Hello, I am Vera Videnovich, I am middle-aged, and I am back in college. I have been accepted back into The School of the Art Insitute of Chicago to finish my long-delayed Bachelor of Fine Arts.

I need financial help finishing up my last few credits at this high-acclaimed private school. SAIC has generously granted me an honors scholarship and other financial aid offers that cover a percentage of my tuition. However, the remainder of the tuition, book fees, supplies, and additional higher education costs will weigh heavy on me.

Finishing my undergraduate studies has been a lifelong goal.

This degree will qualify me for the next steps in my career. I plan to register with the American Horticulture Therapy Association. I have completed a Horticulture Therapy certificate from Oakton Community College and the Chicago Botanic Garden in 2019. I am starting a 2-year horticulture therapy internship at the Chicago Botanic Garden in the summer of 2022.

The AHTA requires a Bachelor's degree with a set amount of credits in psychology and horticulture. I have been taking psychology courses at Chicago City Colleges to meet these requirements. I have also enrolled in the Wine and Viticulture Technology Associate in Applied Science at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor for the horticulture credits and in part to advance the production of the vineyard on my family's working farm. The flexible online options due to the pandemic and the lower community college costs have made it possible for me to continue to work while taking these courses.

Unfortunately, I left SAIC in 1990 with only a few required credits remaining but limited means to pay them. So instead, I spent 20 of the past 30+ years paying off student loans and their accumulated interest. In addition, the lack of a degree has limited my career options and earning potential, which would allow me to save not only on tuition costs but also to contribute towards retirement savings.

Your financial donations will help reduce the number of my student loans to finish these last few college credits. I have applied to many scholarship opportunities, but they are all highly competitive, and there is no guarantee that I will be awarded any of them. Finishing my degree will move me forward in my therapeutic career goals to better the lives of others using both my formal education and life skills.