College fund for Zion Douglas
Donation protected
Before going into the full description, I want to thank you for even clicking on this gofundme page and considering donating to this. It means the world to me that you would take time out of your busy day to read this. Thank you, even if you don't donate, it still means a lot that you're here. Normally, I do not like to ask for help, but I have decided to step out of my comfort zone and just give it a try. I know the world is going through a lot right now, so after you are done reading this keep fighting for change in this world.
My name is Zion Douglas. I am currently 19 years old and a rising sophomore in college. All my life, I knew I wanted to go to college. While most elementary kids were playing computer games, I vividly remember spending hours researching colleges and making a list of schools I wanted to attend. I wanted to become a teacher and I knew college would get me there. College is something that may seem just like a next step for some people, but for me it is something so special.It will allow me to pave the way for my future and give me the space to do so. I truly believe that it is a privilege to be able to receive a higher education and not many get the opportunity to do so. My parents didn't have money saved up for me to go to college because most of it was going towards having a roof over our heads and survival. To give you context: I lived with both my mother, who is a teacher, and my 3 siblings. At the beginning of my high school career, and after living in South Riding for a while, we had to move. My mother could no longer afford to live here, so I immediately did everything I could to stay. I knew I needed the teachers at my school if I was going to finish successfully. Luckily, my mother was able to find somewhere close to live so I could still attend Freedom High School. Throughout high school I endured many setbacks and challenges. I was told I would never get into college, my family struggled financially, and I was dealing with having an incarcerated parent for all four years. Although all of these things were tough, I remained persistent. I reached for my dreams even though they were far out of reach. I fought for things, even when it was hard and I ended up finishing high school successfully.
My plans took a quick turn around my senior year and that takes us to the present day. I was waitlisted at my dream school, Virginia Tech, so I decided to go to Community college and give VT another try after one year. I made the decision to move away from my family and remain in Virginia with family friends because I knew it would allow me to work hard and focus on my dream. Although I ended up making the deans list both semesters, after a challenging and wild year that consisted of missing my family, lots of tears, car troubles and a pandemic, I unexpectedly got accepted into my dream school, VIRGINIA TECH, as a childhood pre education major! It still feels a little unreal to me and I look at my acceptance letter everyday to make sure I am seeing the right words. Like I mentioned before, as much as my parents love and care for me, college wasn’t a top priority to save for. Being the independent person I am, I pay for a lot of my own things to help take the financial burden off them. It has helped me learn a lot about financial wellness and I ended up opening a savings account for myself. Although I have a little saved and I am working, it is far from enough to help pay for the financial stress that comes with college. This pandemic has thrown a lot of us off guard and slowed down my ability to earn money for school.
At this current time, I am unable to get a co-signer for my student loans. This is the main reason I have decided to create a gofundme page - I need to raise money for my first year at Virginia Tech. I hope to have the ability to take out loans myself for my second year and I am currently working to build up a credit score. I will continue to work during the summer and school year so that I can continue to save money to put towards college. The $5,000 that I am asking for would go directly to paying my first year's tuition and other college essentials that financial aid isn't covering. Any amount would be greatly appreciated as I start my college journey. I also want to thank you on behalf of my future Fifth Grade students. YOU are getting their teacher through school.
I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this and donating. Like I mentioned previously, I am not the one to invite people into my struggles, but this is worth a shot! I am so thankful that you have taken the time to listen to a part of my story and hopefully get a sense of who I am. Thank you so much in advance for supporting my dreams. Please feel free to share if you would like.
All the love,
Zion Douglas
My name is Zion Douglas. I am currently 19 years old and a rising sophomore in college. All my life, I knew I wanted to go to college. While most elementary kids were playing computer games, I vividly remember spending hours researching colleges and making a list of schools I wanted to attend. I wanted to become a teacher and I knew college would get me there. College is something that may seem just like a next step for some people, but for me it is something so special.It will allow me to pave the way for my future and give me the space to do so. I truly believe that it is a privilege to be able to receive a higher education and not many get the opportunity to do so. My parents didn't have money saved up for me to go to college because most of it was going towards having a roof over our heads and survival. To give you context: I lived with both my mother, who is a teacher, and my 3 siblings. At the beginning of my high school career, and after living in South Riding for a while, we had to move. My mother could no longer afford to live here, so I immediately did everything I could to stay. I knew I needed the teachers at my school if I was going to finish successfully. Luckily, my mother was able to find somewhere close to live so I could still attend Freedom High School. Throughout high school I endured many setbacks and challenges. I was told I would never get into college, my family struggled financially, and I was dealing with having an incarcerated parent for all four years. Although all of these things were tough, I remained persistent. I reached for my dreams even though they were far out of reach. I fought for things, even when it was hard and I ended up finishing high school successfully.
My plans took a quick turn around my senior year and that takes us to the present day. I was waitlisted at my dream school, Virginia Tech, so I decided to go to Community college and give VT another try after one year. I made the decision to move away from my family and remain in Virginia with family friends because I knew it would allow me to work hard and focus on my dream. Although I ended up making the deans list both semesters, after a challenging and wild year that consisted of missing my family, lots of tears, car troubles and a pandemic, I unexpectedly got accepted into my dream school, VIRGINIA TECH, as a childhood pre education major! It still feels a little unreal to me and I look at my acceptance letter everyday to make sure I am seeing the right words. Like I mentioned before, as much as my parents love and care for me, college wasn’t a top priority to save for. Being the independent person I am, I pay for a lot of my own things to help take the financial burden off them. It has helped me learn a lot about financial wellness and I ended up opening a savings account for myself. Although I have a little saved and I am working, it is far from enough to help pay for the financial stress that comes with college. This pandemic has thrown a lot of us off guard and slowed down my ability to earn money for school.
At this current time, I am unable to get a co-signer for my student loans. This is the main reason I have decided to create a gofundme page - I need to raise money for my first year at Virginia Tech. I hope to have the ability to take out loans myself for my second year and I am currently working to build up a credit score. I will continue to work during the summer and school year so that I can continue to save money to put towards college. The $5,000 that I am asking for would go directly to paying my first year's tuition and other college essentials that financial aid isn't covering. Any amount would be greatly appreciated as I start my college journey. I also want to thank you on behalf of my future Fifth Grade students. YOU are getting their teacher through school.
I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this and donating. Like I mentioned previously, I am not the one to invite people into my struggles, but this is worth a shot! I am so thankful that you have taken the time to listen to a part of my story and hopefully get a sense of who I am. Thank you so much in advance for supporting my dreams. Please feel free to share if you would like.
All the love,
Zion Douglas
Organizer
Zion Douglas
Organizer
South Riding, VA