Our Mission

Our mission is simple - to democratize access and encouragement for students who have been historically and generationally deprived of educational opportunities of their counterparts.

We believe in the power of a college education to be a launching pad to a student's dreams.

We aim to offer pro-bono college counseling services and mentorship services to High School seniors throughout their senior year. We specifically aim to assist the following communities:

• First-Generation students : Students whose parents did not graduate from an American 4-year college
• Low Income Students : students who qualify for Free or Reduced lunch
• Minority Students : students who are part of a minority ethnic group ie. Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Native American, and  Asian

How WE DO IT

Established in ​2010

Every Scholar that completes our mentorship program matriculates to college

Our scholars have attended universities around California and the United States, and some have earned prestigious scholarships.

Our Founder

The Phoenix Scholars was founded when Michael Tubbs realized that the success he had in the college admissions process was in large part due to the free application consulting and mentorship he received. As a first-generation college student from Stockton, CA born to a 17-year-old mother and an incarcerated father, Michael was never supposed to make it to somewhere like Stanford University. However, during high school, he was blessed to meet Carolyn Lawrence, a private college admissions consultant who guided him through the admissions process.

​Motivated by his experience, Tubbs approached some of his Stanford peers in 2010 with an idea to start an organization that could provide counseling to other under-served high school students. The Phoenix Scholars was born. Now in its seventh year, The Phoenix Scholars continues to show impressive results in motivating and supporting low-income, first-generation, and minority students.

The Phoenix Scholars is a 501(c)(3) organization based out of Stanford University. Its Board of Directors and core team are composed entirely of Stanford students and alumni, although we are not sponsored by the university. ​
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​Join the team: If you are a college student who is passionate about the work of The Phoenix Scholars, check out our "Get Involved" tab for more information or reach out to us at [email protected].