Jalisa's Final Semester!
Donation protected
Everyone has a story and I'm no different but before we get to the story here's why we're here: This is a fundraising campaign I'm starting to pay for my last year of my undergraduate degree at Howard University which I began pursuing in the fall of 2008.
It’s been four years since I’ve been in college and 12 years since I originally started pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in English at Howard University. I’m on the last leg of this journey but cannot finish this race without the help of my community and network.
As of today, I owe Howard University a total of $8,500 for the Spring 2016 semester which I barely finished due to struggles with my mental health. I sought out support from student support services but by the time I had been assigned a counselor the next fall I was told I could not be seen because I was no longer a student. I eventually sough help on my own and am now in therapy working through my issues with depression. Additionally, I am getting support with re-assessing my ADHD diagnosis so that I can better navigate and manage my course load once re-enrolled.
I am mentally ready to go back to school and need your help to do so!
I am setting my fundraiser goal at $15,000 and will provide transparency on why that amount is needed below:
-$8,500 is going directly to Howard to pay off the back balance. This portion must be paid before I can re enroll, register for classes, or even acquire a copy of my transcript to apply to a different school.
-$4,000 is to cover the portion of my last semester of tuition that my education grant won’t cover. I have served two AmeriCorps terms and have received two education awards of $5,000 that can only be used for college.
(A semester of tuition at Howard is $14,000 so I will need to make up the difference.)
-$2,500 would be to cover books, transportation, fees associated with graduation and emergency housing funds.
(One of the major barriers to my academic success has been the fact that I have had to support myself financially the entire time. I moved off campus after my sophomore year to cut housing costs and currently live in South East DC which is quite far from the campus in North West. I’ve often had to prioritize paying my bills (working) over dedicating myself to my studies and school work which caused me to fall behind and experience feelings of shame/guilt for not being able to do both. I don’t want to make that same mistake and am keeping that factor in mind while fundraising.)
It has taken me four years to gain the courage to ask for help and I hope this ask doesn’t go unnoticed or unsupported. As someone who is always willing to support community, I hope that the abundance of support will be returned to me tenfold. I understand this is a rough time for everyone and won’t be discouraged if I do not receive the support I am seeking. I will meet this goal even if it means doing it on my own terms or over the course of a long period of time. I am preparing to launch multiple fundraisers and am also saving my own income to help supplement whatever I raise (I have $500 in my savings and am proud of that because poverty, lack and deficit mindset are indeed real). Thank you for taking time to read this and for supporting me in the ways you have so far. I’ve always had the things I need with the help of community. This is something I want so greatly to accomplish and believe that it can be done with your help!
Below are ways to support me directly and any funds received outside of public fundraisers will be documented and stored in my savings account for future use:
-cashapp: $JalisaGoodwin
-Venmo: @jahzuri
Paypal.me/JalisaGoodwin
-Zelle: [email redacted]
Feel free to put any words of encouragement/support in the memo section!
(Ex: go graduate Jah, for tuition, almost there, etc.)
Now that you know why we're here, I'm going to share an exciting story that includes me, you (yes, you reading this) and many different connected communities. Hopefully, if you're not already inspired to donate/share the story, you'll feel inspired to join us in this current chapter after reading this excerpt!
It’s been four years since I’ve been in college and 12 years since I originally started pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in English at Howard University. I’m on the last leg of this journey but cannot finish this race without the help of my community and network.
As of today, I owe Howard University a total of $8,500 for the Spring 2016 semester which I barely finished due to struggles with my mental health. I sought out support from student support services but by the time I had been assigned a counselor the next fall I was told I could not be seen because I was no longer a student. I eventually sough help on my own and am now in therapy working through my issues with depression. Additionally, I am getting support with re-assessing my ADHD diagnosis so that I can better navigate and manage my course load once re-enrolled.
I am mentally ready to go back to school and need your help to do so!
I am setting my fundraiser goal at $15,000 and will provide transparency on why that amount is needed below:
-$8,500 is going directly to Howard to pay off the back balance. This portion must be paid before I can re enroll, register for classes, or even acquire a copy of my transcript to apply to a different school.
-$4,000 is to cover the portion of my last semester of tuition that my education grant won’t cover. I have served two AmeriCorps terms and have received two education awards of $5,000 that can only be used for college.
(A semester of tuition at Howard is $14,000 so I will need to make up the difference.)
-$2,500 would be to cover books, transportation, fees associated with graduation and emergency housing funds.
(One of the major barriers to my academic success has been the fact that I have had to support myself financially the entire time. I moved off campus after my sophomore year to cut housing costs and currently live in South East DC which is quite far from the campus in North West. I’ve often had to prioritize paying my bills (working) over dedicating myself to my studies and school work which caused me to fall behind and experience feelings of shame/guilt for not being able to do both. I don’t want to make that same mistake and am keeping that factor in mind while fundraising.)
It has taken me four years to gain the courage to ask for help and I hope this ask doesn’t go unnoticed or unsupported. As someone who is always willing to support community, I hope that the abundance of support will be returned to me tenfold. I understand this is a rough time for everyone and won’t be discouraged if I do not receive the support I am seeking. I will meet this goal even if it means doing it on my own terms or over the course of a long period of time. I am preparing to launch multiple fundraisers and am also saving my own income to help supplement whatever I raise (I have $500 in my savings and am proud of that because poverty, lack and deficit mindset are indeed real). Thank you for taking time to read this and for supporting me in the ways you have so far. I’ve always had the things I need with the help of community. This is something I want so greatly to accomplish and believe that it can be done with your help!
Below are ways to support me directly and any funds received outside of public fundraisers will be documented and stored in my savings account for future use:
-cashapp: $JalisaGoodwin
-Venmo: @jahzuri
Paypal.me/JalisaGoodwin
-Zelle: [email redacted]
Feel free to put any words of encouragement/support in the memo section!
(Ex: go graduate Jah, for tuition, almost there, etc.)
Now that you know why we're here, I'm going to share an exciting story that includes me, you (yes, you reading this) and many different connected communities. Hopefully, if you're not already inspired to donate/share the story, you'll feel inspired to join us in this current chapter after reading this excerpt!
Organizer
Jah Zuri
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC
Begin your fundraising journey
