<div>My name is Susana, and I am a first-generation college student, currently pursuing a Biology









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<div>major with a Chemistry minor as I prepare to enter my senior year of college. I am writing to









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<div>share my story, not only as a student, but as a daughter, an immigrant, and a young woman









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<div>determined to create a better future despite the obstacles that continue to rise before me.









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<div>I immigrated to the United States when I was 11 years old, leaving behind the only home I had









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<div>known to follow my family in search of stability, opportunity, and safety. Like so many









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<div>immigrants, we came here full of hope, but the road since then has been anything but easy.









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<div>Navigating a new language, a new school system, and a new culture as a child was disorienting. I









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<div>often felt out of place, like I was constantly trying to catch up. My parents worked long hours,









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<div>low wages, but never complaining so that my sister and I could build a future they never had. We









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<div>shared the same goal: that I would go to college, that I would succeed, and that one day, I would









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<div>give back to my community.









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<div>Today, I am so close to achieving that dream. But I am now facing an unexpected challenge that









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<div>threatens to take it away. Recently, I was informed that my residency status for tuition









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<div>classification is being re-evaluated and will be reclassified in a way that would significantly









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<div>increase my tuition. This change is not just inconvenient, it is devastating. It puts my education,









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<div>my graduation, and my path to PA school at serious risk.









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<div>The timing could not be more painful. The current political climate has made it increasingly









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<div>difficult for immigrant families like mine to feel secure. There’s a growing sense of fear,









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<div>instability, and displacement even among those of us who have called this country home for most









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<div>of our lives. The policies and attitudes shaping the lives of immigrants are not abstract to me,









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<div>they are deeply personal. They affect where I live, how I study, and whether or not I can even









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<div>afford to finish the degree I’ve worked so hard for.









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<div>I’ve always believed in the power of education. I’ve believed that if I worked hard enough,









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<div>sacrificed enough, stayed late enough at the library, put my basic needs aside, I could make this









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<div>dream a reality. But now, I find myself in a place I never expected, pleading for the opportunity









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<div>to finish what I started.









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<div>Please understand I’m not asking for favors or handouts, I’m asking for an opportunity. A chance









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<div>to keep going, to honor everything my family has sacrificed, and to become someone who gives









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<div>back. This isn’t just about tuition. It’s about the right to finish a dream that was built from









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<div>sacrifice and resilience. Your generosity wouldn’t just fund another student, it would help lift a









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<div>family, honor a journey, and invest in a future healthcare provider determined to make a









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<div>difference.









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<div>Thank you for taking the time to read my story.









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<div>Sincerely,









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<div>Susana Fernandez









</div>

Anonymous

Stephen Hall

Ruth Maust

Peter A Lagerwey

Beth Miller Kraybill

Elaine Hickman

LUISA RAMIREZ

Ian Merrill

Joanne Sprunger

Lee Murray

Lenae Nofziger

Nancy Chupp

Rebecca Allen

Tyler Merrill

Megan Ramer

Susana's College Dream Needs Support

Susana's College Dream Needs Support

Still $19,645 to go. Help us build momentum.