Help A Homeless High-School Senior With College

 

 

Hi, my name is Cora, and I am currently a soon-to-be-graduating senior in high school. I've really been struggling financially lately, and could use some assistance.

My family and I have been homeless for about a year now, which took up the entirety of my senior year. In just a few months, I'll be going off to college (hopefully), and I'm very excited for the next stage of my life! I got into my first-choice college, and with a $16,000 scholarship as well, but there are more factors to transitioning to adult life than I previously thought. For example, the commitment fee for Suffolk University is $800, which I certainly cannot pay. There is also living costs up to 16,000 that none of my scholarships or grants or federal loans will pay, and learning this broke my heart because there’s no way I could even begin to come up with the money for all that. We have been living in a hotel, and though I work three days a week (all I can manage while balancing my school career at an advanced math and science academy), my paychecks all but disappear as soon as I earn them. Along with the deposit, things like a laptop for schoolwork, laundry and food money, train fare as I will be attending school in the city, and money for other necessities are things I haven't been able to provide for myself. Anxiety about exiting my family unit without these vital funds has been eating me up for months, as my family can barely support me as it is, and will not be able to help at all while I am in college. I also have not been able to learn to drive, as driving classes and registration/test fees are way too expensive (the Covid epidemic was also a roadblock for that process). It would be difficult for me to find a job I can commute to freely during college, and I definitely can't continue with the one I have now. As it is, I will not be able to save up enough money for all the things I need before graduating in less than two and a half months.

My dream after college is to eventually head a non-profit organization that offers therapy sessions for free to those who can’t afford them, or don’t have the health insurance to cover them. Going into the psychology and urban studies field isn’t just what I want to do, it’s what I was made to do. My experiences with leading a difficult life have prepared me better than I ever could have prepared myself for the people who need me most: those who suffer from mental health issues, and live beneath the poverty line. Speaking from experience, I can confidently say that suffering breeds empathy, and growth brings understanding. But I’m not willing to just sit around and watch people suffer. It’s one thing to recognize that I have the drive and the empathy for this career, but it’s quite another to actually pursue it; however, I’ve never been someone who can sit on the sidelines, knowing that I could help win the game. So no matter how difficult the path, I will do my best to not only hold up those who can’t walk on their own, but also to help them learn how. Because it’s the right thing to do; and because I love it. Dedicating my career, and my life, to making a positive impact on other people’s lives, is not only what I want to do most in the world-- but it feels so right, I can’t imagine doing anything else. However, I can't make a difference without an education, and I'm facing more roadblocks to getting that education than I can currently handle alone.

I would really appreciate it if you could consider helping me out. Thank you, and I hope whoever is still reading this is having a wonderful day :)