Helping fund Patricia Fuentes’ NYU 2020 tuition
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Being born to undocumented parents taught me to cherish every opportunity to learn. Although my parents did not receive formal education, they risked their lives to give me that privilege. With this in mind and despite growing up in one of San Francisco’s most dangerous public housing developments, where funerals are more common than graduations, I chose to pursue education. My academic achievements enabled me to earn scholarships and grants to fund my undergraduate career at the University of California at Santa Cruz. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to study, which is why I appreciate every moment I spend learning, positively changing the trajectory of my life.
My construction experience began as a document control specialist on a multi-million dollar project at the San Francisco International Airport. A young woman born and raised in San Francisco, much like me, led the project. As project manager, she establishedand fostered an extremely collaborative environment where people and teams worked together. She was socially conscious and despite her demanding schedule, she made time to volunteer for non-profit organizations. I was impressed by the way she managed the different lines of communication, as well as the way she evaluated the feedback. I became intrigued by the role of project managers and aspired to be like her.
My eagerness to be indispensable helped me earn three 15% raises; including promotions. My tasks increased significantly over the years, I went from having no knowledge of construction documentation or procedures to creating them! While working full-time, I went back to school to earn a Construction Management certification.
Currently, I work as a Project Financial Analyst (PFA) overseeing ten construction projects at Genentech, one of the top biotech companies in the world. Now that I have a better understanding of the nature of construction projects, I would like to advance my education to gain a greater knowledge of project management as it relates to delivering quality, within budget and on schedule, as well as to foresee and mitigate risks.
When I began my undergraduate career, my first educational interest was chemistry. My love for solving problems, as well as being mathematically inclined steered me towards STEM. However, while pursuing my undergraduate degree, I received the news that my brother, father of five, had been shot and kidnapped. The hardest thing I have ever had to do was continue my studies after my brother’s disappearance. I lost focus and felt a heavy sense of hopelessness, which was reflected in my transcripts and in my major. I was determined to earn a degree, but realized that I needed to make changes. I became a sociology major, and graduated with honors. In addition to my academic coursework, I was working two jobs and had been volunteering with three different organizations. I am extremely enthusiastic about the prospect of pursuing an advanced degree at NYU but afraid I will not have enough funding.
Recently, I visited New York University and had the pleasure of meeting with Industry Professor Lawrence Chiarelli. He shared his project management background and his vast education in construction law and engineering. After this meeting, I knew that NYU was the ideal institution at which to pursue my graduate studies. I believe mentorship from NYU’s exceptional faculty, like Professor Chiarelli, coupled with my desire and ability to learn and grow will make me a successful NYU student.
After years of working with multimillion-dollar construction projects, I am prepared to pursue a graduate degree to enhance my professional skills in the construction management industry. My goal is to lead diverse teams of builders as a globally minded, socially conscious project manager. Construction is always exciting and constantly evolving. I have enjoyed learning new skills from working alongside many talented construction project managers. I carry the hopes and dreams of my family on my shoulders and I want to be successful. Receiving your donation will allow me to pursue a life changing education. Being a woman in the construction industry without a construction degree has been a challenge, and has hinder my consideration for higher positions. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, I will be able to earn my Master's and finally have the opportunity to move up in my career.
I humbly request any amount in donation to support me on my educational journey.
My full tuition will be about $60,000. My goal is to cover my first year's tuition but any amount is welcomed. I plan to apply to the one time Maisin’s Honor Award Scholarship in the amount of $4,000.00 but have no guarantee I will receive it. It is difficult to find Part-time Graduate student scholarships therefore, I have decided to create a Go Fund me account.
Although I saved and plan to continue to work full-time, I will not be able to afford NYU's tuition. If we can get 500 amazing friends to donate $15 each and ask two of their friends to donate, we will be able to cover $22,500 for my first year’s tuition, which will be about $24,000. If you are up on your luck and can contribute a bit more maybe I can reach a full year’s tuition of $24,000.00. My full time job will allow me cover my living expenses but your generosity will help me reach my dream. I will forever be grateful and promise to pay it forward.
If you have met me, you know I will definitely pay it forward. Thank you for your time!
Please take a couple of minutes to read, donate and share my GoFundMe account.
My construction experience began as a document control specialist on a multi-million dollar project at the San Francisco International Airport. A young woman born and raised in San Francisco, much like me, led the project. As project manager, she establishedand fostered an extremely collaborative environment where people and teams worked together. She was socially conscious and despite her demanding schedule, she made time to volunteer for non-profit organizations. I was impressed by the way she managed the different lines of communication, as well as the way she evaluated the feedback. I became intrigued by the role of project managers and aspired to be like her.
My eagerness to be indispensable helped me earn three 15% raises; including promotions. My tasks increased significantly over the years, I went from having no knowledge of construction documentation or procedures to creating them! While working full-time, I went back to school to earn a Construction Management certification.
Currently, I work as a Project Financial Analyst (PFA) overseeing ten construction projects at Genentech, one of the top biotech companies in the world. Now that I have a better understanding of the nature of construction projects, I would like to advance my education to gain a greater knowledge of project management as it relates to delivering quality, within budget and on schedule, as well as to foresee and mitigate risks.
When I began my undergraduate career, my first educational interest was chemistry. My love for solving problems, as well as being mathematically inclined steered me towards STEM. However, while pursuing my undergraduate degree, I received the news that my brother, father of five, had been shot and kidnapped. The hardest thing I have ever had to do was continue my studies after my brother’s disappearance. I lost focus and felt a heavy sense of hopelessness, which was reflected in my transcripts and in my major. I was determined to earn a degree, but realized that I needed to make changes. I became a sociology major, and graduated with honors. In addition to my academic coursework, I was working two jobs and had been volunteering with three different organizations. I am extremely enthusiastic about the prospect of pursuing an advanced degree at NYU but afraid I will not have enough funding.
Recently, I visited New York University and had the pleasure of meeting with Industry Professor Lawrence Chiarelli. He shared his project management background and his vast education in construction law and engineering. After this meeting, I knew that NYU was the ideal institution at which to pursue my graduate studies. I believe mentorship from NYU’s exceptional faculty, like Professor Chiarelli, coupled with my desire and ability to learn and grow will make me a successful NYU student.
After years of working with multimillion-dollar construction projects, I am prepared to pursue a graduate degree to enhance my professional skills in the construction management industry. My goal is to lead diverse teams of builders as a globally minded, socially conscious project manager. Construction is always exciting and constantly evolving. I have enjoyed learning new skills from working alongside many talented construction project managers. I carry the hopes and dreams of my family on my shoulders and I want to be successful. Receiving your donation will allow me to pursue a life changing education. Being a woman in the construction industry without a construction degree has been a challenge, and has hinder my consideration for higher positions. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, I will be able to earn my Master's and finally have the opportunity to move up in my career.
I humbly request any amount in donation to support me on my educational journey.
My full tuition will be about $60,000. My goal is to cover my first year's tuition but any amount is welcomed. I plan to apply to the one time Maisin’s Honor Award Scholarship in the amount of $4,000.00 but have no guarantee I will receive it. It is difficult to find Part-time Graduate student scholarships therefore, I have decided to create a Go Fund me account.
Although I saved and plan to continue to work full-time, I will not be able to afford NYU's tuition. If we can get 500 amazing friends to donate $15 each and ask two of their friends to donate, we will be able to cover $22,500 for my first year’s tuition, which will be about $24,000. If you are up on your luck and can contribute a bit more maybe I can reach a full year’s tuition of $24,000.00. My full time job will allow me cover my living expenses but your generosity will help me reach my dream. I will forever be grateful and promise to pay it forward.
If you have met me, you know I will definitely pay it forward. Thank you for your time!
Please take a couple of minutes to read, donate and share my GoFundMe account.
Organizer
Patricia Fuentes
Organizer
San Francisco, CA