May is National Foster Care Awareness Month — a time dedicated to recognizing the resilience of youth in foster care and the critical role we all play in supporting their journeys. For many of these young people, stepping onto a college campus is not just the start of a new chapter — it’s the start of a new life. That’s why Move-in Day Mafia exists: to ensure foster youth aren’t just seen during their college transition but truly supported.
New Rooms, New Beginnings
For many, college is a time of firsts — first taste of independence, first real shot at shaping a future, and first steps into a world of possibility. It’s a season of discovery, excitement, and the thrill of the unknown. For many first-generation college students, these emotions run even deeper. But for young people emerging from the foster care system, the experience is often marked by an entirely different reality: survival.
Imagine stepping onto a college campus carrying every belonging you own in a single backpack. No parents to help set up your dorm. No family to send you care packages. No blueprint for how to navigate this brand-new world. Just hope — and the sheer will to succeed against the odds.
“Only 3–4% of youth who age out of foster care ever earn a college degree — Move-in Day Mafia is determined to change that.”
The hurdles facing foster youth are staggering. According to The National Foster Youth Institute, only about 3–4% of youth who age out of foster care ever earn a college degree. Many never even get the chance to enroll. The reasons are as heartbreaking as they are complex: unstable housing, lack of financial resources, emotional trauma, and an absence of reliable adult support. Even after overcoming these obstacles to reach a university, many foster youth find themselves isolated, ill-prepared, and overwhelmed.
That’s where Move-in Day Mafia comes in.
Move-in Day Mafia exists with a powerful, clear mission: to ensure that students from the foster care system are not forgotten as they step into college life. Their work begins with the basics — turning bare dorm rooms into safe, welcoming homes. A simple comfort like a real bed, a desk stocked with supplies, or a closet filled with essentials can mean the difference between feeling like an outsider and believing you belong.
For some of these students, a dorm room is the first stable place they’ve ever called their own. It’s their sanctuary, their launchpad, and their first real taste of what it means to dream without limits. And yet, without support, even something as basic as a furnished room can seem out of reach.
More than a Makeover
Through its involvement with Move-in Day Mafia, Cisco is helping bridge that gap. Beyond providing financial support, Cisco has mobilized its employees and resources to directly uplift these students — helping to furnish dorm rooms, supply technology needs, and ensure that no student walks into college empty-handed.
An inspiring example of this commitment is Cisco’s ongoing support for the “Adopt a Scholar” program. Through this initiative, Cisconians come together to purchase care package items for students preparing to begin their college journeys. These care packages are filled with essentials like bedding, toiletries, school supplies and even personal notes of encouragement. It’s a collective effort that brings the Cisco community together in support of new beginnings, sending a powerful message to each student: you are seen, you are valued, and you are supported.
Together, Move-in Day Mafia and Cisco are making sure that these young people — who have already faced more adversity than many do in a lifetime — have a foundation to build on. They’re sending a message that someone believes in their potential, that they are not alone, and that their dreams are valid.
For every pillow placed on a bed, every lamp set up on a desk, every laptop connected to Wi-Fi represents a new beginning. A fresh start. A way forward. Because every child deserves the chance to not just survive college — but to thrive.
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