Rameshwar's Journey and Fundraiser

I have faced many barriers towards my education growing up as a first generation minority student, from a low income community. One of the hardest obstacles I faced was during my senior year of high school. Senior year for many adolescents is a time of excitement as many began to plan out their futures. I was one of them excited but nervous to see which colleges I got in to. But my excitement was cut short when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness called Ulcerative Colitis. Ulcerative Colitis is a condition that causes my colon to become inflamed with ulcers and sores. The only way to reduce the symptoms is through different levels of medication. The only problem is that treatment varies person to person, and for me the only medicines that work for me are immunosuppressant, which are in the stronger side of the spectrum.  I didn't let this stop me, I finished my senior year strong and embarked my journey at Notre Dame De Namur. I have completed this semester, and currently am enrolled in my second semester. As a student with a disability, I find myself fighting a constant battle with some of my teachers to follow my accommodation. On several occasions I have been told that I should drop out of their class, some even told me I should just drop out of school. Those same teachers told me I should wait till I get until I get better to start school. What they don’t understand is with my condition there is no full recovery, but there are ways to manage it. It has been hard to find the balance while balancing work,school,health,bills and self advocating. Although going to school has been rough, I keep pushing through because I am very determined to fulfill my dream of getting a degree in Psychology and Sociology, so I can help create a program or nonprofit that educates the youth more about the importance of taking care of one’s mental health. All the money made in this page will be used towards school and medical bills. Thank for taking the time to read my story.