Hello everyone,

First and foremost, it took a lot of courage for me to even start this fundraiser, but I’ve learned that in order to get the help that I need, I really need to advocate for myself and be willing to ask for it.

The backstory: Last year in July, my father abruptly kicked me out of our family home in the middle of the night. It was roughly 1am in the morning. Even though I explained to him that I still needed time to pack all of my college stuff and gather my belongings, knowingly, he still refused to let me back inside.

I was only in my pijamas and a bonnet, and I only managed to pack a days worth of clothes in my backpack before he rushed me out.

The following morning, I came back to try and retrieve the rest of my belongings, only to discover that the key code to the door was changed.

After calling local authorities that morning, I was able to successfully retrieve all of my belongings.

To make matters worse, this was actually the 3rd time I was kicked out, but the difference was that this time I decided that I wasn’t going to come back, and I was going to focus on building a life for myself, no matter how hard it may be.

Therefore, this past year, I’ve been completely supporting myself financially and have been working on my own self-growth and healing.

My education was always something used against me and as a way to control me. They always hung it over my head, and threatened to withhold financial support if I didn’t comply.

I pride myself in being a very strong individual and not letting anyone break or stop me from pursuing what matters most to me no matter the circumstance.

I’m even more proud of myself for not giving up and being able to complete my Sophomore year with over a higher than average GPA.

Moreover, I didn’t want to give up on the 20 plus students I was chosen to lead as a Team Leader throughout their first year in the business school.

I told myself: I’m not going to let this stop me; I will be returning to Howard and continue pursuing my education.

Holding true to that notion, I want to continue doing just that, while also continuing to help others and fulfill my dreams.

I’m currently working and trying to save as much as possible, but there is still a gap in funding, which I need to fill by the end of this month.

All I need is $3,500 and I’ll be able to return to HU. I’m asking for any amount possible, even as little as $1 goes a long way.

Any help is appreciated, and thank you so much for taking the time to read this and allow me to share my story, because I’m no longer staying silent.

A lot of people don’t know what I’ve gone through as I’ve been committed to showing up and have always been a positive and optimistic person.

I know a lot of people don’t understand what it’s like to have abusive parents, which is why I encourage others who are going through a lot at home to open up and be willing to have these tough discussions.

I’m a strong advocate for adult children of abusive parents, those who don’t have the best family dynamics, and those who have gone through abuse in general.

Feel free to reach out, and know that you don’t have to stay silent either!

Thank you so much and let’s get this 3.5k together!

-RM