Erica's Semester Abroad

My name is Erica, and I'm a senior at Arizona State University majoring in Biology/Pre-Med.  I have recently been given the amazing opportunity to study abroad for an entire semester in New Zealand, which has been at the top of my travel destination for at least a decade.  I will be studying at the University of Waikato from February 2016 to June 2016.  

Being an older, non-traditional student has its advantages and disadvantages.  One advantage is that my extra life experience and maturity helps me maintain a high standard of academic success as well as professional success.  I have maintained a 3.9+ GPA for my entire undergrad with only two semesters left, which is very tough for a science major.  In addition to my academic success, I have also volunteered on campus as an emergency medical technician with ASU's Student EMS.  On top of my volunteer hours, I work as a scribe in the emergency department at a very busy central Phoenix hospital.   The disadvantage, however, is that I am self-dependent and do not have any scholarships or grants applied to my account.  Even if I maximize my student loans for the semester, this will not leave me enough money left over to pay for housing and airfare for the semester.

Please, if you have even $1 to spare, help make this a reality for me.  I have worked so hard to transform my life from one of depression and unhappiness to one full of happiness, excitement, and promise.  This experience will help me in my application to Medical School next year as being independent enough to succeed academically while alone in a foreign country will look fantastic to admissions committees, as will exposure to a truly multicultural country with a completely different take on healthcare.