Get Chad Back To HU

My name is Chadric Garrick, I am a junior biology major at the prestigious Howard University, and I aspire to one-day practice medicine as an Emergency physician.

I decided to come to Howard University in 2014 after being encouraged to apply the year prior by one my high-school teachers. A native of D.C. himself, he enlightened about Howard and HBCUs in general, the existence of institutions that housed academics and professionals that look like me, a young black man.

My experience as a Jamaican immigrant living in West Philadelphia at the time had been one of violence and poverty and saw little hope of making a positive future for myself as long as I stayed in the city. I yearned for more, an education that would free me from the shackles of poverty and a strangling community.

I believed attending Howard University would be the beginning of a better future. My hunger for attaining an education came from the days I spent often not being able to afford lunch or eating uncooked oatmeal given to me by my school nurse so that I could have breakfast and dinner outside of school.

I came to Howard in the pursuit of opportunity, and so after working as many odd jobs as I could during my gap year in 2013 to get here, I have had at least 2-3 jobs working in D.C year round to fund my education for the past 2 and a half years.

Since coming to Howard University, I have had the amazing opportunity to explore my passion for biology working in an molecular endocrinology lab at HUH studying the incidence of diabetes in the underserved African-American population around D.C. I have worked as an undergraduate research assistant in an ecological conservation laboratory, dividing my time between preparing genetic samples in the on campus lab and processing isotope samples at the Smithsonian in Suitland Maryland.

Recently I had what I believe to be the most significant leap in my career thus far. I was accepted into the UCLA PREP program and spent five weeks being groomed by the admissions faculty of David Geffen’s medical school to be the best applicant that I can conceivably be. I am thankful that my choice to fight for an education has led to so many opportunities. As many of you know, opportunity is often only within the grasp of those of privilege or...at least parents able to foot the bill.

Today I need your help. This year I was not able to raise enough money from working and so I have a balance of $8,000 to pay Howard University so that I may register for classes and also acquire housing. I am currently working and living on my friend's couch until I can resolve my balance with Howard University by August's end. My goal is to raise at the minimum $4,000 so that I may continue my education and future pursue my aspiration of becoming a physician.

Please make an investment of  $25 or more. Your help is tremendously appreciated and you will not only be contributing to my future but the future of young black men and women that I may one day influence as a professional. Any amount in excess of my balance will be donated to Howard University's Caribbean Student Organization.

THANK YOU