Help Me Continue My Education at PITT

Hello, my name is Savannah Shannon, a current Bachelor of Public Health student at the University of Pittsburgh with a 3.3 GPA. I am currently approaching my junior year and have fallen in love with all aspects of Pitt and its community; from the people to my major. I am a research assistant for the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, am a member and a previous leader of the Provost Academy as well as an active member of the school’s chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I have cultivated within Pittsburgh a family of friends and mentors that help guide me to success; something truly necessary as a first-generation college student without parents to aid in this chapter of my life.

My life has not been easy. I grew up experiencing neglect. My mother struggled immensely with several mental and physical health disorders and my father was consumed by addiction. This led to misguided placement with family by the state of Connecticut.

I was considered a foster youth for a large part of my life and to many that is precedent enough to determine what I will achieve but I am determined to beat stereotypes and odds set against me.

These last few years of my life have not been the easiest and I am now unable to fund my education. During my senior year of high school, my mother passed away and last year I lost my father as well. Between these events and several others, I have been living paycheck to paycheck and now have no way to fund my education. I cannot take out enough loans to cover my tuition and ideally would like to graduate with as little debt as possible. The road so far has been one paved with trials, and yet I have found a way to overcome or trudge through the obstacles to be the first in my family to attend higher education. I have never been an individual to prioritize my dreams but this is special to me. It is my dream to graduate college and be able to look myself and others in the eyes and say I am a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. Statistically, I only have a 3% chance of graduating college but my determination to be a member of this 3% is unwavering.

While I have a strong distaste for asking for help this is one of the few times I must as I cannot continue my education without it.

A breakdown of what the funds will be used for:

Semester 1: $5,000 for tuition/housing

Semester 2: $6,000 for tuition/housing

Loan: $2,500 for an emergency loan which needs swift remittance

Books/supplies: $500

My priority is to pay for this semester so reaching the goal of $5,000 will be enough to allow me to continue my education for the time being. Should I exceed my monetary need for this semester, the remaining money will be used to help me pay for my Spring semester as a Junior and my senior year of college. I will be working three jobs this semester to get a head start on next year's payments.