Loanni's Emergency College Fund
Donation protected
Hi all! My name is Loanni Del Monte and I'll be a sophomore at Agnes Scott College this fall. I'm going on 19 years old, I'm originally from New York City and have been impossibly homesick since I moved to Kennesaw, Georgia two summers ago.
It was this summer my mom was diagnosed with cancer.
It was hard news to take, as you expect it to be; I went through stages of deep worry and anxiety and sadness, pleading God why would he allow such a diagnosis after years of my mom in and out of hospitals with her own parents. My mind circles back to those feelings sometimes but I can only trust in what His word says; that He doesn't give us more tribulations than we can bare.
The reason I'm asking for your help, however, is because my mom has had to take medical leave from her job due to her illness and is currently only earning 60% of her original paycheck. If last year was a struggle to pay my tuition - scholarships, loans, and all - this year has been an even greater one. I'm left with nearly $18,000 to pay out of my parents' pockets, including dorming expenses and an extra $3,500 I was charged for a year's worth of health insurance I didn't need. That means I have to pay more than $9,000 by August 1. I do plan to take out loans for the coming school year because it's only fair that I carry some weight of the burden; even if I take out the maximum amount of loans available to me, however, (approximately $13,000) it still wouldn't be enough. My parents would have to pay nearly $600 a month on a payment plan consisting of 9 payments for the entire school year, something they simply can't do in addition to rent considering my mother's reduced income.
I'll be honest; even as I write this, I fear telling strangers, acquaintances, and close friends about my mom's illness and our current financial situation. There's a part of me that is embarrassed to admit I need help and bear such personal details about my life. I remind myself, still as I write this, that I'm doing it for her, for both of my parents. I remind myself that you should never be embarrassed to open up and admit vulnerability, because that is a true marker of strength.
I try not to allow my mom's diagnosis define her, my family, or myself, for that matter; I enjoy going to Agnes Scott and living with one (soon to be two) of my closest friends. I feel driven to be more involved on campus and I am currently the COSMO chair of Latinas Unidas, a coalition of Latinx students that celebrates, while educating our peers on, our Latinx culture. My position entails meeting with COSMO, the Coalition of Student Multicultural Organizations, and fostering campus diversity both within COSMO and also Latinas Unidas as it's representative, whether that manifest through open forums and difficult discussion, or fun, educational campus events. I enjoyed doing it last semester and hope to grow and become better at my position because it truly represents my intersectional identity as an Afro-Latina, and the only Afro-Latinx person in our organization last year at that.
If you've taken time to read this I sincerely thank you, and if you choose to donate anything at all I thank you even more. Is it too much to say I love you? I love you. There, no take-backs.
My parents, my sister, and I <3
My parents <3
This is my friend and roommate Anna! I love her! We were friends in high school and roommates at Agnes our freshman year. This year we'll be roommates again with our other friend, Luisa! I'm beyond excited.
It was this summer my mom was diagnosed with cancer.
It was hard news to take, as you expect it to be; I went through stages of deep worry and anxiety and sadness, pleading God why would he allow such a diagnosis after years of my mom in and out of hospitals with her own parents. My mind circles back to those feelings sometimes but I can only trust in what His word says; that He doesn't give us more tribulations than we can bare.
The reason I'm asking for your help, however, is because my mom has had to take medical leave from her job due to her illness and is currently only earning 60% of her original paycheck. If last year was a struggle to pay my tuition - scholarships, loans, and all - this year has been an even greater one. I'm left with nearly $18,000 to pay out of my parents' pockets, including dorming expenses and an extra $3,500 I was charged for a year's worth of health insurance I didn't need. That means I have to pay more than $9,000 by August 1. I do plan to take out loans for the coming school year because it's only fair that I carry some weight of the burden; even if I take out the maximum amount of loans available to me, however, (approximately $13,000) it still wouldn't be enough. My parents would have to pay nearly $600 a month on a payment plan consisting of 9 payments for the entire school year, something they simply can't do in addition to rent considering my mother's reduced income.
I'll be honest; even as I write this, I fear telling strangers, acquaintances, and close friends about my mom's illness and our current financial situation. There's a part of me that is embarrassed to admit I need help and bear such personal details about my life. I remind myself, still as I write this, that I'm doing it for her, for both of my parents. I remind myself that you should never be embarrassed to open up and admit vulnerability, because that is a true marker of strength.
I try not to allow my mom's diagnosis define her, my family, or myself, for that matter; I enjoy going to Agnes Scott and living with one (soon to be two) of my closest friends. I feel driven to be more involved on campus and I am currently the COSMO chair of Latinas Unidas, a coalition of Latinx students that celebrates, while educating our peers on, our Latinx culture. My position entails meeting with COSMO, the Coalition of Student Multicultural Organizations, and fostering campus diversity both within COSMO and also Latinas Unidas as it's representative, whether that manifest through open forums and difficult discussion, or fun, educational campus events. I enjoyed doing it last semester and hope to grow and become better at my position because it truly represents my intersectional identity as an Afro-Latina, and the only Afro-Latinx person in our organization last year at that.
If you've taken time to read this I sincerely thank you, and if you choose to donate anything at all I thank you even more. Is it too much to say I love you? I love you. There, no take-backs.
My parents, my sister, and I <3
My parents <3
This is my friend and roommate Anna! I love her! We were friends in high school and roommates at Agnes our freshman year. This year we'll be roommates again with our other friend, Luisa! I'm beyond excited.
Organizer
Loanni Del Monte
Organizer
Kennesaw, GA
