Help me get my Master’s in Education from Harvard!

Dear friends,

I am extremely excited and proud to share that I was admitted to the Harvard Graduate School of Education to pursue a Master’s in Education in Human Development and Education! To be dramatic, it feels as though I was destined for this program — but, despite earning $59,000 of merit and need-based financial assistance, there is still a gap I need to fill in order to officially secure my spot.

So, I’m reaching out to my greater community for help and sharing (a lot of) context below. Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you so, so much for any support you’re able to provide!!!

Why am I pursuing this degree?

In the last couple of years, I’ve reflected a lot on my personal and academic experiences and struggles, especially throughout K-12. I’ve longed for a job where I could provide the type of social, emotional, and academic support I wish my older brothers and I had received when we were growing up. I wasn’t able to explore this professionally until I landed my current position as the leader of a college and career success program at Kid City Hope Place, a teen development nonprofit in downtown Los Angeles.

In this role, I support hundreds of first-generation high school and college students, primarily children of immigrants from low-income, Latino/a backgrounds, with overcoming challenges to stay in college and preparing to enter the workforce. Together, my students and I break down common barriers facing their population: meeting basic needs through mental health support and nutrition assistance benefits, connecting with professors during office hours, and generally learning how to “do” college.

I see myself and my brothers in my students, as we were first-generation students who grew up in a low-income household as the children of Nigerian immigrants. Through financial aid, we were all blessed to attend a prestigious independent school with an abundance of resources, but our parents simply couldn’t provide us with the same cultural and financial capital as our peers when it came to high school, college, and beyond.

I’ve never felt more invested in my work than I do in my current job, but very early on in the role, I realized I was lacking the research skills and theoretical knowledge around human development that would allow me to make more substantive inroads in my students’ success. Instead, I relied largely on my personal experience in my meetings with them, and I shared all the things I wished I had done differently.

To pair my personal experiences with a research-based foundation, I applied to Harvard’s HDE program, the objective of which is to prepare professionals to support the unique needs and growth of all learners, regardless of their background. Through this program, I’ll receive a deeper, empirical understanding of how factors such as age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, home and school environments, and more affect student development.

I’m confident this journey will also provide a great deal of healing and clarity for me as an African-American woman, first-generation college student whose path has involved struggles with mental and emotional health, chronic pain, family issues, and trauma.

By when do I need to raise these funds?

My first payment is the Fall semester bill and is due July 31st. My goal is to complete this fundraiser by early-mid July.

Why do I need financial support and what will it cover?

After nearly a decade working exclusively in nonprofits, I’ve been able to support a lot of really wonderful, important social justice work — but I haven’t reached a level of financial stability that would allow me to independently finance this degree.

Harvard awarded me $59,000 in merit and need-based awards plus an award for part-time work-study, but the entire program cost is $102,190. I was also offered a $20,500 loan. After the aid and the loan, I have a gap of about $18,000 left to raise to avoid using the entirety of my savings, which are currently earmarked to pay off my existing undergraduate student loan debt. The additional funds will go towards my cost of living expenses as I won't have a steady income during the program.

So, I’m hoping to fundraise to avoid withdrawing my acceptance and to make this dream a reality. Your support will help remove the financial barriers and anxiety from this next step, so that I can pour all of my energy into my studies and enjoy this next year as much as possible.

Whatever amount I raise will help with school fees, moving costs, food, rent, transportation, and bills to help manage some chronic health issues. I will use anything that exceeds my goal to reduce my total loan amount and for my general living expenses.

What’s my end goal with this program?

After graduation, I hope to work at a K-12 independent school like the one I attended for 13 years. While there were many hardships, there was also so much joy, and I want to support students like my younger self. I am ecstatic about bringing developmental theory and evidence-based practices to my work in student success and wellbeing, and I am deeply grateful for your support on this journey (and if you made it this far, bless you).