Jada Jeremiah

The American Civic Association is proud to support SUNY Broome sophomore Jada Jeremiah (Johnson City, ’17) in achieving her dream of completing her college education and ultimately helping people heal and prosper through the power of song and melody as a music therapist.

While affording and succeeding in college are challenging for most American families and their college-age members, Jada’s path is further complicated by her Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Jada was born in Trinidad, arriving in the United States before her third birthday, and has called Broome County home for over 15 of her 19 years. Unlike most of her peers, she is denied access to many forms of financial aid available to most of her fellow graduates of NYS high schools. She cannot receive federal grants or loans of any kind, a majority of scholarships, and NY’s tuition-free plan, the Excelsior program. Banks are reluctant to offer loans. Those that are willing do so at unaffordable rates.

In high school, Jada found a passion for music and singing. She participated in JC’s many performance bands and orchestras, along with the show choir, the Sophisticats, and the school’s acapella group. She was also a staple of JC’s well-regarded yearly plays, performing in shows like Shrek. In addition to cultivating a passion for music, she was a National Honor Society member and participated in CSTEP, a renowned science program. At SUNY Broome, she continued her scholastic excellence in addition to performing and working as a cashier between 20 and 30 hours a week. Her dream is to complete her education at Berea College.

The American Civic Association believes that Jada and other DACA recipients deserve the opportunity afforded to all college-aged students to pursue her dreams. Jada’s status does not make her any less a member of the Broome County community. Denying Jada access to financial aid does not just make life’s path harder for Jada and her family, but is a blow to our community and all those teachers, mentors, and other community members that have supported and continue to support her.

Please donate to support Jada in her higher education pursuits.

Breakdown of Funds (for one semester) 

SUNY Broome Tuition: $3,650
Books: $350
Cost of Living (gas, extra curricular expenses, food): $500