Ashley's Survival Fund
Donation protected
My name is Ashley Gomez and I am a survivor. I moved from Round Rock, Texas to Santa Barbara, California to pursue my education as a first-year student at UCSB. I planned to major in Cell & Developmental Biology and eventually go into law school to pursue science policy.
Last October, I was raped in Isla Vista, the community that resides next to the UCSB campus. Following the assault, my feeling of safety on campus decreased drastically. My anxiety increased, I struggled to concentrate in my classes, it took longer to solve simple problems and everyday forward became a battle against myself.
No matter how long I studied or how well I managed my time, I couldn’t be as successful as I once was. Many panic attacks and night terrors would incapacitate me for hours at a time, disrupting the most basic routines of my life. I quickly fell behind in my classes and became overwhelmed. I found support on campus and decided to withdraw from the second quarter, my fall quarter, at UCSB and returned home to continue healing.
Upon returning to campus for my winter quarter, I sought out a support system and resumed taking classes. As the quarter progressed my anxiety worsened and I sought out medical attention. The medical attention ended up requiring three ambulance rides and three visits to the ER.
As result of my frequent emergency room visits, the school’s health insurance has left me with approximately $802.50 per visit of out of pocket fees and more is to come.
It has been strongly recommended by the school’s administration that I withdraw from my winter quarter and they have not been definitive about what to do for the spring quarter. After taking all of these recommendations and my financial standing into consideration, I feel that my best option is completely withdraw from UCSB.
I checked the available campus resources: SMERF Grant, AS/EOP Grant, Community Financial Fund Grant, and Bridged Under Troubled Waters Grant. Unfortunately all these grants have been completely dispensed for either the quarter or year. I have also begun an application for compensation through Santa Barbara Crisis Center . However, I was warned this process is not guaranteed and can take up to 2 months. I plan to use the funds donated through this GoFundMe account to help pay for my incurred medical expenses. UCSB school administration is currently searching for alternate sources of financial alleviation for these expenses.
I am reaching out to the internet because I believe sharing my story is important.
I am sharing my story today, for not only myself, but for those who feel too voiceless to do so. Anyone can be a survivor: your hall-mate, your coworker, the barista who just handed you your coffee, or your best friend. A survivor is not so easily spotted. Society tells us we need to keep our stories hidden, quiet, and above all unnoticeable.
I believe it is my duty to bring awareness to the rape culture on college campuses today and break my silence that I have long held onto. Today I challenge those around me to confront the stigma of being a survivor and to support those who are. I will continue my college education and plan to attend law school to represent the small demographic of Latina women in science. My story did not end that night at age 18. I am now 19 and though my perspective has changed that does not mean my life has ended. Today I ask for support so that I may go on to support other survivors and continue to share my story. My name is Ashley Gomez and I am survivor.
Last October, I was raped in Isla Vista, the community that resides next to the UCSB campus. Following the assault, my feeling of safety on campus decreased drastically. My anxiety increased, I struggled to concentrate in my classes, it took longer to solve simple problems and everyday forward became a battle against myself.
No matter how long I studied or how well I managed my time, I couldn’t be as successful as I once was. Many panic attacks and night terrors would incapacitate me for hours at a time, disrupting the most basic routines of my life. I quickly fell behind in my classes and became overwhelmed. I found support on campus and decided to withdraw from the second quarter, my fall quarter, at UCSB and returned home to continue healing.
Upon returning to campus for my winter quarter, I sought out a support system and resumed taking classes. As the quarter progressed my anxiety worsened and I sought out medical attention. The medical attention ended up requiring three ambulance rides and three visits to the ER.
As result of my frequent emergency room visits, the school’s health insurance has left me with approximately $802.50 per visit of out of pocket fees and more is to come.
It has been strongly recommended by the school’s administration that I withdraw from my winter quarter and they have not been definitive about what to do for the spring quarter. After taking all of these recommendations and my financial standing into consideration, I feel that my best option is completely withdraw from UCSB.
I checked the available campus resources: SMERF Grant, AS/EOP Grant, Community Financial Fund Grant, and Bridged Under Troubled Waters Grant. Unfortunately all these grants have been completely dispensed for either the quarter or year. I have also begun an application for compensation through Santa Barbara Crisis Center . However, I was warned this process is not guaranteed and can take up to 2 months. I plan to use the funds donated through this GoFundMe account to help pay for my incurred medical expenses. UCSB school administration is currently searching for alternate sources of financial alleviation for these expenses.
I am reaching out to the internet because I believe sharing my story is important.
I am sharing my story today, for not only myself, but for those who feel too voiceless to do so. Anyone can be a survivor: your hall-mate, your coworker, the barista who just handed you your coffee, or your best friend. A survivor is not so easily spotted. Society tells us we need to keep our stories hidden, quiet, and above all unnoticeable.
I believe it is my duty to bring awareness to the rape culture on college campuses today and break my silence that I have long held onto. Today I challenge those around me to confront the stigma of being a survivor and to support those who are. I will continue my college education and plan to attend law school to represent the small demographic of Latina women in science. My story did not end that night at age 18. I am now 19 and though my perspective has changed that does not mean my life has ended. Today I ask for support so that I may go on to support other survivors and continue to share my story. My name is Ashley Gomez and I am survivor.
Organizer
Ashley Gomez
Organizer
Santa Barbara, CA
