My Name is Rayven Oellrich, and I need your help!

I am now entering my senior year of college as a Division I student-athlete, maintaining approximately a 3.0 GPA while balancing the demands of academics, athletics, grief, and life. Most importantly, I am on the verge of becoming the first person in my family to graduate from college. I am so close to the finish line, but right now, finances are standing in the way.

I need to raise $8,000 by September 13 in order to return to school and begin my senior year. After that, I will need approximately $16,000 in additional funding to cover the remainder of the academic year.

That means we are working toward a total goal of $24,000 to help me finish my degree.

How I Got Here:

Losing my mother as a freshman in college changed my life forever. Along with the grief of losing my mom, I suddenly had to figure out how to financially support myself and continue pursuing the education and future she wanted for me.

There have been countless moments when I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through—but I kept going.

I continued going to class.

I continued competing.

I continued working toward my degree.

And I continued believing that I could make it to graduation.

I have worked incredibly hard to get to this point, and I don't want financial circumstances to prevent me from completing the final year.

We Have Tried Everything We Can:

My family and I have searched for every possible way to make this work. We have applied for scholarships, explored financial aid options, searched for additional resources, and looked into potential co-signers.

Unfortunately, we have reached a point where we have exhausted the options currently available to us.

At this stage, we are asking our community for help.

Even a small contribution can bring me closer to returning to school and completing my senior year. If you aren't able to donate, sharing this campaign could connect us with someone who can help or with a resource we haven't yet discovered.

Why Finishing Means So Much:

This is about much more than earning a college degree.

This is about a young woman who lost her mother far too soon, had to learn how to navigate adulthood and financial responsibility on her own, and still chose every day to show up for herself and her future.

I am one year away from walking across that stage and becoming the first college graduate in my family.

I am one year away from showing my younger sibling that where you come from does not have to determine where your story ends.

I want her to see that even when life takes something from you, you can continue moving forward.

And more than anything, I want to be able to stand on that graduation stage and say:

"Despite everything I lost, everything I went through, and every obstacle placed in front of me, I finished."

Please Help Me Finish:

Our immediate goal is to raise $8,000 by September 13 so I can return to school and begin my senior year.

Our ultimate goal is $24,000 to help cover the remaining costs through graduation.

If you are able to give, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you can't, please consider sharing my story with your friends, family, church, community, or anyone who may be able to help.

Every donation, every share, every connection, and every word of encouragement matters.

I have made it this far. I just need a little help getting across the finish line.

Thank you for believing in me, supporting my journey, and helping me turn this dream into a reality.

Rayven Oellrich