Help Destiny Guron Continue Her Howard Journey

Hello everyone. My name is Destiny Guron, I am from Santa Barbara, California, and I am preparing to begin my second year at Howard University, where I’m studying under the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts pursuing a degree in Painting.

Attending Howard University, it has changed me in ways I didn't expect. To be honest, my first year was anything but easy. Within my first few days, I experienced the loss of my aunt. Just weeks later, my mom was hospitalized and underwent brain surgery. To say the least, it was a heartbreaking and financially difficult time for my family.

Through this dark time, I knew I needed to pull myself together and push forward. That’s all you really can do when you’re far away from home. Thankfully, I didn’t face it alone. Thanks to Howard, I found a community: friends, professors, dorm-sisters (Shoutout to Crandall!!) who cared, who inspired and who lifted me up when I felt I was falling apart.

How you start something, is not always how you finish, and I’m proud to say that despite the grief, anxiety and uncertainty, I have finished my first year at Howard with a 4.0 GPA. The people and the opportunities that I’ve been blessed to cross paths with at Howard truly made my experience and holds a special place in my heart.

Which is why I am asking for your help now.

You may or may not know, but many of my fellow Bison and I have been facing financial hardship for the past month due to an unexpected outstanding balance in our student accounts (BisonHub). I currently owe a balance of $7,000. This balance threatens everything I have worked for and what I dreamed of pursuing at Howard. If I fail to remove this balance by August, I won’t be able to move into my housing assignment, the inability to register for classes, or continue my journey at Howard. I actively have been applying for loans and scholarships that could help me through this financial nightmare but as the deadline nears closer by the day, my options are running out.

While I do believe in the power of education, this isn’t just about paying a balance or finishing school. It is about protecting a future I fought for. I still hold onto hope that with the help of others, I can rise above it. Any contribution, big or small, makes a difference. Thank you for taking the time to read and support me on my journey returning to Howard.