#SendSemiratoUNI

My name is Hanim Samara and I am the COO of Yazmi USA, LLC. I met Semira Jemal last summer when she interned in my office. She has been admitted to Hofstra University for 2018/19. The total cost of tuition and fees for 1 year is $48,648. Semira was awarded a partial scholarship for $24,000 and I have been able to secure the remaining funds for her first-semester tuition ONLY.

We still need to obtain funds for her fees.

Please see her story at https://youtu.be/2oXcfUzHm2U or read it below:

My name is Semira. I was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I graduated from high school at Lebawi Academy in Addis on July 28, 2018, and I desperately seek your assistance in covering some of the fees associated with my living expenses while pursuing my undergraduate degree.

You might be thinking… why should I help her?

I know I can bring change to the world -- and I know I am an investment who will give back to the world. All I need is for you to help me fulfill my only drawback which is covering the fees related to my living expense.

I was admitted to the Hofstra University in New York, USA and am eager to attend in the Fall. However, I cannot afford the remaining fee.

Despite the many obstacles life has thrown at me, I have come very far. I was raised by a father who works as a laborer and a mother who performs odd jobs. Four years ago, I learned about an opportunity to compete with outstanding students in Addis Ababa for a four-year high school scholarship at Lebawi Academy and won. Undeterred by my two-hour commute to and from school, I excelled and maintained a 4.0 GPA.

While attending the Hofstra University, I plan on studying economics and computer science. Computer science has been my passion since the first day I was introduced to coding. I remember sitting in computer class as my teacher announced a typing test. The student with the fastest typing speed would be awarded a scholarship to learn to code from an expert. Without access to a computer, I had to come up with a quick and creative solution to learn the keyboard. I decided to draw a keyboard on paper to fit my fingers, practiced on my fake keyboard and won the scholarship.

Working with the coding expert exposed me to advanced coding courses and programming languages. This honed my passion, and in early 2018 I entered the Global Technovation Challenge for Girls. The challenge required that I use coding to develop a mobile app to solve a community problem. In choosing a problem in the community, I looked at the challenges I faced growing up in my village. One challenge that stuck out was the difficulty in obtaining information about local colleges and universities. This inspired me to develop an interface that guides students through the essential steps they need to select, apply and attend colleges in Ethiopia.

I was motivated to develop my app further while interning with Noah Samara at Yazmi Technology Consultancy in Addis Ababa. As most high school students in Addis are unaware of the availability of internships, my app includes a database of local internships, the application requirements, and appropriate deadlines.

Outside of school…

In addition to thriving as a student, I am an avid volunteer and organizer of clubs at my school. My most rewarding volunteer experience has been helping children with special needs. I designed a two-way inclusion program to promote awareness about autism, raise funds to build an autism center, and initiate neurodiversity week at my school. Additionally, I have raised more than $12,000 for unprivileged girls in my community!

In 2017, I was 1 of 100 selected students to attend the Yale Young African Scholars program in Accra, Ghana, an experience which made me realize that there are so many opportunities outside of my country.

I want to improve my life and my country. Growing up in a conservative Muslim family where most of my friends are engaged or married has always been discouraging. Overcoming this stereotype and fighting for my education has demanded a great deal of courage and hard work. I am so close to making my dreams a reality, and I just need a bit of assistance to cross the finish line.

Any help will be appreciated. 

Thank you in advance for the time and consideration you have given my situation.

Sincerely,


Semira Jemal