Grace Smith Kaus

Director, Postsecondary Success Initiatives

Grace Smith Kaus is the director, postsecondary success initiatives at Helios Education Foundation. In this capacity, she partners with Arizona organizations focused on supporting student pathways to postsecondary education preparedness and success. She is responsible for assisting in the development of strategies and objectives aligned to the Helios’ Latino Student Success initiative, with a focus on aligning K-12 educational experiences that provide academic support and clear pathways to postsecondary education.

Prior to joining Helios, Grace served as Director of Scholarships and Education Initiatives at the Arizona Community Foundation, where she was responsible for development and implementation of scholarship funds, grantmaking for educational programs, and convening community leaders to advance education reform. She also has served as the Director of the Arizona 529 College Savings Plan and Financial Aid Programs for the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education and spent 15 years in the nonprofit college finance sector dedicated to college attainment.

Grace is a proud first-generation college student. Her college journey began at Scottsdale Community College and she holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix. As a first-generation college student, she is a strong advocate for student success and believes in the power of education to uplift families. For over two decades, her career has been focused on promoting and championing access and opportunity for underrepresented communities in Arizona across the P-20 education continuum.