The room that changes everything
Help ISF students step into leadership this June.
Alora flew in from California.
She wasn't sure the retreat was for her — another room full of people she didn't know, another trip that would require trusting a situation she couldn't fully predict. For students who've grown up in foster care, that calculation is never simple.
She came anyway. Someone picked her up at the airport. Brought her to lunch, then to the hotel. Before the retreat had even formally started, she was already in a room with people who were glad she was there.
At the retreat, she met Ben Carroll — ISF's founder — and Admiral Mike Manazir. The kind of conversations that don't end when the weekend does. Alora graduated from ISF in May 2025. She now works remotely for ISF and for Admiral Mike Manazir's book group. She launched a business whose origin traces directly to that weekend.
That's what ISF's Leadership & Life Skills Retreat does. Not in theory — in practice, over four days, in a room full of students who understand exactly where each other has come from. Students who stop seeing themselves as someone things happen to, and start seeing themselves as someone who decides what happens next.
This year's retreat runs June 13–16. More students are registered than any previous year. A $10,000 grant is already in place. And we need $10,000 more to fully fund the program.
“What makes this retreat special is how everyone motivates each other.”
That's where you come in.
Your gift closes the gap.
“I really love the feeling of being part of something bigger than myself.”
Nationally, fewer than 10% of young people who age out of foster care complete a four-year degree. At ISF, 85% of scholars graduate. The retreat isn't the only reason — but it's where something shifts. Where a student stands at the front of a room and realizes they belong there.
Every dollar raised here goes directly toward the June 13–16 retreat. When we hit $10,000, the program is fully funded.
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Covers full retreat experience plus travel for one student (especially important for those from distant locations)
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Provides on-site retreat costs including accommodations and programming for one student
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Helps offset transportation expenses for a student to reach the retreat
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Provides essential leadership training resources for a student