Help Jerolyn Keven Complete Her Senior Year of HS!

Hello! My name is Daryl Longstreth and I am an educator for East Lansing Public Schools in East Lansing, Michigan. I am honored to be sponsoring this GoFundMe to support Jerolyn Keven with the costs related to completing her senior year of high school. Jerolyn came to the United States with her family in the fall of 2014 on a non-immigrant US Visa so that her father could pursue his doctoral program at Michigan State University. Jerolyn completed all of her elementary and middle school programs and most of her high school program (except for the last semester of senior year) in the States. Due to Visa requirements, Jerolyn and her family were required to return to Papua New Guinea from the United States this past fall. This resulted in Jerolyn not being able to complete her senior year in the States and also resulted in her brother, Jerome, having to delay his first year of college at California State University-Long Beach where he planned to study Business Management and Marketing.

Due to Visa requirements, the family cannot return to the States until the fall of this year. Because of this, Jerolyn will have to complete her last semester of high school online through a private school (Laurel Springs High School). Private US online school is the only option available to her to complete high school outside the US. The cost of tuition, books, school materials, internet connections etc. is extremely expensive and the process of taking a loan out in Papua New Guinea makes borrowing the funds nearly impossible. The amount of time alone to get the loan could take a minimum of 4-6 months. Furthermore, due to the weak exchange rate of Kina, the local currency, the cost of Jerolyn's education, which is in US dollars, would be even higher for the family. The family even considered having Jerolyn take a year off of school and finish her last semester when they return to the States in the fall, but due to her age, she would be unable to complete school at a typical high school. Jerolyn is an exemplar student, earning mostly As throughout her school career. She is a hard worker and a dedicated learner. Her goal, once completing high school, is to attend college at either Michigan State University, Rutgers University, or California State University and study computer science and engineering. Although Jerolyn was born in Papua New Guinea, she was raised in the States, especially East Lansing, Michigan, where she really began her school career.

I first met Jerolyn, her brother, Jerome, and her parents John and Adela in the fall of 2014 when they arrived in East Lansing from Papua New Guinea and enrolled in our school (Glencairn Elementary School). I was teaching 3rd grade at the time and while, age-wise, Jerome and Jerolyn should have been placed in the 5th and 4th grades, due to the difference in the school systems in Papua New Guinea and the United States, their parents felt that they would not be prepared to attend those grades. After we did some initial testing, we decided to place both students in our 3rd grade classes with the understanding that the children had several areas in math and writing where they needed significant support to even meet 3rd grade standards. John and Adela were committed to supporting their children by working at home to learn any concepts they needed to meet the objectives at school. Jerome and Jerolyn worked with tutors, including myself, outside of school that year to help bring them up to speed. Both children were extremely hard working and focused on their education, an example undoubtedly set by their parents who also hold education in high regard. By the end of the year, both children had met 3rd grade standards and were very well prepared for the rest of their schooling. This is a huge testament to the work ethic and drive of every member of this family. They are goal oriented and work together as a family unit to support one another. Despite many challenges, this family has worked so hard to pursue their dreams and they are so deserving of your support!

Please consider supporting Jerolyn by contributing to this GoFundMe to support her in completing her senior year of high school. We set a goal of $10,000 to cover the $6,000 in tuition, $1,500 in books and school materials, $1,500 in internet connection costs, and $1,000 for college applications. Any additional funds earned will go toward supporting Jerolyn in attending university in the fall. Thank you!