My Donation Page

I am Julia Elisa Barillas. I was born and raised by a single mom in extreme poverty in Guatemala. I came to the United States in 2008 to achieve my ultimate goal of becoming a special education teacher.

I was diagnosed with kidney cancer at 19 and then 3 months later diagnosed with a seizure disorder. My illnesses were the worst experiences of my life. It took me 8 years to begin to feel like myself again. Paying for school after two traumatic illnesses has been an unbelievable challenge. My mother and I worked as babysitters to save enough money for me to attend Bergen Community College from which I graduated in May, 2014 with honors.

I have been accepted at Felician College and plan to begin attending in the fall of 2014. I have received a $14,000 academic scholarship which covers about 55% of the tuition. My mother and I are struggling to feed ourselves and to save enough money for my tuition at Felician College. My illnesses have wiped out whatever limited assests my family had. I do not want to give up my dream of becoming a special education teacher. It is for this reason I ask for whatever help you can give me. Please know that I will pay this debt forward for the rest of my life.