Please help Cam complete his education!
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I am here to humbly ask for assistance helping my son realize his dream to work with people with disabilities in a sports setting. Cameron is the most compassionate person I know. He is smart, interested in current events, loving, and a great conversationalist. He is a well-loved and well-cared for young man.
Cam is a senior at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. He is majoring in Recreational Therapy. He has worked his entire time in college and isn't afraid of hard work. Cameron hasn't always had an easy time in life. His biological father disappeared when he was 12 and has not reached out to Cam or helped support him. Not even a birthday or Christmas card. He has struggled with teen depression and ADD.
As a single parent, I have given my only child every thing I have to give. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. My illness and medical expenses have deeply impacted my ability to help him. I am in remission now and my prognosis looks good, but I am still dealing with the medical expenses and treatment side effects. Cameron has been a rock throughout my cancer treatment.
The real point of this is that Cameron has been offered his dream internship at the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah. The NAC empowers people with all levels of ability to enrich their lives through sports, recreation, and education. It is an unpaid internship and required in order for him to graduate. Park City, Utah is a very affluent area and living expenses are quite high.
Cameron needs funds to help him get to Utah from North Carolina. He'll be driving his very old (but hopefully mechanically sound) car packed with everything he owns. He'll need gas and travel money, though he does plan to camp each night in lieu of a hotel. I will be sending him with a cooler full of sandwich fixings and snacks. He'll also need funds to pay his first month's rent on a place to live, groceries, gas back and forth to the NAC, etc.
He will look for a part time job once in Park City, but his intership sponsor is discouraging him from working because the internship will be very demanding of his time and energy. He is required to be there for 14 weeks.
The cheapest housing we've been able to find so far is about $700 per month. By our standards, that's extremely expensive. Plus. he'll need to provide a deposit.
He will get some financial aid for the summer, but those funds are not available until a month after he arrives in Park City and they are limited. Plus, it's money he will have to pay back on top of his already crazy student loans. He has to be there by May 23 until the end of August. He will have to miss his own graduation due to this requirement.
You can view his LinkedIn page here.
Once Cameron completes his internship, he will return to NC to sit for his license/certification exam so he can work as a recreational therapist. (NC requires him to be licensed to work in this state.)
Cameron is a good kid. Getting through college has been a challange for him because, like me, academics do not come easily to him. He has worked TWO part time jobs to help support himself. One job is as a companion to children and teens with various developmental disabilities and the other is an an adaptive ski instructor helping people with physical disabilities learn to enjoy snow sports. He volunteers on a regular basis and gives generously of himself.
If you feel led to help Cameron, we can provide documentation of everything stated above. We are happy to share his offer letter from NAC, his college transcript, and references. He is willing to speak with you by phone or email. He will offer you regular updates throughout the summer, if you'd like. And we will be eternally grateful for your assistance in helping Cameron realize his life dream of working with the disabled with the amazing experience he'll gain via his internship.
Thank you for considering Cam in your giving.
Cam is a senior at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. He is majoring in Recreational Therapy. He has worked his entire time in college and isn't afraid of hard work. Cameron hasn't always had an easy time in life. His biological father disappeared when he was 12 and has not reached out to Cam or helped support him. Not even a birthday or Christmas card. He has struggled with teen depression and ADD.
As a single parent, I have given my only child every thing I have to give. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. My illness and medical expenses have deeply impacted my ability to help him. I am in remission now and my prognosis looks good, but I am still dealing with the medical expenses and treatment side effects. Cameron has been a rock throughout my cancer treatment.
The real point of this is that Cameron has been offered his dream internship at the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah. The NAC empowers people with all levels of ability to enrich their lives through sports, recreation, and education. It is an unpaid internship and required in order for him to graduate. Park City, Utah is a very affluent area and living expenses are quite high.
Cameron needs funds to help him get to Utah from North Carolina. He'll be driving his very old (but hopefully mechanically sound) car packed with everything he owns. He'll need gas and travel money, though he does plan to camp each night in lieu of a hotel. I will be sending him with a cooler full of sandwich fixings and snacks. He'll also need funds to pay his first month's rent on a place to live, groceries, gas back and forth to the NAC, etc.
He will look for a part time job once in Park City, but his intership sponsor is discouraging him from working because the internship will be very demanding of his time and energy. He is required to be there for 14 weeks.
The cheapest housing we've been able to find so far is about $700 per month. By our standards, that's extremely expensive. Plus. he'll need to provide a deposit.
He will get some financial aid for the summer, but those funds are not available until a month after he arrives in Park City and they are limited. Plus, it's money he will have to pay back on top of his already crazy student loans. He has to be there by May 23 until the end of August. He will have to miss his own graduation due to this requirement.
You can view his LinkedIn page here.
Once Cameron completes his internship, he will return to NC to sit for his license/certification exam so he can work as a recreational therapist. (NC requires him to be licensed to work in this state.)
Cameron is a good kid. Getting through college has been a challange for him because, like me, academics do not come easily to him. He has worked TWO part time jobs to help support himself. One job is as a companion to children and teens with various developmental disabilities and the other is an an adaptive ski instructor helping people with physical disabilities learn to enjoy snow sports. He volunteers on a regular basis and gives generously of himself.
If you feel led to help Cameron, we can provide documentation of everything stated above. We are happy to share his offer letter from NAC, his college transcript, and references. He is willing to speak with you by phone or email. He will offer you regular updates throughout the summer, if you'd like. And we will be eternally grateful for your assistance in helping Cameron realize his life dream of working with the disabled with the amazing experience he'll gain via his internship.
Thank you for considering Cam in your giving.
Organizer
Carla Stancil
Organizer
Raleigh, NC
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