Money for college
Donation protected
Hello, I'm Minseo. I am a first-year student at Southern Methodist University, planning to double major in Political Science and Public Policy with minors in International Affairs and Chinese. I am on the pre-law track, aspiring to become a lawyer and later run for congress to advocate for and represent minorities. I received many scholarships and awards, including the Horatio Alger National Scholarship. I graduated at the top of my class and am currently a University Honors student at SMU. I graduated at 17 with an associate's degree and a surplus of transferable credits from Brookhaven College. I am involved in the University Honors Program, East Asian Student Association, Student Foundation, SMU Debate, the Human Rights Program, and Amnesty at SMU.
I lived among different families since I was 3 then with different friends since I was 14. In 2019, I began to live with my current roommate and have been living with her ever since. We live in a tiny apartment where we share a room and bed, and it is the best I have had. This is the first bed I have ever had.
I obtained my first actual job when I was 14, but I sold drawings prior to that job. It was difficult managing my expenses at 14, but I did not have another choice. I even worked up to 3 jobs at one point, just to afford all of my living expenses, while attending school full-time.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has left me jobless. My roommate has asthma, making her more susceptible to COVID-19. So to keep her safe I have been applying to remote jobs, but have not had much luck after Texas opened back up. I don't have parents or family to support me with tuition or fees. In addition, recent events have left me completely out of money. To minimize my cost of attendance as much as possible, I applied for housing exemption for the year. The reason for my housing exemption stated in my application was financial instability. After being approved, my award/institutional scholarship money was lowered by nearly $20,000, which was the cost of housing. Assuming I had control over the scholarship money awarded by Horatio Alger, I asked for $6,290, which would cover the rest of my tuition for this semester. Then, I found out that my first year is capped at $5,000 for an entire academic year. I only received $2,500 for this semester, which was not enough.
Above that, I don't even have enough to cover my living expenses. Our AC and heater broke down this summer and we have been living in an apartment with extreme temperatures. Then, our car broke down, and the burden became heavier. My roommate and I have had to ration our meals, sometimes even running out of water. I applied for student emergency funds at SMU, which are meant to cover expenses outside of tuition and fees, but was met with no luck. It seems as though problems have just been piling on top of each other. I feel that I have exhausted all of my other resources, so I ask for donations, as small or big as you choose to make them. I would appreciate any help at all. Thank you for taking the time to read this or for your donation if you decide to make one; it means the world to me.
Disclaimer: I do not have a bank account, so I was required to put someone else as the beneficiary (the person whose bank account is connected to the gofundme is automatically categorized as the "beneficiary"). My mentor, Tyron Chang, offered to assist me, and he will be cashing out the money for me so that I can pay through cash. Therefore, I am still, technically, the beneficiary; I just needed a little extra help because I don't have a bank account or credit card. I am sorry for the confusion.
I lived among different families since I was 3 then with different friends since I was 14. In 2019, I began to live with my current roommate and have been living with her ever since. We live in a tiny apartment where we share a room and bed, and it is the best I have had. This is the first bed I have ever had.
I obtained my first actual job when I was 14, but I sold drawings prior to that job. It was difficult managing my expenses at 14, but I did not have another choice. I even worked up to 3 jobs at one point, just to afford all of my living expenses, while attending school full-time.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has left me jobless. My roommate has asthma, making her more susceptible to COVID-19. So to keep her safe I have been applying to remote jobs, but have not had much luck after Texas opened back up. I don't have parents or family to support me with tuition or fees. In addition, recent events have left me completely out of money. To minimize my cost of attendance as much as possible, I applied for housing exemption for the year. The reason for my housing exemption stated in my application was financial instability. After being approved, my award/institutional scholarship money was lowered by nearly $20,000, which was the cost of housing. Assuming I had control over the scholarship money awarded by Horatio Alger, I asked for $6,290, which would cover the rest of my tuition for this semester. Then, I found out that my first year is capped at $5,000 for an entire academic year. I only received $2,500 for this semester, which was not enough.
Above that, I don't even have enough to cover my living expenses. Our AC and heater broke down this summer and we have been living in an apartment with extreme temperatures. Then, our car broke down, and the burden became heavier. My roommate and I have had to ration our meals, sometimes even running out of water. I applied for student emergency funds at SMU, which are meant to cover expenses outside of tuition and fees, but was met with no luck. It seems as though problems have just been piling on top of each other. I feel that I have exhausted all of my other resources, so I ask for donations, as small or big as you choose to make them. I would appreciate any help at all. Thank you for taking the time to read this or for your donation if you decide to make one; it means the world to me.
Disclaimer: I do not have a bank account, so I was required to put someone else as the beneficiary (the person whose bank account is connected to the gofundme is automatically categorized as the "beneficiary"). My mentor, Tyron Chang, offered to assist me, and he will be cashing out the money for me so that I can pay through cash. Therefore, I am still, technically, the beneficiary; I just needed a little extra help because I don't have a bank account or credit card. I am sorry for the confusion.
Organizer and beneficiary
Minseo Kim
Organizer
Dallas, TX
Tyron Chang
Beneficiary
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