Daniela Mendez International student help

My name is Daniela and I'm a Molecular Biosciences Ph.D. international student from Chile at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. On February 3rd of 2023, I took the school bus home and got to my stop around 6:10 PM. I was walking to my apartment door when I noticed a black car with no plates and no car logo parked in reverse in front of my apartment door. The trunk was left open and the car running. I kept walking to my door and when I was about to close my apartment door behind me, a man was standing right outside my door and grabbed the door handle as I started closing the door. As soon as I saw his hand on the doorknob, I pushed all my body weight against the door to close it and lock it to prevent him from coming in. I quickly locked the door while still pushing all my body weight. He stayed outside my apartment door forcing the door, ringing the doorbell countless times, slamming himself against the door very loudly, and trying to open the door by picking the lock. I called the police while pushing the door really hard, and told them my location while I had tears running down my face as the noises the man was making on the door were overwhelming me. Despite the fear I felt at that moment, I kept checking the peephole on the door to get a clear picture of this man to later describe to the police. Finally, the police came to my door but the man and the car were gone. I had never seen this man in my entire life yet he knew my schedule, where I lived and that I lived alone. I left to stay with my family for a short period of time to heal. The school and I were looking for safety solutions for me to come back to school and finish the semester. However, upon returning to Pullman, the director of the program told me that there was no point in me coming back to the program this semester since there was no longer a position for me there. I was devastated because my passion for education and science was the reason why I had landed a Ph.D. position. Therefore, I am asking for 10,000$ to fund my first year of school at a community college to continue my education. I do not want to give up my dreams of an education in the scientific field and eventually helping many lives.

As an international student from Chile, I do not qualify for FAFSA or off-campus jobs that could help me get the school funds.

Thank you so much for reading my story, God bless.

Spokane news article

WSU school's newspaper interview