Lisa's UPenn Tuition Fundraiser
Donation protected
Greetings!
My name is Lisa Marie Persaud and on February 2nd, 2019 I was invited to join the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education M.S.Ed. Counseling and Mental Health Services program. The M.S.Ed. program is year 1 of a 2-year program, year 2 culminating in a M. Phil. Ed. in Professional Counseling. Penn GSE is my dream school, and my number 1 choice for graduate studies.
Today I reach out to you for donations to help me fund tuition and fees set by the University for 2019-20. I am a firm believer that “it takes a village”, and it is my sincere hope that donations from generous and kind donors, like you (!), will help me in achieving my goal.
All donations will be used to fund year 1 of the M.S. Ed. program, but you may continue donating after the goal has been reached to help me fund textbooks! The Fall 2019-2020 tuition deadline is August 1st, 2019.
To learn more about me, please continue reading!
A little bit about me:
I was born in Guyana, a tiny South American country northeast of Brazil-- I can still recall the smell of the air as the rain fell, the women selling fruit and fish in baskets nestled atop their heads, and the warm breeze that washed over me as I watched the Diwali festival floats drift by.
When I moved to the United States I was 4 ½ years old. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, an environment I both cherish, and found challenging. I grew up on a street surrounded by 3 sets of low-income housing projects—Plaza, Cypress Hills, and Pink Houses. The junior high school I attended was directly across from Cypress Hills Housing. During those early years, a few of the kids I went to school with tried to commit suicide, some lost their lives to drug-related events, some were imprisoned, and some became mothers too soon. If you grew up in the neighborhood I lived in, most likely, you grew up too quickly. And if you grew up in Brooklyn, during the 90s, you knew, all too well, how quickly an open fire-hydrant could dilute a day of suffering on those hot summer days.
What led me to persevere during these times, was a love for books—I learned early on, that artists wrote to transcend their times. Perhaps another reason I persevered, was because I was painfully shy, and deemed too “uncool” to fit into any crowd. The schools I attended were severely lacking in resources, and despite its kind teachers, rarely offered methods for coping with, and opportunities for a way out of, poor conditions. Books became my gateway into worlds unknown and helped me to build a better understanding of humanity.
In my junior year of High School, I was told that applying to an Ivy League University was a “waste of a space on your college application” because “the chance of getting in is SLIM”. While this statement might have been well-intentioned, it offered very little encouragement to students desiring opportunity within a different context. At the time, I felt defeated. With many years, and significant effort, I was able to rise above the negative narrative that, somehow, I just didn’t stand a chance.
My experiences have humbled me, and my journey has peeled into existence a purpose.
On April 29th, 2018 I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Finding that Penn GSE offered the best-fit program for my career aspirations, I took courage and applied.
You can read a portion of my Statement of Purpose letter here:
The pursuit of any goal follows a unique perspective, but also a perceived need. The last year has been dedicated to careful observation of global needs, personal strengths, and opportunities in which to lend those strengths. During a mental health nursing clinical rotation, it became apparent that the career of a nurse did not fit. My decision to become a licensed professional counselor was solidified when a client, one who, only a few weeks prior attempted suicide, sought me out quietly at the end of milieu therapy in tears. In no position to help beyond my student nurse status, I listened. Listening is an underestimated comfort, but innovation is required to transform the mind and heal the human being.
During the Annual World Government Summit in Dubai (2017), Elon Musk stated that the need for human beings to derive meaning and purpose in life would be of increasing importance as the species approached an era of job automation. Meaning, Viktor Frankl (1959) once stated, is what saves man from existential neuroses. In a technologically driven world, it is inevitable that the human being will encounter a stripping of identity, thus, a return to the human element of psychology will be necessary for the development of novel interventions that embrace the subjective experience and aid in the discovery of a purpose. According to Penn and Tracy (2012), the World Health Organization indicates that depression will be the leading cause of global disability by the year 2030. The CDC (2018) suggests that our current mental health system is in dire need of innovation, and reports suicide as one of the leading causes of death in the United States. A worthy goal is dedication to the exploration, discovery, and innovation of novel therapeutic interventions in the treatment of depression, anxiety and addiction.
(Persaud, Lisa. Statement of Purpose. 2018).
Penn GSE is opportunity within a different context. With excellent faculty, and a commitment to research and experiential learning, Penn GSE is an extraordinary match, and I am so grateful to have been given a spot in their Fall 2019 M.S. Ed. cohort.
Licensed professional counselors aid individuals suffering under psychological distress, support the transformation of being and the adoption of healthy coping mechanisms—it is a role I find worthy of pursuit, and one I hope to fulfill to the best of my ability as I move along in my studies. Having the opportunity to graduate with a M. Phil. Ed. in professional counseling would be a dream come true and would allow me to, one day, teach, conduct a private practice, and contribute research to the field of counseling.
Presently, I have taken active steps to embrace my field by becoming a student affiliate of the American Psychological Association , and the American Counseling Association , and have worked over-time, at two jobs, to fund these subscriptions, as well as to fund workshops that serve to enlighten my understanding of mental health and wellness.
The perspective I take to furthering my education is one of duty, to self, and to humanity. I firmly believe that education is a tool that supports self-awareness, bringing into focus, one’s responsibility as an active member of society, and of the planet. It is through education that purpose is illuminated, and meaning is found. Continuing my education, means developing my abilities, maximizing my potential, and contributing to a healthier society.
I strongly believe that the knowledge, resources, skills, and experiences that I will obtain at UPenn, combined with my resilience, persistence, passion, and desire to learn, will inform my perspective on mental health and wellness, and help me to succeed in my endeavors to become an effective and inspirational citizen, and client-centered counselor.
I hope that you will consider donating today to help me fund my graduate education at Penn GSE.
With Love and Gratitude,
Lisa
You may view my Academic Achievements and Connect with me via the following social media platforms:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lmariepersaud
Twitter: @lmariepersaud
Instagram: @MindMeldMe
Relevant UPENN Links:
Tuition Net Price Calculator: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/admissions_financial/calculator
CMHS Program Information: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/aphd/cmhs/msed
#Support #Dream #Donate #CounselorsHelp #Humanity
My name is Lisa Marie Persaud and on February 2nd, 2019 I was invited to join the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education M.S.Ed. Counseling and Mental Health Services program. The M.S.Ed. program is year 1 of a 2-year program, year 2 culminating in a M. Phil. Ed. in Professional Counseling. Penn GSE is my dream school, and my number 1 choice for graduate studies.
Today I reach out to you for donations to help me fund tuition and fees set by the University for 2019-20. I am a firm believer that “it takes a village”, and it is my sincere hope that donations from generous and kind donors, like you (!), will help me in achieving my goal.
All donations will be used to fund year 1 of the M.S. Ed. program, but you may continue donating after the goal has been reached to help me fund textbooks! The Fall 2019-2020 tuition deadline is August 1st, 2019.
To learn more about me, please continue reading!
A little bit about me:
I was born in Guyana, a tiny South American country northeast of Brazil-- I can still recall the smell of the air as the rain fell, the women selling fruit and fish in baskets nestled atop their heads, and the warm breeze that washed over me as I watched the Diwali festival floats drift by.
When I moved to the United States I was 4 ½ years old. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, an environment I both cherish, and found challenging. I grew up on a street surrounded by 3 sets of low-income housing projects—Plaza, Cypress Hills, and Pink Houses. The junior high school I attended was directly across from Cypress Hills Housing. During those early years, a few of the kids I went to school with tried to commit suicide, some lost their lives to drug-related events, some were imprisoned, and some became mothers too soon. If you grew up in the neighborhood I lived in, most likely, you grew up too quickly. And if you grew up in Brooklyn, during the 90s, you knew, all too well, how quickly an open fire-hydrant could dilute a day of suffering on those hot summer days.
What led me to persevere during these times, was a love for books—I learned early on, that artists wrote to transcend their times. Perhaps another reason I persevered, was because I was painfully shy, and deemed too “uncool” to fit into any crowd. The schools I attended were severely lacking in resources, and despite its kind teachers, rarely offered methods for coping with, and opportunities for a way out of, poor conditions. Books became my gateway into worlds unknown and helped me to build a better understanding of humanity.
In my junior year of High School, I was told that applying to an Ivy League University was a “waste of a space on your college application” because “the chance of getting in is SLIM”. While this statement might have been well-intentioned, it offered very little encouragement to students desiring opportunity within a different context. At the time, I felt defeated. With many years, and significant effort, I was able to rise above the negative narrative that, somehow, I just didn’t stand a chance.
My experiences have humbled me, and my journey has peeled into existence a purpose.
On April 29th, 2018 I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Finding that Penn GSE offered the best-fit program for my career aspirations, I took courage and applied.
You can read a portion of my Statement of Purpose letter here:
The pursuit of any goal follows a unique perspective, but also a perceived need. The last year has been dedicated to careful observation of global needs, personal strengths, and opportunities in which to lend those strengths. During a mental health nursing clinical rotation, it became apparent that the career of a nurse did not fit. My decision to become a licensed professional counselor was solidified when a client, one who, only a few weeks prior attempted suicide, sought me out quietly at the end of milieu therapy in tears. In no position to help beyond my student nurse status, I listened. Listening is an underestimated comfort, but innovation is required to transform the mind and heal the human being.
During the Annual World Government Summit in Dubai (2017), Elon Musk stated that the need for human beings to derive meaning and purpose in life would be of increasing importance as the species approached an era of job automation. Meaning, Viktor Frankl (1959) once stated, is what saves man from existential neuroses. In a technologically driven world, it is inevitable that the human being will encounter a stripping of identity, thus, a return to the human element of psychology will be necessary for the development of novel interventions that embrace the subjective experience and aid in the discovery of a purpose. According to Penn and Tracy (2012), the World Health Organization indicates that depression will be the leading cause of global disability by the year 2030. The CDC (2018) suggests that our current mental health system is in dire need of innovation, and reports suicide as one of the leading causes of death in the United States. A worthy goal is dedication to the exploration, discovery, and innovation of novel therapeutic interventions in the treatment of depression, anxiety and addiction.
(Persaud, Lisa. Statement of Purpose. 2018).
Penn GSE is opportunity within a different context. With excellent faculty, and a commitment to research and experiential learning, Penn GSE is an extraordinary match, and I am so grateful to have been given a spot in their Fall 2019 M.S. Ed. cohort.
Licensed professional counselors aid individuals suffering under psychological distress, support the transformation of being and the adoption of healthy coping mechanisms—it is a role I find worthy of pursuit, and one I hope to fulfill to the best of my ability as I move along in my studies. Having the opportunity to graduate with a M. Phil. Ed. in professional counseling would be a dream come true and would allow me to, one day, teach, conduct a private practice, and contribute research to the field of counseling.
Presently, I have taken active steps to embrace my field by becoming a student affiliate of the American Psychological Association , and the American Counseling Association , and have worked over-time, at two jobs, to fund these subscriptions, as well as to fund workshops that serve to enlighten my understanding of mental health and wellness.
The perspective I take to furthering my education is one of duty, to self, and to humanity. I firmly believe that education is a tool that supports self-awareness, bringing into focus, one’s responsibility as an active member of society, and of the planet. It is through education that purpose is illuminated, and meaning is found. Continuing my education, means developing my abilities, maximizing my potential, and contributing to a healthier society.
I strongly believe that the knowledge, resources, skills, and experiences that I will obtain at UPenn, combined with my resilience, persistence, passion, and desire to learn, will inform my perspective on mental health and wellness, and help me to succeed in my endeavors to become an effective and inspirational citizen, and client-centered counselor.
I hope that you will consider donating today to help me fund my graduate education at Penn GSE.
With Love and Gratitude,
Lisa
You may view my Academic Achievements and Connect with me via the following social media platforms:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lmariepersaud
Twitter: @lmariepersaud
Instagram: @MindMeldMe
Relevant UPENN Links:
Tuition Net Price Calculator: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/admissions_financial/calculator
CMHS Program Information: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/aphd/cmhs/msed
#Support #Dream #Donate #CounselorsHelp #Humanity
Organizer
Lisa Marie Persaud
Organizer
Glendale, AZ