#CollegeWishList

Wait. How is this even a thing?

A few weeks ago, I posted on social media asking if any college students needed funds for college supplies. Soon, my inbox was flooded. 

Okay. Cool. But, like, why? 

I grew up working poor, and struggled while I was a college student back in 2005. I worked several jobs, was a Resident Assistant (free housing, yasss), and still spent one summer living off of turkey sandwiches. It wasn't all bad, but I hated worrying about money. Sometimes, I didn't buy books or supplies I needed. Sometimes I didn't participate in events that were over a certain price point. Sometimes, I was just upset. School was expensive, and it hasn't gotten any easier. 

Years later, I went to grad school, and struggled again. I know I'm not the only one. 

So, because I love Oprah and Ellen and all the philanthropist of the world, I wanted to find a way to give back and to help others have an easier time in college. Money doesn't solve all your problems, but we know that we learn better and retain more information when we don't have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. In addition to paying for food, there are so many college students who have to face the question of "Do I buy books this semester or should I just go for it?" 

No one should have to worry about that. 

Then, there are students who are unable to have their degrees released or return back to school because of a fee that they owe. Maybe they had to leave school because of a family emergency, maybe it was health related, there are a myriad of reasons. 

What's clear is that scholarships and grants are hard to come by, but we can all pitch in to help out someone else. This isn't a cure all, but it's helpful. 

Which students are part of the #CollegeWishList project and what exactly do they need? 

So, after my inbox was flooded and after going back and forth with folks, we ended up with a solid list. In order to be a part of the project, each person needed to be 18+ years old, and couldn't use the money to pay back loans. At the end of the day, we ended up with 20 college students from all over the country. I received stories and links to their Amazon Wish Lists containing their top five college supplies. 

I also got to learn a little about who they are and what impact they hope to have on the world. 

Their stories were touching, heartbreaking, and real. They all have different needs and situations. The grand total of all their Amazon Wish Lists was over $20,000.

What now? 

Our goal is to raise $100,000 by August 1, 2018. 

If we meet our goal, each student will receive $3,000 which will be sent to each person via PayPal. They'll also have every item on their Amazon Wish List purchased and sent to them. Sweeeeet! The remaining funds will be used for future college wish list projects. The stretch goal is the create a non-profit if all this works out. How dope would that be? 

I wanna help, but I don't have a lot of cash. So, what do I do? 

That's cool. So often, issues seem so big and we feel like there's nothing we can do. But, we can all help in some way. All you need is WiFi and a social media account.

Specifically, you can help us reach our goal by:

*Sharing our campaign page  on your social media profiles. 
*Tagging friends and family in the post. 
*Donating $5. If you can, awesome. If not, that's okay. You sharing this campaign is a SUPER BIG HELP! 

Everyone who donates, will receive updates on the campaign as well as information about how the students used the funds for college. I can't wait for that part. 

Wow. Aight. So, who are these students? 

I thought you'd never ask. Learn about all 19 students by visiting our official campaign page .