TEAM MEMBER

Yasmine Arrington Brooks is the Founder and Executive Director of ScholarCHIPS, Inc., a nonprofit that provides college scholarships, mentoring, mental health support, technology, and a strong community for children of incarcerated parents. Inspired by her own experience growing up with an incarcerated father, Yasmine recognized the emotional and financial challenges faced by families like hers. When she couldn’t find a scholarship program dedicated to this group, she decided to create one herself while still in high school.

Since its founding in 2012, ScholarCHIPS has awarded more than $600,000 in scholarships to over 100 students, supporting them through college and into their careers. Named a 2023 CNN Hero and featured on The Drew Barrymore Show as a “Drew Gooder,” Yasmine continues to empower others to turn pain into purpose through her work as an author, poet, plus-size model, podcast host, motivational speaker, and social justice advocate.