My name is Jenna, and I am reaching out for support as I face a challenging chapter in my life. When I was just a year old, my dad passed away, leaving my mom to raise me on her own. She has sacrificed so much of her time, energy, and resources to make sure I had every opportunity to succeed. Her love and dedication have shaped who I am today.

After years of hard work, I earned both my bachelor's and master's degrees to become a teacher of the deaf—a career I am deeply passionate about. However, despite my commitment to my students and my profession, the reality is that my job does not pay enough to cover the student loans I now owe. On top of that, my mom took out parent plus loans to help me achieve my dreams, and she is still carrying that financial burden for my sake. If we are unable to meet the monthly payment requirements for my loans, my mom will most likely have to sell the house that she bought with my father nearly 26 years ago, the home I grew up in. She has also had to push off retirement due to these financial burdens, even after a 34-year teaching career of her own.

Every dollar raised through this fundraiser will go directly toward our monthly loan payments. The more support we receive, the faster we can pay off these debts and the less we will have to worry about making ends meet each month. Assistance with these loans would help my mom keep our family home and finally allow her to retire. Donations would mean the world to my mom and me. My mom has lived every day since my dad passed worrying about how she will make sure I can accomplish my dreams. This would finally help to take some of that burden off of her. GoFundMe did not exist when my mom was widowed, so we did not have funds set aside for my education back then. Donations would be like my dad helping us out all these years later and watching over us even now. Thank you for considering supporting us on this journey.