Vanessa's College Stability Fund
Spende geschützt
"I began to experience the most powerful advantage of money: the ability to think of things besides money."
-Tara Westover, Educated
This is a fundraiser to raise spending money funds for my mentee and close personal friend, Vanessa, while she attends college at Valparaiso University starting this fall.
How do I (Julia) know Vanessa?
I met Vanessa in 2011 while tutoring at a grant-funded after-school program for at-risk youth (mostly refugees) as part of work-study while attending graduate school at University of Chicago.
I instantly gravitated towards Vanessa, a 9yo girl with questionable hygiene (largely due to the lack of access to clean clothes) who constantly wanted hugs and was always the first student to sit down for help with her homework and the last to get up. Her academic skills were significantly lagging, with English being her second language and likely missing a few years of formal schooling, but every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we worked our little butts off.
At the end of the school year, I found myself exchanging phone numbers with Vanessa. It wasn’t long until she had memorized my phone number and was calling me from whatever phone or cell phone she could get her hands on. We started scheduling “playdates” her favorite activity being to come to my apartment building to use the pool J (and how convenient that I could pop those clothes in the washing machine while we swam!). I soon became formally connected with her advocates through Kovler Center and from there, long story short, we developed an amazing mentorship and friendship that has lasted over the past 10 years. I am so grateful that my family has also adopted my love for Vanessa and she has become somewhat of a little sister to us all, spending holidays with us.
About Vanessa
I am sharing limited details regarding Vanessa’s history on this forum in order to respect her and her family’s privacy. Vanessa came to the United States with her father seeking political asylum from a country in West Africa when she was six years old. She left behind her mother, little brother, and many loved ones who she has not seen since. Her mother, who still lives in Africa, has since suffered from paralysis due to a stroke and cannot work. Vanessa spent three years (8th-10th grade) living at Mercy home, a home for abused and neglected children. She currently lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her father (she sleeps on the couch) but has a limited relationship with him. She does not have other family members or resources available.
Why are you holding this fundraiser?
I am holding this fundraiser for Vanessa because of everything she has taught me. Seeing her overcome has taught me to persist even in the toughest of times. Vanessa has overcome adversity far beyond issues of race or poverty. She continued to work hard in school and show consideration for others even when there seemed to be no hope, or nobody to be proud of her. Knowing her has taught me the true trivialness of my white lady problems. It has been such an honor that she has chosen to remain my friend despite our drastically different backgrounds.
And of course, I am also holding this fundraiser because she needs the money and there are not other resources available (or if there are they have already been exhausted). She deserves a change of pace and the chance to experience a sort of, maybe, slightly normal college life.
Why donate?
Perhaps because you love me and want to support someone I love. Or maybe you support the black lives matter movement and want to help a young black woman overcome barriers from systemic racism. Or perhaps you just want to help someone who deserves it get an education. That being said, there is absolutely no pressure especially in these uncertain financial times.
How is Vanessa contributing?
Vanessa has worked each summer since she was 15 and has worked Friday-Sunday (20 hours per week) for the past year as a wheelchair assistant at O’Hare. She was laid off due to COVID which was a big loss of income for her, but she is currently back to working full-time (or as many hours as they will give her) and will be working all the way until August 8th, leaving us with a day to dorm shop and one day to rest before heading to orientation!
She plans to get a part-time job while at Valpo (in addition to or instead of work-study) but she does not have a driver’s license or a car. She had just started drivers ed this year when schools closed for COVID so she didn’t get to drive with the instructor and she didn’t have anyone to do driving hours with. These factors mixed with COVID and the fact that she is a freshman who needs to gain her footing do not make a part-time job a reliable source of income. That being said, she has already been searching for jobs. Furthermore, she already will need to do work-study for the $2000 toward tuition (see budget below) or use money from a part-time job to pay this part of tuition.
How will the funds be distributed?
I will store the funds and distribute them to Vanessa’s bank account via a monthly stipend.
How the heck is she even getting to school?
My parents and I will be helping Vanessa with dorm shopping and my lovely mother will be taking Vanessa to college. Unfortunately, having a nursing newborn and toddler are not conducive to taking her to college (especially with COVID) and I am so grateful my mother (Kathy) stepped up!
THE BUDGET
Fall Tuition Deposit: $400
Phone: $55/mo x 9 mos = $495
Food: $75/mo x 9 mos = $675
e.g., Jimmy Johns, pizza, i.e. not having to stay home when peers go out
Personal Care: $50/mo x 9 mos = $450
e.g., body wash, cleaning products, hand sanitizer, laundry detergent
Transportation: $200/year
e.g., uber, splitting gas with a friend to get home to Chicago, CTA for school breaks, other public transportation
School Supplies: $300/year
e.g., binders, notebooks, pencils, books
Food/Groceries for during School Breaks: $300
Medical = $200
Clothes = $300
e.g., masks, socks, underwear, other clothing
Social = $25/mo x 9 mos = $225
e.g., bowling, movie, or tickets to a school event
Hair = $500/year
Safety Net Fund: $455
TOTAL: $4500
Tuition (a whopping 56K!) has been covered via scholarships and grants (40k), student loans (8k), work-study (2K), and other loans (6K). Tuition costs have been a major hurdle that we have overcome (with the exception of the tuition deposit) with lots of hardwork and negotiating with the financial aid office (thanks Joel at Valpo!).
What if there is extra money?
Extra money will be used for any unanticipated expenses (e.g., a new phone if she drops it in the toilet like I did three times as a college freshman or a new laptop if it breaks). If there are not any unanticipated expenses, extra money will be used toward her sophomore year tuition or to save for a car (taking volunteers for who wants to teach her to drive!).
Any other way I can help?
If you would like to send an encouraging letter or words of advice to Vanessa with your donation or in lieu of a donation, send it my way and I would be happy to give it to her.
-Tara Westover, Educated
This is a fundraiser to raise spending money funds for my mentee and close personal friend, Vanessa, while she attends college at Valparaiso University starting this fall.
How do I (Julia) know Vanessa?
I met Vanessa in 2011 while tutoring at a grant-funded after-school program for at-risk youth (mostly refugees) as part of work-study while attending graduate school at University of Chicago.
I instantly gravitated towards Vanessa, a 9yo girl with questionable hygiene (largely due to the lack of access to clean clothes) who constantly wanted hugs and was always the first student to sit down for help with her homework and the last to get up. Her academic skills were significantly lagging, with English being her second language and likely missing a few years of formal schooling, but every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we worked our little butts off.
At the end of the school year, I found myself exchanging phone numbers with Vanessa. It wasn’t long until she had memorized my phone number and was calling me from whatever phone or cell phone she could get her hands on. We started scheduling “playdates” her favorite activity being to come to my apartment building to use the pool J (and how convenient that I could pop those clothes in the washing machine while we swam!). I soon became formally connected with her advocates through Kovler Center and from there, long story short, we developed an amazing mentorship and friendship that has lasted over the past 10 years. I am so grateful that my family has also adopted my love for Vanessa and she has become somewhat of a little sister to us all, spending holidays with us.
About Vanessa
I am sharing limited details regarding Vanessa’s history on this forum in order to respect her and her family’s privacy. Vanessa came to the United States with her father seeking political asylum from a country in West Africa when she was six years old. She left behind her mother, little brother, and many loved ones who she has not seen since. Her mother, who still lives in Africa, has since suffered from paralysis due to a stroke and cannot work. Vanessa spent three years (8th-10th grade) living at Mercy home, a home for abused and neglected children. She currently lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her father (she sleeps on the couch) but has a limited relationship with him. She does not have other family members or resources available.
Why are you holding this fundraiser?
I am holding this fundraiser for Vanessa because of everything she has taught me. Seeing her overcome has taught me to persist even in the toughest of times. Vanessa has overcome adversity far beyond issues of race or poverty. She continued to work hard in school and show consideration for others even when there seemed to be no hope, or nobody to be proud of her. Knowing her has taught me the true trivialness of my white lady problems. It has been such an honor that she has chosen to remain my friend despite our drastically different backgrounds.
And of course, I am also holding this fundraiser because she needs the money and there are not other resources available (or if there are they have already been exhausted). She deserves a change of pace and the chance to experience a sort of, maybe, slightly normal college life.
Why donate?
Perhaps because you love me and want to support someone I love. Or maybe you support the black lives matter movement and want to help a young black woman overcome barriers from systemic racism. Or perhaps you just want to help someone who deserves it get an education. That being said, there is absolutely no pressure especially in these uncertain financial times.
How is Vanessa contributing?
Vanessa has worked each summer since she was 15 and has worked Friday-Sunday (20 hours per week) for the past year as a wheelchair assistant at O’Hare. She was laid off due to COVID which was a big loss of income for her, but she is currently back to working full-time (or as many hours as they will give her) and will be working all the way until August 8th, leaving us with a day to dorm shop and one day to rest before heading to orientation!
She plans to get a part-time job while at Valpo (in addition to or instead of work-study) but she does not have a driver’s license or a car. She had just started drivers ed this year when schools closed for COVID so she didn’t get to drive with the instructor and she didn’t have anyone to do driving hours with. These factors mixed with COVID and the fact that she is a freshman who needs to gain her footing do not make a part-time job a reliable source of income. That being said, she has already been searching for jobs. Furthermore, she already will need to do work-study for the $2000 toward tuition (see budget below) or use money from a part-time job to pay this part of tuition.
How will the funds be distributed?
I will store the funds and distribute them to Vanessa’s bank account via a monthly stipend.
How the heck is she even getting to school?
My parents and I will be helping Vanessa with dorm shopping and my lovely mother will be taking Vanessa to college. Unfortunately, having a nursing newborn and toddler are not conducive to taking her to college (especially with COVID) and I am so grateful my mother (Kathy) stepped up!
THE BUDGET
Fall Tuition Deposit: $400
Phone: $55/mo x 9 mos = $495
Food: $75/mo x 9 mos = $675
e.g., Jimmy Johns, pizza, i.e. not having to stay home when peers go out
Personal Care: $50/mo x 9 mos = $450
e.g., body wash, cleaning products, hand sanitizer, laundry detergent
Transportation: $200/year
e.g., uber, splitting gas with a friend to get home to Chicago, CTA for school breaks, other public transportation
School Supplies: $300/year
e.g., binders, notebooks, pencils, books
Food/Groceries for during School Breaks: $300
Medical = $200
Clothes = $300
e.g., masks, socks, underwear, other clothing
Social = $25/mo x 9 mos = $225
e.g., bowling, movie, or tickets to a school event
Hair = $500/year
Safety Net Fund: $455
TOTAL: $4500
Tuition (a whopping 56K!) has been covered via scholarships and grants (40k), student loans (8k), work-study (2K), and other loans (6K). Tuition costs have been a major hurdle that we have overcome (with the exception of the tuition deposit) with lots of hardwork and negotiating with the financial aid office (thanks Joel at Valpo!).
What if there is extra money?
Extra money will be used for any unanticipated expenses (e.g., a new phone if she drops it in the toilet like I did three times as a college freshman or a new laptop if it breaks). If there are not any unanticipated expenses, extra money will be used toward her sophomore year tuition or to save for a car (taking volunteers for who wants to teach her to drive!).
Any other way I can help?
If you would like to send an encouraging letter or words of advice to Vanessa with your donation or in lieu of a donation, send it my way and I would be happy to give it to her.
Organisator
Julia Kane Morlock
Organisator
Chicago, IL