Jazz's Immigrant-Status Education
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Hello everyone!
My great friend, Jazz Fitzgerald, is a student in her third semester in a critical humanities and social sciences graduate program at the University of Colorado, Denver. She is Canadian, she is an immigrant, she is an exceptional student. This is an international issue – as the car drives, it is something decided by a matter 100 miles, the distance from Toronto (Jazz’s birthplace) to Buffalo.
As an immigrant working in an education to benefit the social structures of the United States and world, she MUST be exceptional. As an immigrant, with the pressures to attain an education being extraordinary, she is unable to attain general forms of Federal Financial Aid. Even though her parents moved to the United States when she was a child and she has known the majority of her life under the auspices and governmental forces and social pressures of American pressures, she cannot qualify for Federal funding. Instead, she must depend upon and attain private loans through Sallie Mae and only with the support of a United States National Citizen co-signer.
Just last week, she received news that her co-signer fell through. She did what any of us would do, and asked her friends - most of whom are fellow students. She is now facing a $12,000+ bill - which on her meager student wage of approximately $500/month, she cannot pay. Her options are to work, which she does, yet also as an immigrant student, her hours are legally hamstrung. She can only work on-campus and at a maximum of 20hours/week. Granted, she is in the process of filling out a secondary form for F-1 Students with Severe Financial Hardship (for which she must pay $410, without guarantee of approval) so that she can have permission to work off campus, yet still under 20hours/week.
Perhaps one may say, why does she just 'drop out' and save enough money to return in the future when she is more financially able? I will say that this is an unacceptable choice for Jazz.
She is a Student Program Assistant at the LGBTQ+ Student Resource center on campus, working to the benefit of LGBTQ+ folks dealing with gender discrimination, experiencing homelessness, and sexual identity relegation. Moreover, Jazz is organizing a conference called "You Are Welcome Here," which is centered on being interfaith, inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ folks. The conference helps those who have experienced religious discrimination and who were obstructed from their religious pursuits by their religious institutions, all based upon who they desire to share a life with. Her work in this conference is gathering speakers and participants from across the nation to come and share their stories and to help those who may not know where else to turn; or may not be comfortable to turn elsewhere. This conference is coming to the University of Colorado, Denver in the fall of 2018. Lastly, I don't know Jazz's long-term life-goals, but in the amount of time that I have had the honor to know her I know that she evoke relevant and infectious change for the benefit of so many others.
Jazz uses her critical intellectual insight to challenge conventional thinking, to generate innovative ideas that consider how to work with, and for, others, and to present her life experiences that she shares as a testament for inspiration. It is inappropriate for Jazz discontinue her education.
Please consider contributing to the educational goals of this amazing thinker and giving individual. Her dedication and passion that she gives to others is an invaluable characteristic that we can all admire. She is an inspiring and infectious person with an open mind and heart and so much of herself to give. With that, I ask, consider taking part in Jazz's life goals; consider participating in the educational pursuits of this amazing individual!
Any support is immensely appreciated!
Thank you!
My great friend, Jazz Fitzgerald, is a student in her third semester in a critical humanities and social sciences graduate program at the University of Colorado, Denver. She is Canadian, she is an immigrant, she is an exceptional student. This is an international issue – as the car drives, it is something decided by a matter 100 miles, the distance from Toronto (Jazz’s birthplace) to Buffalo.
As an immigrant working in an education to benefit the social structures of the United States and world, she MUST be exceptional. As an immigrant, with the pressures to attain an education being extraordinary, she is unable to attain general forms of Federal Financial Aid. Even though her parents moved to the United States when she was a child and she has known the majority of her life under the auspices and governmental forces and social pressures of American pressures, she cannot qualify for Federal funding. Instead, she must depend upon and attain private loans through Sallie Mae and only with the support of a United States National Citizen co-signer.
Just last week, she received news that her co-signer fell through. She did what any of us would do, and asked her friends - most of whom are fellow students. She is now facing a $12,000+ bill - which on her meager student wage of approximately $500/month, she cannot pay. Her options are to work, which she does, yet also as an immigrant student, her hours are legally hamstrung. She can only work on-campus and at a maximum of 20hours/week. Granted, she is in the process of filling out a secondary form for F-1 Students with Severe Financial Hardship (for which she must pay $410, without guarantee of approval) so that she can have permission to work off campus, yet still under 20hours/week.
Perhaps one may say, why does she just 'drop out' and save enough money to return in the future when she is more financially able? I will say that this is an unacceptable choice for Jazz.
She is a Student Program Assistant at the LGBTQ+ Student Resource center on campus, working to the benefit of LGBTQ+ folks dealing with gender discrimination, experiencing homelessness, and sexual identity relegation. Moreover, Jazz is organizing a conference called "You Are Welcome Here," which is centered on being interfaith, inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ folks. The conference helps those who have experienced religious discrimination and who were obstructed from their religious pursuits by their religious institutions, all based upon who they desire to share a life with. Her work in this conference is gathering speakers and participants from across the nation to come and share their stories and to help those who may not know where else to turn; or may not be comfortable to turn elsewhere. This conference is coming to the University of Colorado, Denver in the fall of 2018. Lastly, I don't know Jazz's long-term life-goals, but in the amount of time that I have had the honor to know her I know that she evoke relevant and infectious change for the benefit of so many others.
Jazz uses her critical intellectual insight to challenge conventional thinking, to generate innovative ideas that consider how to work with, and for, others, and to present her life experiences that she shares as a testament for inspiration. It is inappropriate for Jazz discontinue her education.
Please consider contributing to the educational goals of this amazing thinker and giving individual. Her dedication and passion that she gives to others is an invaluable characteristic that we can all admire. She is an inspiring and infectious person with an open mind and heart and so much of herself to give. With that, I ask, consider taking part in Jazz's life goals; consider participating in the educational pursuits of this amazing individual!
Any support is immensely appreciated!
Thank you!
Organizer
n p
Organizer
Denver, CO
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