Hello, my name is Alejandro, I’m a senior at Nova Southeastern University graduating this May and I will soon be attending graduate school at the University of Miami. Throughout my life, it’s always been just me, my mother, and my brother. Raising us as a single parent, my mother has sacrificed everything to ensure I had everything I needed to succeed, often working multiple jobs and putting my dreams far ahead of her own needs. Because of her support, I’ve been able to make it this far and I’m proud to say I’ve worked hard to honor her sacrifices by maintaining a strong GPA, pursuing research projects at school, and working multiple part-time jobs to help lighten our financial load, while navigating the demands of my program. However, we’ve hit a financial wall we can’t climb alone. My mom has given everything she possibly can, but the remaining costs for graduate tuition, housing, and cost of living, among other expenses in our family, are simply beyond our reach.

Graduating from NSU is the first major step toward my long-term goals of building a career focused on sustainability, community development, and environmental law and policy. I have been offered a generous scholarship and a graduate assistantship position at UM which is why I decided to pursue higher education there.

This opportunity means everything to me and my family. It brings me closer to my goal of working with communities and governments to build more resilient, sustainable infrastructure through the practice of environmental law and policy, especially for places like Puerto Rico, where I grew up and witnessed first-hand the long-term impacts of environmental disasters firsthand.

Despite this opportunity, we are facing a major struggle.

We currently live about 50 minutes from UM’s main campus, but due to traffic, that commute can easily exceed an hour each way. Balancing graduate classes, my assistantship responsibilities, campus involvement, a part-time job, and helping my family at home would require me to spend over two hours commuting daily. I have experienced a similar commute before, and it led to severe exhaustion and burnout that negatively impacted both my health and academic performance. At one point, the level of fatigue even resulted in a car accident after I fell asleep at the wheel.

Living closer to campus would allow me to fully commit to my education and responsibilities without sacrificing my well-being.

Unfortunately, I myself do not earn enough income to qualify for an apartment on my own, and my mother is unable to serve as a guarantor due to our family’s existing financial obligations. This leaves us in a difficult position where we must seek support from others in order to pursue this opportunity.

We are asking for help to cover housing and remaining tuition costs so that I can continue my education and focus on making a meaningful impact in the future. Your support is not just helping me get through graduate school, but is also helping me work toward a future where I can give back and serve communities like my own, and helping relieve the immense financial pressure on my family.

Any contribution, no matter how small, brings me one step closer to achieving this goal. If you are unable to donate, sharing this campaign would also mean the world to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for supporting my journey!