Help Anshu stay a Mary Washington student

 Anshu Adhikari is a first-year student at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  She is a degree-seeking international student from Nepal, studying here on an F-1 non-immigrant student visa. We started this campaign to help Anshu continue her education at UMW, as she is facing considerable financial hardships and would not be able to continue her education without assistance.

 Under her current visa, she is only allowed to work on campus for up to 20 hours per week during the semester. Even if she were able to work full time under Severe Economic Hardship, we fear that it would take time away from her studies.  She has considered transferring to a local community college but our intentions is to support her as her ultimate goal is to graduate from UMW.  She has a scholarship to pay for her tuition but is struggling to pay for room and board and other living expenses.  Even though she finally has been able to apply for a social security card so she can begin working on campus.  Moreover, the long processing time that has taken to complete this process meant she had several weeks where she was unable to earn an income.  Her father had been supporting her education, but sadly passed away from COVID-related complications last year.

We are trying to help her raise money to cover her outstanding room and board bills for this year. She will be able to cover part of the expenses herself through her on-campus work, but the $5,000 we are trying to raise will cover the difference and allow her to continue her education here.  Anshu has shown remarkable strength of character and academic promise just by getting into the position she is in now.  With a little help she will be able to continue her education, and we are confident she will have a very successful college and professional career.

 

Here is Anshu telling her story:

I am Anshu Adhikari, a 1st-year student at the University of Mary Washington, and an aspiring data scientist. I have been awarded generous scholarships by the University of Mary Washington. I served as a program assistant at Code for Nepal where I managed a 500-person strong Data Fellowship program.

 

In November of 2020, my father, Suresh Prasad Yadav, Lead Engineer at MCA-Nepal, passed away due to COVID-related complications. The next day I had to appear for my final high school exams. I am on track to be the first female generation in my family to attend college. I have already earned a Data Scientist certification from DataCamp and written about it . I am very thankful for the amazing opportunity to go to the University of Mary Washington. I have found a community of friends, classmates, academic mentors, and professors who within 5 weeks are my family here in Fredericksburg.

 

My father often had to commute for his work despite the risk of Covid in 2020. At just 47-years-old, due to COVID-related complications, my father passed away as I was applying to college. I had discussed this with my Dad years ago and shared my intent to help cremate him when he died, which he said was his wish too. His death came much sooner than we ever expected, but I persisted, against the wishes of more traditional family members and neighbors, to help cremate my father’s body, performing his last rites. The next day, I had to take my final high school exam.

 

Now that I'm grieving and looking forward, I believe that continuing my education at UMW will be essential to my goal to graduate from college as the first woman in my family. I've seen firsthand how unfair the world can be to those who are underprivileged. Following my father's untimely death, my mother is concerned about how she will educate me and my 8-year-old brother. Due to the circumstances of my father's passing, I am compelled to make educational decisions under the influence of other family members who believe that attending community college is my only option, but then I would have no place to live. I would be honored and grateful to be able to continue my studies here at UMW in the spring semester as a computer science student I have a $2000 scholarship for the living cost but I am in a difficult situation as I am paying for my living expenses this year on campus. I had brought $1500 saving with me from Nepal. My total amount for living cost for this year is $13,356.92.

 

Though my efforts to get on-campus employment, save money, and obtain scholarships has kept me at UMW for the first month of the first semester, and hopefully until the end of the semester. I'm seeking assistance from the community to help me continue in this community of family-like mentors, friends, and educational possibilities that I would not have had in Nepal. I am very determined to graduate from UMW and contribute to the community while gaining an excellent academic experience.
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This fundraising campaign is being managed by Ian Finlayson, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Mary Washington.