<div>Hello everyone! My name is Gabrielle Cassell, and I am a rising sophomore, Honors Comparative Women's Studies major at the illustrious Spelman College.
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<div><strong>I am seeking financial assistance in order to fund my ability to return back to my beloved institution for the upcoming academic year.</strong> My first year at Spelman was one of the most transformational experiences of my life and definitely solidified my gut feeling that Spelman was the only choice for me.
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<div>I was initially accepted to Spelman in December 2022 due to applying early decision. At the time, I was in the midst of a years-long struggle with my mental health and I was extremely worn out. I chose to take a gap year in order to recalibrate and gain back my passion for education. We always knew that Spelman was going to be financially challenging for us, a low-income family, and was not surprised when I received very little financial aid. We figured that if I could just get through the door, I would be able to get funding for the rest of my college journey. I ended up having to take out around $40,000 of private loans in order to finance my first year of college. It was very concerning for my family that I was already in such a major amount of student loan debt, but we did what had to be done in order for me to go to college.
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<div>My plan going into my first year was to excel in order to prove to my institution that I was a worthy investment. I was able to achieve a 4.0 GPA along with multiple academic honors. Even beyond just academic achievement, the experiences and opportunities that I had were invaluable. Just a few of these included working in the amazing Women's Research and Resource Center, being able to introduce award-winning journalist Nikole Hannah Jones at the Black Women's Health Imperative 40th Anniversary Conference, starting the Black Feminist Book Club, working as a chapel assistant in Sister's Chapel, being selected as the 2024-2025 chapter president of Alpha Lambda Delta First-Year National Honor Society, participating in student activism through Students for Justice in Palestine, and countless others. I never knew that I was capable of so much growth in such a short period of time before coming to Spelman.
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<div>I applied to numerous scholarships all throughout the academic year from as many sources as I could think of. To my dismay, not even one came through. When I had to reluctantly apply to private loans again, I was devastated when I was denied by every lender I applied to. Unfortunately, due to worsening financial circumstances, no one in my circle was able to cosign for me this year and due to my lack of a credit history, no lender was willing to give me a loan. I have turned to every source that I can think of for possible assistance including my financial aid office and administration and have come back with very little.
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<div>The deadline for payment for the fall semester is July 15th and I realize that the goal amount is very unrealistic for this frame of time. The alternative option we are given is to pay an initial payment of $16,000 and to enroll in a payment plan in order to pay off the rest through 3 equal installments. With my already existing financial aid, my initial payment would go down to $5000. If I am not able to raise the full amount by the deadline, which is highly likely, <strong>I would use this as an ongoing fundraiser in order to make my monthly payments.</strong> I will of course continue applying to scholarships frequently in hopes of gaining additional funding.
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<div>I am extremely grateful for any amount that you are able to give, no matter how small. Every cent will be going to my cost of attendance so that I am able to continue my journey at Spelman as I become the woman I hope to become. Thank you so much for your investment in me and my journey!
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Help Gabrielle Continue Her Education at Spelman College

Help Gabrielle Continue Her Education at Spelman College

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