Help Maya Phillips Achieve Her USD Dream

To whom it may concern,

Hi, my name is Maya Phillips and I just graduated from Seabury Hall, class of 2025, on Maui, Hawaii. By the end of my time at this esteemed private school I earned a cumulative GPA of 4.14 and was able to participate in over 350 hours of community service, all the while pursuing dance as my year-round extra curricular activity. I participated in 7 rigorous AP classes in my time at Seabury Hall and won awards such as: Seabury Scholar (all four years), Spectacular Spartan (junior and sophomore year), Advanced Placement Scholar (sophomore and junior), and the 3-year Varsity Sport Award (senior year). Learning has and always will be at the forefront of my life and my values, taught to me by both of my parents. I hope to continue this learning journey at my dream school, the University of San Diego, majoring in business administration- real estate.

When I first visited USD, the possibilities of different opportunities seemed boundless— I knew that this was the only place for me to continue my education and reach my goal of becoming a real estate lawyer. From their impeccable campus, that is so well kept, to the graduate law school, USD had everything I could ask for in a university, including a thriving community of ideas. San Diego is also close to Maui compared to most other places on the mainland, which gives me comfort knowing that my family is just one flight away.

One of the biggest challenges facing Maui is the lack of affordable housing. My family experienced this first hand—we moved nine times so my siblings and I could attend private school, sacrificing homeownership for educational opportunity. Despite the constant moves, all of Maui is my home– and even more importantly , I learned how to be flexible and to hold tight to my dreams.

In college, I will further develop my legal and business expertise to create real and tangible change. As a real estate lawyer, I hope to assist local families with legal resources, advocate for responsible development, and one day help my own parents achieve their dream of homeownership. By combining my passion for law with my love for Maui, I hope to ensure that future generations don’t have to choose between stability and opportunity.

The full cost of attendance for USD stands at $88,626– very pricey I know. Thankfully, I was awarded a generous $28,000 highly selective merit scholarship and a $17,900 grant from USD themselves, which although I wish was enough, it just isn’t. I have applied to around twenty very competitive outside scholarships, and although I have not heard back from each one yet, I have recieved many rejections and only got awarded $3,000 in total from those outside scholarships. With all of this in mind, the remaining gap of 35,000 dollars still stands between me and my dream. I am very proud that all of my hard work has gotten me this far, but unfortunately this number is not doable for my family. As I sit here, anxiously writing this letter with hope in my heart and uncertainty on my shoulders, I humbly ask you for any contribution that you may have to offer to help me attain my dream. I dream that one day I have the means to provide the same help to a young and passionate learner like myself.

Sincerely,

Maya