It comes with a heavy heart that I’m sharing this, but after Hurricane Melissa destroyed my mom’s business back home in Jamaica, I found out that I now have a $16,000 tuition balance that I cannot cover on my own.

The hurricane wiped out over 90% of our farmland and completely destroyed the poultry and farming operation that was funding my education. Overnight, everything my family depended on disappeared. My mom is now trying to rebuild, support my sister through university, and manage our household expenses all at once and there is simply nothing left for my tuition.

As an international student, I’m prohibited from working in the U.S., so I don’t have a way to earn the money I need. I have took the incitive to reach out everywhere I could, including the embassy, school committees, organizations, charities, and even individuals who had the means to help; but after weeks of trying, I still haven’t received a response.

The university has made it clear that if this balance isn’t paid soon, I will be removed from enrollment. That’s why I’m turning to this GoFundMe as my last resort. I’m only asking for help with my tuition because it’s the one cost I cannot work around. Once that is covered, I will handle everything else on my own.

I’ve worked so hard to be here and St. John’s has given me a community, a sense of belonging, and a chance to build a future for myself and my family. Losing that now, after everything we’ve already survived, would be devastating.

If you’re able to help in any way, whether through a donation, a share, or even a few words of encouragement, it would mean more than I can express. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for supporting me during one of the hardest moments of my life.