Support Dejanae's Dream at Southern University

Help Me Become a Psychiatric Nurse - Support My Journey to Southern University

Hi, my name is Dejanae Ashford , and I'm an 18-year-old Black girl with a big dream: to become a psychiatric nurse and help bring healing to communities like mine that are too often overlooked when it comes to mental health care.

This fall, l've been accepted to Southern University, a historically Black college that l've dreamed of attending for years. I plan to study Nursing with a focus on psychiatric and mental health, because l've seen firsthand how mental health struggles affect families, especially in Black communities where resources and support can be hard to find or carry a stigma.

Growing up, l've always been the one friends came to when they were struggling. I realized early on that I wanted to do more than just listen

—I wanted to be part of the solution. I want to be the kind of nurse who listens, who understands, and who brings both compassion and skill into every room I walk into.

But while l've worked hard to get into college, the financial burden of tuition, books, and living expenses is significant, and I'm asking for your help to make this dream a reality. I'm creating this GoFundMe to ask for help from anyone who believes in young people chasing their dreams, in the importance of mental health, and in building a future with more Black women in healthcare.

Every dollar you donate will go toward my education-tuition, textbooks, scrubs, and all the other essentials I need to succeed at Southern University. If you can't donate, l'd be so grateful if you could share this with your network.

Thank you for believing in me. With your help, I know I can make it-and one day, I'll be there for someone else in their moment of need, just like you've been there for me now.

With love and gratitude,

Dejanae