Help an International Student at Siena College

My Childhood

    My name is Prince Asante. I was just a normal kid, with the same aspirations as everybody. I dreamed of attending the best school, getting my bicycle at age nine and Xbox at eleven. My father was going to buy them of course until he suddenly lost his job and the house we lived in when I was just eight years. In a period of a year, I had transitioned from a kid who had this rosy life and sky-high dreams to one who had to learn all life’s lessons on the street of Bibiani, a mid-sized town in the western region of Ghana. After my father lost his job, everything changed quickly. Life became difficult. Even food became difficult to purchase. We lived in a mud house situated in a slum. My father was jobless and my mother too had a serious illness, which kept her from working. As a result, I was compelled to sell water on the street to support my family and myself in basic school at the age of ten. I sold water in the hot sun and the cold rain every single day after school. I remained in that situation until I completed basic school. It was then my uncle came to detach me from my parents.

Pursuing My Education

   My uncle took care of me through my high school education. I had a dream that one day I would pursue my education in the United States. I studied harder to pass my high school final exams called WASSCE. I started chasing my dream of pursuing my education in the United States. I studied harder, day and night. I took the SAT some months after graduating from high school, and due to my high score, I was admitted to Siena College. I felt like a dream had come true. It was a great achievement because nobody in my family has been able to go to college or university. My uncle encouraged me by promising to be responsible financially for my college education. I was at the peak of excitement.

The Storm That Struck Me Down

    One month after being in college, I experienced the tragic deterioration of my whole life. News reached me that my uncle had been involved in a fatal accident and had been in coma. Struggling for his life, he underwent three surgical operations. He survived the first and second operation, but the last operation, he could not survive. I lost my dearest uncle, who was responsible for paying my college bills, one fateful Sunday morning. As a result, I feel pressured and keep wondering how I am going to pay for college. I feel like my dreams are shattering. I keep asking, “Am I going to dropout from college?” I do not know how I am going to thrive in college because I lack financial support to sustain my stay in college.  

Why I Need Your Help

    I want my dream to be a neurosurgeon to be a reality. My community is facing many health issues because there are few specialized doctors and hospitals to take care of sick people in my community. Therefore, being a neurosurgeon would enhance me to contribute to the health development of my community. Also, I do not want to drop out from school and I feel connected to Siena College, its loving community and environment. All these can be accomplished if I am able to secure the financial support to enable me to stay enrolled in Siena College, study hard, and graduate.

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