Attending College

Your senior year of high school before college is supposed to be memorable and something you will remember forever. That’s what it was for me, but for very different reasons. On October 13, 2013, my father fell 18 ft from his tree stand, breaking 10 ribs, his t8, c3, and c4. He was airlifted to the University of Michigan, where he would reside in the ICU for 3 weeks before being transferred to the VA in Cleveland, Ohio to receive specialized spinal cord treatment. Due to his accident, he now has hemiparesis along with many other complications that will leave him unable to work for the rest of his life. Due to the timing of his accident, it didn’t show a loss of pay on his taxes, which in turn didn’t show the loss of pay when I submitted my FAFSA. That resulted in me not receiving any financial aid for my first year of college. We are still in the process of receiving benefits from the VA and are struggling financially without my father’s income. With my first year of college rapidly approaching, I’m $13,000 short and my family and I have no way to pay for it, even with loans I’ve been offered. I’m a very dedicated student, having received many academic awards an academic scholarship to Eastern Michigan University. Attending college and studying biochemistry to become a toxicologist has been a dream of mine for quite some time, and there’s nothing I love more than learning something new. I don’t expect anything near $13,000 but every penny would help in my dream of attending college. My father’s accident was a life changing event for myself and my family, and we take everything one day at a time. I appreciate you taking the time to read my story and donating me to help me achieve my dream.