could succeed," Trout said. Growing up in an abusive home, school was a physical and emotional refuge. So Trout has dedicated her life to helping marginalized and isolated young adults get GEDs and college degrees. Several clients have been with SEA since it began and are now pursuing graduate degrees, she said.

These longtime clients have a tendency to use "SEA" and "Polly" interchangeably because for many years, she was the organization. Thanks to grants and contributions, SEA has been able to expand its staff to help more clients.

In addition to SEA, the other charities that will benefit from this year's drive are: The Forgotten Children's Fund, New Futures, Northwest's Child, Renton Area Youth & Family Services and Rise n' Shine.

For more than a quarter-century, Seattle P-I readers have donated generously to the newspaper's annual Readers Care Fund, generating more than $5.6 million for local charities. Today we feature another of the six charities that will benefit from this year's drive. Read more about the charity drive at readerscarefund.org.