My name is Deiondre, and I’m a first-generation, low-income college student currently finishing up my time at community college. I’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this point — after overcoming a rocky academic start in high school, I turned things around and now hold a 3.71 GPA, have won multiple scholarships, and have stepped up as a student leader on campus. I led and co-founded our National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter, the first community college chapter, helped lead outreach for the MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) program, and have been deeply involved in building opportunities for underrepresented students in STEM.

Now, I’m ready to take the next big step: transferring to a top university to continue pursuing my dreams in computer science, AI, and quantitative research. Schools like UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, Princeton, Howard, Morehouse, and others are on my list — and I know I have what it takes to succeed there.

But here’s where I need your help.

The transfer process comes with a ton of costs that aren’t always obvious: application fees (which can stack up FAST), transcript requests, supplemental materials, and campus visits. As a low-income student, every dollar matters — and even though I’ll apply for fee waivers where I can, it’s not enough to cover everything.

If you believe in lifting up the next generation of Black scientists, engineers, and researchers, I ask for your support. Whether you can give $5 or $50, every contribution will go directly toward helping me cover these transfer costs so I can take the next step in my academic and professional journey.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for believing in me. Let’s make this happen together.