Founded in 2020 by Warren Hemenway and Ivan Damaso

In 2020, I traveled to the Philippines to visit my friend Ivan Damaso, who would later become my business partner and co-founder of the Thrive Scholarship Fund.

During that trip, I attended a community gathering where a group of children performed a traditional Filipino dance. As I spoke with them and learned more about their lives, I discovered that many came from families facing significant economic hardship. Despite their intelligence, talent, and determination, their opportunities were limited simply because they lacked access to educational resources.

That realization changed everything.

What started as a small effort to help a few students stay in school has grown into a life-changing mission. Over the past five years, we have watched students progress from elementary school to high school and from high school into college. Today, our scholars are pursuing careers in nursing, aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, accounting, and law. These are young people who, without educational support and guidance, might never have had the opportunity to pursue these dreams.

One student in particular reminds me why this work matters. She is now a second-year nursing student and consistently earns a place on the Dean’s List. Without this scholarship, attending college may never have been possible. Today, she is on a path to a professional career that will transform not only her own life but the future of her family as well.

While financial assistance is essential, we have learned that scholarships alone are not enough. One of the most important aspects of our program has been mentorship. We provide guidance, encouragement, accountability, and support both inside and outside the classroom. We celebrate successes, help navigate challenges, and encourage our students to dream bigger than their circumstances.

Since the beginning, Ivan and I have personally funded nearly the entire program ourselves. Aside from a small GoFundMe campaign in 2020, every scholarship, educational expense, and student support initiative has come directly from our own resources. We believed in these students and wanted to demonstrate that this model could work before asking others to join us.

Today, after five years of proven results, we know it works.

With the addition of new scholars in the upcoming school year, the Thrive Scholarship Fund will support approximately 16 students. What began with just a handful of children has become a growing community of young people who are working toward brighter futures for themselves and their families.

But what we are witnessing goes far beyond scholarships.

We Are Seeing Generational Change

Many of our students are becoming the first in their families to attend college and pursue professional careers. Their success creates opportunities not only for themselves, but for their parents, siblings, future children, and entire communities. Education changes the trajectory of families. It breaks cycles of poverty, creates new possibilities, and inspires younger generations to believe that they can achieve more than they ever imagined.

Paying It Forward

An important part of our mission is the principle of paying it forward. Every student who receives support through the Thrive Scholarship Fund understands that this opportunity comes with a responsibility. After graduating, establishing themselves in a career, and completing their first year of employment, they are asked to help sponsor another student from a similar background.

Our goal is not simply to fund scholarships. Our goal is to create a cycle of opportunity that continues long after any one student graduates. Each scholar we support today has the potential to help another student tomorrow. In this way, a single scholarship can create a ripple effect that reaches across generations.

As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we are now entering the next chapter of our journey. Our challenge is no longer proving that the program works—it is finding the resources to expand it. There are many deserving students still waiting for an opportunity, and with your support, we can reach them.

I invite you to join us in building futures, strengthening families, and creating lasting change. Together, we can empower young people to achieve their dreams and become leaders who will one day lift others up in return.

Before I close, I want to leave you with one final thought. If our story moves you, I invite you to join us. Your support can help change the trajectory of a young person’s life and create opportunities that will echo for generations.

But even if this particular mission is not yours, I encourage you to find something that does move you. The world needs more kindness, more compassion, and more people willing to invest their time, energy, and resources into making a difference.

Whether through the Thrive Scholarship Fund or another cause close to your heart, I hope you choose to get involved. The world needs your good energy, your generosity, and your belief that a better future is possible.

Thank you for believing in the power of education and for considering support of the Thrive Scholarship Fund.

With gratitude and hope,

Warren Hemenway
Co-Founder
Thrive Scholarship Fund

Empowering Minds, Building Futures