First ChanceSM Scholarship Program
Link to the home page.
Link to information about the program.
Link to information about the scholarships.
Link to the selection process.
Link to partners.
Learn more about Ryan Francis.
Link to University of Phoenix web site.

About Ryan

Ryan Francis, 19, was a devoted son and a talented basketball player. In 2005, he led his Glen Oaks High School team to a Louisiana state championship and an amazing 36-0 season. As a starting freshman point guard at the University of Southern California, he was a sensation. He was gifted in other areas, too. He had a magnetic personality and a huge smile. He was fun and silly and beloved. Ryan worked hard at school. He had a 3.0 grade point average at one of the world’s leading private research universities.

Ryan and his mom, Paulette, were extremely close. The single mother of an only child, Paulette considered Ryan her heart and her best friend. When Ryan moved almost 2,000 miles away from his hometown Baton Rouge to go to USC, Paulette knew she would miss him dearly, but that this was a sacrifice she would have to make. She believed in Ryan improving his future through education. As many as six times a day, they spoke by phone about basketball practice, how things were going, and of course, whether or not Ryan was eating well.

Mother’s Day 2005 was going to be a special time. Ryan arrived in Baton Rouge for a month-long visit after his first year away from home. That weekend, Ryan and his mom talked about her moving to California where she could be closer to him. Then, one day before Ryan and Paulette were to attend church on Mother’s Day to celebrate their special mother-son bond, Ryan was shot and killed while riding home from a party in a friend’s car.

Despite her grief, Paulette is proud of what Ryan accomplished in his short life, especially academically. She always knew Ryan was destined for greatness. She hoped his life would inspire others. Today, Paulette’s hopes are realized in the form of a scholarship that promotes the life-changing benefits of education.

The First ChanceSM Scholarship Program, established by University of Phoenix and Tom Arnold in 2006, honors individuals who have shown the desire to improve their lives, and the lives of those around them, through education.

The hope this program represents is in memory of Ryan Francis.