Amber's Cap and Gown Fund

I am in my last class and was extremely excited about graduation. I will be the first person in my family on either side (Mother or Father) to graduate with my bachelor's, and this has been a hard road for me. Everything got pushed back a year because of a car accident that I was in, leaving me disabled and at times, ready to give up on my degree altogether. Pushing past that I have made it here, through homelessness, joblessness and more, so graduation was a huge deal, but due to extenuating circumstances, going to graduation is off the table. OK. I understand things happen.

But at this point, i feel defeated. After everything the last 5.5 years, the sleepless nights, the exhaustion, the tears, I was looking forward to at least buying a cap and gown, maybe a souvenir tassel to hang in my car when I buy one. and so for the last year I have saved every penny that I could spare, I have scraped and scrounged to save up for the graduation merch so that I could have a little something to commemorate this momentous achievement, including the money to take my family out for a nice dinner on what was supposed to be my graduation.

Last night I came home and my entire savings was stolen by someone I thought I could trust. $253 just gone. A year of pinching every penny that I could. I feel so discouraged, I know this is the last class but I am just so upset. I am finishing a degree that since my car accident, I will not be able to use, and now will no longer be able to celebrate completing it. It almost feels like celebrating this, taking some photos with the cap and gown, with my family was the last small straw that held my mental strength together.