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My name is Joshua Rogers, and I am raising money for my move to Oakland, CA. My goal is to become a community organizer and attend Law School at University of California - Berkeley (my 1st choice law school). My end goal is to become a Criminal Justice Defense Attorney.
I've always had a passion and immense drive to change the world. I believe in the equality of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, religion, sexual preference, or any other label or system used to separate us. The reason why I want to become a lawyer is that growing up I did not see people who looked like me fighting for me or the injustices that plague this world. I grew up in an environment where many people do not usually have the opportunities I had. I have lost childhood friends and family to violence, jail, drugs, and any other trap the system has for someone from my type of background. According to statistics, 1 in 3 African American males will go to prison, yet we only make up 4% of lawyers in the U.S. By becoming a lawyer, I will have the opportunity to beat the statistics and do what no one in my family has ever done, so I plan to make the most of the opportunity given to me.
I started college at the University of New Haven, then transferred to Saint John's University on a partial academic scholarship in my sophomore year. I have worked an array of jobs to put myself through school, a lot of them full time and/or overnight because I had to send money back home to my mother and brother to help pay the bills. Despite the hardships that we encountered throughout my tenure in college and many night/ online classes, I completed school with a 3.52 GPA and Cum Laude honors as well as the opportunity to continue my teaching fellowship in Oakland, CA. This fellowship allows me to teach and work with students within the community of Oakland while simultaneously earning 2 AmeriCorps Grants worth $5,960 that will help offset the costs of law school once I am accepted and enrolled.
Along with my passion to become a lawyer, I am a music producer and event planner. I have been writing since I was 9 years old and have developed an immense love for creating spaces for artists to freely express themselves in a safe space. I co-founded and Co-ran a collective with a group of friends in Queens, NY called "Passing of The Torch" or P.T.T for short. We started hosting events such as open mics and poetry nights for artists out of our apartment, and after one year of its inception (founded May 2018), we have partnered with 3 different universities (Saint John’s, Queens College, and Hofstra University) and their student organizations to collaborate on several occasions. My goal is to continue the West Coast branch of P.T.T. In Oakland, CA when I move because I believe everyone should have a space that they can perform their art. Music saved my life when I was a child and continues to do so today, so I want to do my part to ensure that passions for the arts are cultivated and respected.
I have currently been saving money since the end of 2018 for this move across the U.S. However, this is a big move and I have no immediate family in the Bay Area, so I do not have a lot of security to fall back on. The money will be used for the following:
Housing/ Rent expenses
Travel Expenses (From NY to CA)
Events that I will be hosting in the Bay Area
Student Loan payments (one of my goals is to have my undergrad loans paid off before I start law school).
Since I will be leaving in late July/ early August, my goal is to raise at least $1000 by the end of June for the initial expenses of a deposit on my apartment as well as travel expenses to go to my tour of UC Berkeley.
(PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE NOT been accepted into UC Berkeley yet. I recently took my LSAT's and will be getting my scores back in late June (will update with score results later). I plan on applying before the end of 2019 because I wanted to take some time to work in the community of Oakland/ The Bay Area).
I am going to be honest and say that a part of me is embarrassed to ask for help because I have never liked to be a burden on people. However, it is necessary for me to ask for a hand. It takes a village to not only raise a child, but to help one another as a community. Unity is the strongest force we have. I would not be in this position without the sacrifice and love of the people in my life who have aided me. My success is a culmination of their faith in me and the purpose I walk in.
If anyone is willing to help at this time, I would deeply appreciate it. Every bit of love and support helps whether it is a physical donation, or even just sharing the link. I will do my best to pay you back in the future in any way that I can.
Thank you, God bless, and One Love
Link to my Facebook page below:
https://www.facebook.com/leaderjoshuarogers
I've always had a passion and immense drive to change the world. I believe in the equality of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, religion, sexual preference, or any other label or system used to separate us. The reason why I want to become a lawyer is that growing up I did not see people who looked like me fighting for me or the injustices that plague this world. I grew up in an environment where many people do not usually have the opportunities I had. I have lost childhood friends and family to violence, jail, drugs, and any other trap the system has for someone from my type of background. According to statistics, 1 in 3 African American males will go to prison, yet we only make up 4% of lawyers in the U.S. By becoming a lawyer, I will have the opportunity to beat the statistics and do what no one in my family has ever done, so I plan to make the most of the opportunity given to me.
I started college at the University of New Haven, then transferred to Saint John's University on a partial academic scholarship in my sophomore year. I have worked an array of jobs to put myself through school, a lot of them full time and/or overnight because I had to send money back home to my mother and brother to help pay the bills. Despite the hardships that we encountered throughout my tenure in college and many night/ online classes, I completed school with a 3.52 GPA and Cum Laude honors as well as the opportunity to continue my teaching fellowship in Oakland, CA. This fellowship allows me to teach and work with students within the community of Oakland while simultaneously earning 2 AmeriCorps Grants worth $5,960 that will help offset the costs of law school once I am accepted and enrolled.
Along with my passion to become a lawyer, I am a music producer and event planner. I have been writing since I was 9 years old and have developed an immense love for creating spaces for artists to freely express themselves in a safe space. I co-founded and Co-ran a collective with a group of friends in Queens, NY called "Passing of The Torch" or P.T.T for short. We started hosting events such as open mics and poetry nights for artists out of our apartment, and after one year of its inception (founded May 2018), we have partnered with 3 different universities (Saint John’s, Queens College, and Hofstra University) and their student organizations to collaborate on several occasions. My goal is to continue the West Coast branch of P.T.T. In Oakland, CA when I move because I believe everyone should have a space that they can perform their art. Music saved my life when I was a child and continues to do so today, so I want to do my part to ensure that passions for the arts are cultivated and respected.
I have currently been saving money since the end of 2018 for this move across the U.S. However, this is a big move and I have no immediate family in the Bay Area, so I do not have a lot of security to fall back on. The money will be used for the following:
Housing/ Rent expenses
Travel Expenses (From NY to CA)
Events that I will be hosting in the Bay Area
Student Loan payments (one of my goals is to have my undergrad loans paid off before I start law school).
Since I will be leaving in late July/ early August, my goal is to raise at least $1000 by the end of June for the initial expenses of a deposit on my apartment as well as travel expenses to go to my tour of UC Berkeley.
(PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE NOT been accepted into UC Berkeley yet. I recently took my LSAT's and will be getting my scores back in late June (will update with score results later). I plan on applying before the end of 2019 because I wanted to take some time to work in the community of Oakland/ The Bay Area).
I am going to be honest and say that a part of me is embarrassed to ask for help because I have never liked to be a burden on people. However, it is necessary for me to ask for a hand. It takes a village to not only raise a child, but to help one another as a community. Unity is the strongest force we have. I would not be in this position without the sacrifice and love of the people in my life who have aided me. My success is a culmination of their faith in me and the purpose I walk in.
If anyone is willing to help at this time, I would deeply appreciate it. Every bit of love and support helps whether it is a physical donation, or even just sharing the link. I will do my best to pay you back in the future in any way that I can.
Thank you, God bless, and One Love
Link to my Facebook page below:
https://www.facebook.com/leaderjoshuarogers