Leonel's University Fund

I sit here today with pain in my heart and a broken ego. I must first start by stating how great everything in my life has been. I am thankful for my family and friends who have always supported me and urged me to believe that anything is possible. I am thankful for the setbacks and difficulties life has put in front of me, as it has made me a better person. I am thankful for every C I have gotten in a class, which has taught me how to get an A. I am thankful for every bus ride to school that helped my family save money. I am thankfulfor my high school teachers that gave me the knowledge necessary to succeed in college. I am thankful for Menlo, where I learned how to blend into my surroundings. But of all things important to me I am most thankful for my mother, who taught me how to be a loving, responsible young man. I write this here today in search of my future. To put it in simple terms, I am the first to do it. I don’t know what it is I am doing yet, or if it is even worth it, but I know I must. My family has always prided itself on finding away to get things done, often times it has meant a lot of sacrifice. We wanted a better life, so we moved to the United States. We wanted a better house, so we worked longer hours. But now I am faced with the ultimate sacrifice, my education:
        Do I choose the cheaper option of returning to East Palo Alto and going to a community college, or do I stay at a four-year university, where even though my mom won't say it, her life will be worse because of the sacrifices she will have to make to keep me here? I have thought about this choice ever since I stepped foot onto my school’s campus, and as an 18 year old with not much life experience I have struggled to know if what I am doing is correct.
      I was awarded $35,000 in scholarships, grants, and loans, but I can see now that we cannot afford the $20,000 a year that is our expected family contribution. This is my last resort. If you can contribute anything, I will be grateful. 100% of all your donations will go towards my tuition and housing. I would like to be the first person in my family to graduate from college. I write this not for the sympathy of others, but simply because I have no other choice. I want to thank those of you that have read my testimony, as I know that you all have lives of your own.

Sincerely,
Leonel Jaimez University of Redlands Class of 2019

For any further questions feel free to contact me at [email redacted]