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Waiting for a miracle

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Who I am

My name is Carlos Manuel Ojeda and I am twenty years old.

Victor Pietro is my friend. He is helping me to withdraw the donations from the page 

My personal story: a tough decision

In the year 2010, I joined the minor seminary of the Legionaries of Christ in my home country: Venezuela. After five years there and having finished high school, I felt called by God to the Catholic priesthood, and decided to continue my journey in the major seminary.

After two years of novitiate, I professed my religious vows and moved to the United States to study Liberal Arts. It was during that time that something unexpected began to stir in my interior.

I felt God telling me that He had another mission for me in life; his plan for me was leading me to another, unknown place. After nine years in the seminary, I began to understand that religious life and the priesthood were not for me. God was asking something different. Leaving the seminary was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. However, I believe that God had my best interests in mind.

Now that I have set out in a new direction, I find myself confronted by a difficult situation. 

My country in crisis

My country, Venezuela, is going through the biggest crisis in its history. Most Venezuelans are trying to flee the country in order to find decent living conditions and safety. I want to dream big, and Venezuela, sadly, is currently a place where dreams are crushed, not accomplished.

In addition to creating chaos, the Venezuelan government refuses to renew passports; it does not want people to leave their "communist paradise.” My passport expired on May 10. I have been trying to renew mine since November 2018, but to no avail. Without a valid passport, my options to pursue my education are severely limited. The USA is the only country I can stay in legally, because my student visa here expires in 2022.

On top of the legal complications, the economic situation in Venezuela has reduced my parents’ combined earnings to $42 per month (enough to buy groceries for two weeks). College in America is expensive, and my family barely has enough to support themselves.

This is my dilemma: I want to hone my talents with a good education, but the political situation in Venezuela threatens to drag me home and crush my dream.

There is still hope!

In spite of the obstacles, I applied to a few colleges in the U.S., and 5 have offered me merit-based scholarships.  Right now, my best option is Ave Maria University, which is offering me $19,500 for my academic performance. On top of that, I am entering as a Transfer Student with roughly 60 credits, which means, that in only two years, I can be graduating in my intended major: business administration.

As for my academic achievements:

-    4.0 High school GPA.

-    #1 student in my high school for four consecutive years

-    My seminary GPA of 3.70/4.0. (Even though I did not know well English when I first came to USA)

Ave Maria University costs $35,000 annually, and because I’m not a citizen can’t provide need-based financial aid. With my scholarship, I can cover almost full tuition (which is $22,000), but still need to find some help to pay for housing and meals (an additional $12,000).

I hope to receive help from generous people like you to pay for my education and make an impact in our world.

My dreams and hopes

I believe that God has given me some talents that I need to develop to create a better world around me—I have a gift both for strategic thinking and writing. I believe that God has given me the experience of the seminary to become a Christian leader in today's society—I plan to do an MBA—using those talents to change the world of business. 

The University costs: I need help

With my scholarship, my bill total is reduced to $15,500:

-    $2,500 for tuition

-    $6,840 for housing and fees

-    $5,160 for meals

-    $1,000 for insurance

-    $1,000 for books and personal allowance 

I want to work as I study, and find a paid internship over the summer to pay what is left of my college bill. My visa limits my ability to work—I plan to do some freelance translation between English and Spanish over the summer, but I can only work on-campus once the fall semester starts.

My fundraising goal

My goal is to raise $12,500  by August 1st to make my desire for education and success come true, to make God's plan for me a reality. Ave Maria needs me to have at leat $10,000 in my bank account.


Thank you so much for your help. I will be eternally thankful for every penny.

Please, share this campaign on social media.

P. S. If you want, please leave me your email address, so that I may be able to keep you posted about the activities and advances in my college life that will happen because you made a miracle for me.
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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $50
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Carlos Manuel Ojeda
Organizer
Cheshire, CT
Victor Prieto
Beneficiary

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