My name is Amy, and I'm raising funds to help my daughter and me travel to Boston so she can visit University of Massachusetts Boston - the college offer she has accepted - before starting there in the fall. She has worked incredibly hard to reach this moment, and we hope to spend a week there learning the campus and city so she can begin college feeling prepared and confident.

She worked hard throughout high school and chose this school intentionally for her undergrad journey. She has lived her whole life in the southeastern US surrounded by family and friends, and she wants to challenge herself by experiencing life somewhere new. This fall she will move to Boston, without nearby family, to begin this exciting next chapter of her life.

Before she starts in the fall, we're hoping to spend a week there so she can:

This trip is not a vacation. It's about helping her prepare for college and the big move she'll be making later this year feeling prepared and supported.

My daughter already works and does her best to cover many of her own expenses. Her father prefers that she pay for as many of her own needs as possible, and she takes that responsibility seriously. She is actively working to build savings so she can start adulthood on the right foot.

Because of that, I try to step in when I can so she doesn't have to drain the savings she has worked so hard to build.

As a divorced parent working full time, I do my best to support her in every way I can. However, I'm currently renting in an area where housing costs are high and options are limited, which has stretched my budget significantly. While her father recently helped by purchasing her first reliable used car, the cost of traveling to Boston is simply more than I can manage on my own right now.

She is a beautiful young woman that has always stood up for what she believes in, helped others, loved animals, and brings light and joy to everyone she encounters. It is so fitting that she has chosen to be a Beacon, because she truly is.

Flights for the two of us are currently close to $2,000 round trip, and due to some health limitations, driving that distance unfortunately isn't realistic. The university recommends staying near campus at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel - Boston Bayside, which averages around $550 per night even with the school's discount during the week we would be able to go.

Between flights, lodging, food, and basic transportation around the city, the cost of this trip adds up quickly.

I'm starting this fundraiser to ask friends, family, and anyone who believes in supporting a young woman pursuing her education and dreams if they might be willing to help us make this trip possible.

Every contribution - no matter the size - helps bring us closer to giving her the opportunity to walk the campus, learn the city she'll soon call home, and begin this next chapter feeling prepared and supported.

If donating isn't possible, sharing this fundraiser would also mean the world to us.

Thank you for helping support a hardworking, amazing young woman who is ready to take the next step toward her future.