Hi everyone,

My name is Sasha, and I am the proud mother of Aaliyah Ruiz.

As a mom, this is a little outside my comfort zone, but I wanted to share my daughter Aaliyah’s story.

I was a teen mom when I had Aaliyah at just 29 weeks. She was born weighing only 2 pounds and faced many health challenges growing up, including severe asthma. Many moments felt uncertain, but through strength, faith, and determination, she overcame every obstacle placed in front of her.

Today, she is one of the hardest-working and most driven young women I know.

At only 17 years old, Aaliyah started her own small home coffee business while still attending high school full-time. She has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for creating something of her own. She graduates from high school this month and will turn 18 in the fall as she begins her next chapter at California Baptist University, where she plans to study clinical physiology and continue pursuing her dream of helping others.

Her father and I both work very hard every day to give her a better life and opportunities than we had growing up. Like many families, things have been financially difficult, but no matter our situation, we never want her dreams to feel limited. We want her to continue believing that with hard work, faith, and support, anything is possible.

Because Aaliyah is still 17, she is currently limited in what she can legally do business-wise until she turns 18. Even with those challenges, she has continued learning, creating, and building her small coffee business from home with determination and passion. Our goal is to help set her up with the proper equipment, licensing, and foundation so she can officially grow her dream the right way as she enters adulthood and college.

We are hoping to help her purchase a mobile coffee cart and commercial coffee equipment.

If you would like to support Aaliyah’s journey in any way, whether through a donation, sharing this fundraiser, or simply words of encouragement, our family would truly appreciate it more than words can express.

Thank you for believing in young dreamers, resilience, and the power of community.