Our Vision & Mission

Vision Statement

The Smith Society seeks ways and means to help our students to dream bold dreams for their lives, to see higher education as a desirable and available path toward achieving those dreams and to clear the way for a successful educational experience.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Smith Society is to create a cross-generational community that provides academic, personal, social and financial support to UCSC students who lack the traditional family support afforded to most of their peers.  Typically, these students have multiple adverse childhood experiences including, but not limited to, neglect, abuse, abandonment, or homelessness.  Students may identify as being current or former foster youth, wards of the court, runaways, orphans, children of incarcerated parents, or children of parents with severe mental illness.