Motivated by the belief in George Washington Carver’s quote, “What we give back to our communities, defines who we are,” Edward F. Flaherty, a successful entrepreneur, began the Flaherty Family Foundation in 1990 to be thoughtful and intentional about how he gave back.  The product of Catholic education and the first in his family to graduate from college, Flaherty believes access to high quality, faith-based education provides a life changing opportunity to students/families.  As a result, the Flaherty Family Foundation is a pre collegiate scholarships opportunity providing high school scholarships to high achieving students with economic need.  While the scholarship dollars help break down the barrier to access, the FFF works closely with partner high schools to break down additional barriers that may prohibit student achievement and belonging. The FFF is much more than a scholarship organization, we intimately know our Scholars which allows us to celebrate their success with them and support them through their challenges.

The FFF currently has 485 Flaherty Scholars in 43 faith-based, college prep high schools located in three regions. (Region 1-MN, Region 2-DC, MD, NJ, VA and Region 3-MO.) In addition, we have another 350+ College Scholars who we support in meeting the goal of earning a Bachelor’s Degree in four years (or less) with $22,000 (or less) in student loans. At the Flaherty Family Foundation we believe, with the right opportunities, ALL students can reach their God-given potential!

The ideal candidate would possess the following CORE VALUES that we share as a FFF Community and embrace our commitment to equity and inclusion as outlined in our EQUITY STATEMENT.

• We are HARD WORKERS.
• We are HIGH ACHIEVERS.
• We PERSEVERE. No obstacle is too great.
• We RESPECT ourselves and others.
• We work together as a TEAM to achieve our goals.
• We practice HONESTY and INTEGRITY within our communities.
• We ACCEPT and INCLUDE regardless of race and religion.
• We GIVE BACK and ‘PAY IT FORWARD’ so that others may have the opportunities that we have had.

EQUITY STATEMENT

“Ubuntu” meaning “I am because we are” – a South African motto We, the FFF, uphold the core values of inclusivity, diversity, giving back to communities, honesty and integrity. As an education foundation run by educators we strive to demonstrate equity by:

• Listening, Learning, Implementing and Refining.
• Embracing and honoring diversity in all of its forms.
• Creating a community where all feel they belong.
• Empowering our FFF Team, our Flaherty Scholars, and our Board members to be strong advocates for the betterment of our communities and their individual lives.
• Celebrating successes and supporting through challenges.
• Encouraging honest communication and feedback.

“We all do better when we all do better.” – Senator Paul Wellstone

As the Region 3 (MO) Scholar Success Mentor, you will help us serve and support 100+ Scholars in grades 9-12 at 11 partner high schools in St. Louis and surrounding areas, as well as manage the relationship between the school and the Foundation to ensure that our partnerships and Scholars thrive and grow. You will work closely with the FFF Team and  the points of contact at our partner schools to align messaging and highlight opportunities to best support our Scholars and their endeavors. A keen eye to details, solution oriented mindset, team player approach and the ability to plan and manage logistics at a high level will be paramount to your success in this role. You will be joining a passionate, hard-working team that understands the important role trust-based relationships play in effectively mentoring students.

Context for current numbers and growth: This will be the first FFF team member hired in Region 3 (MO). We are entering our second of three year expansion plans into St. Louis. We welcomed 46 Scholars in the 2025-2026 school year at six partner high schools and anticipate welcoming an additional 80 Scholars in the 2026-2027 school year with five more partner high schools. In our third, and final year of expansion, we hope to add five more partner high schools and a total of ~200 Scholars.

Key Responsibilities:

• A passion, understanding, and ability to build trust-based relationships with students
• The belief that all students can succeed with positive encouragement and compassionate accountability.
• Simultaneously and effectively mentor, manage, and actively engage with high school scholars attending multiple high schools to ensure their academic success and college readiness
• Responsiveness to scholar communications and needs including but not limited to time management, study skills, organizational strategies, and all aspects of the college admissions process
• Serving as a liaison between the FFF and partner schools, by providing ongoing information and communication as it relates to potential and current scholars. This includes complimenting and/or supplementing the college advising program at each partner school.
• Oversight of all facets of the FFF application process in collaboration with point of contact at partner schools which include but are not limited to: developing new high school partnerships, collection and review of applications, interviews and recommendations of excellent, qualified applicants to the Executive Director
• Planning and Executing required scholarship events throughout the year in conjunction with point of contact at partner schools.
• Work collaboratively with the FFF team to ensure alignment within and across regions
• Data collection, maintenance, tracking, and reporting of scholars’ progress
• Responsiveness to the Flaherty Family Foundation Board.
• May perform other projects and duties as assigned by the Leadership Team.

Qualifications: 

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Counseling, Social Work, or relevant field from an accredited college or university
• 2+ years of experience working with upper middle school, high school, and/or college students
• Personal or professional experience working with high school students, especially from limited-income, first-generation backgrounds
• Knowledge and ability to direct a student’s academic progress.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills.
• Work well with stakeholders maintaining a positive and helpful attitude even in higher stress times.
• Proven ability to manage details and logistics at a high level
• Take initiative and work without daily supervision while accurately completing tasks from start to finish.
• Be flexible in scheduling meetings and scholar check-ins outside the school day.
• Must be culturally conscious and committed to equity and inclusion
• Expertise in advising a range of students in the career planning and college process, including those whose families have long been oriented toward college as well as those for whom college is new and unfamiliar is preferred.
• Intimate knowledge of the financial aid process at the federal, state, and collegiate level is preferred.
• Experience with Google Workspace and Salesforce is preferred
• Fluency of the Spanish language is preferred

Location/Start Date/Compensation:

• Must live in St. Louis area
• Work from home except when visiting Scholars at school or for Foundation sponsored events.
• Fluid and flexible scheduling based on the yearly cycle of events. (Some weeks will require long days while others will require less.)
• Must have a working car or mode of transportation and be able to drive to locations of all schools, events, and places necessary to complete the job.
• Possess reliable home internet (work phone & computer provided)
• May be required to travel to Foundation events in Region 1 (MN) and Region 2 (DC, MD, VA)
• Twelve-month, full-time position with benefits. (Work schedule to follow the established Lariat Companies calendar.)
• Compensation: Base salary begins at $65,000. Actual compensation will be commensurate with education, skills, and experience.
• Flexible start date, but no later than July 1, 2026

If interested, please send your cover letter and resume (with three references) to  employment@flahertyfamilyfoundation.org with the subject line ‘Job Application.’

When submitting your cover letter, include answers to the following prompts:

• Explain your interest in the Flaherty Family Foundation. (If you are offered the position, when would you be available to start?)
• Share your experience with-students/families of color , students/families living at/below the poverty line, the Spanish language. Address your skill level as it relates to reading, writing, and speaking Spanish.
• What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing a Pell eligible, first generation to college, student of color when it comes to graduating from college? (Assume the student graduated from a private faith-based, college prep high school, earning a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.)

Please save attachments in the following manner:

Last name, First name_cover letter
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Please note: Any applicant who does not address these questions in their cover letter will not be considered.