Help Mount Holyoke College FGLI Senior Graduate

Hello, my name is Taiwo Demola, and I am fundraising to raise money to pay for my college tuition. I am a low-income first-generation Mount Holyoke student excited to graduate in the spring! Every year I can only attend through the generous donations of strangers and friends because of the high cost of tuition.

Unfortunately, my efforts alone don't fully supplement the cost of attendance. Every semester, like clockwork, I receive an email from Mount Holyoke with the phrase "Unpaid Balance" accompanying the threat of "withdrawal." It seems to find me in the same spot: super stressed, in the middle of finals, tired, and when I'm missing my family the most as a BIPOC student at a PWI. Unlike my more privileged peers, who get to focus solely on their assignments, I have to figure out how I'm going to the next semester without getting kicked out for being poor.

I am glad platforms like Gofundme exist, and my fellow low-income peers at MHC are also fundraising. However, it saddens me that my school doesn't offer more resources for us to be at the institution and thrive without the fear of being withdrawn. I want more spaces, grants, and opportunities dedicated to helping low-income students feel welcome and supported. Unfortunately, it is usually up to us to organize on our behalf with minimal to no support from the institution. Every year the number of personal fundraisers is increasing, instead of Mount Holyoke stepping up to meet the needs of its most vulnerable students.

We are also not "just" low-income or first-generation students either. We are of color, disabled, queer, or have other identifiers contributing to our campus experience. It is imperative to be mindful of this and remember we have so much on our plates that may not be visible, just like you.

To my fellow students who donate to other students: I LOVE YOU. Please keep sharing, contributing, and doing what you can to support the community. Mutual aid is love and significantly impacts the lives of students like me.

See you on campus!

xoxo -Taiwo