Support Fifi's Dream at Boston University

Hi friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers,

My name is Refiloe Mofokeng, and I am writing this with a mix of excitement, vulnerability, and hope. I am beyond humbled and excited to share that I’ve just been accepted into my dream graduate program—Boston University’s Masters in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine.

For the past several years, I’ve worked as a nanny—caring for children, many of them neurodivergent, and supporting their families through both everyday joys and challenges. For me, it has been more than just a job. My focus in this role has always been on creating individualised care to fit each child’s cognitive, emotional, and social needs.

That work has not only shaped my passion, but it also helped me put myself through college. It was because of this work that I was able to pay for my entire undergraduate degree out of pocket and graduated debt-free. I’ve saved what I could along the way, but unfortunately, graduate school is a whole new financial mountain.

My journey has been nothing but an epitome of resilience and hard work and my acceptance into this program is beyond my wildest dreams. It is not just a personal milestone, but a moment for every black child that has ever been told that their dreams were too big or that they shouldn’t dream beyond their borders.

My experiences as a Black girl growing up in the streets of Soweto, South Africa, who also struggled with her mental health, to working as an Au Pair and a nanny, spending so many years supporting children and their families in deeply intimate, and often emotionally charged situations, helped shape my purpose. I realised that I wanted to do more than emotional support and caregiving but understand the ‘why’ behind the behaviors and also be a part of the healing process for both parents and kids.

I am drawn to mental health and therapeutic work because my personal experiences with mental health challenges have also shown me the gap in mental health services for marginalised communities- people who are too often misunderstood or underserved. This is why this opportunity, my acceptance into Boston University’s Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine means so much to me. It is the only program of its kind that blends mental health training with real-world medical experience, and being accepted feels like the first big step toward becoming the therapist I’ve always wanted to be.

Due to recent funding cuts in the education system, many scholarships have either been reduced or withdrawn. I’ve been saving diligently and have managed to save a little over $50,000 toward this next chapter, but with the total cost of tuition being close to $100,000, my savings aren’t enough. My goal is to raise $45,000—just enough to cover the tuition gap.

As an international student, I face a few unique challenges:

So here I am, doing something that’s extremely hard for me: asking for help to raise the funds for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you are in a position to donate, anything at all, I would be endlessly grateful. Every donation brings me one step closer to this dream. And if you’re not in a place to give, simply sharing this page would mean the world.

Thank you for reading, for supporting me, and for believing in me. I can’t wait to give back and help others find hope, healing, and strength—just like you're helping me now.

With all my heart,

Refiloe ‘Fifi’ Mofokeng