Yaqueline is Going To ECU: My Story
Donation protected
Yaqueline is Going to ECU: My Story
Hello! My name is Yaqueline Chavez Mendoza. I am eighteen years old and recently graduated from City of Medicine Academy in Durham, North Carolina with Cum Laude Honors. This fall I will attend East Carolina University as a first generation college student. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Spanish, I plan to attend medical school and to pursue a career as an Emergency Room physician. Please consider donating to help with my college expenses and make it possible for me to achieve my goal of helping heal others.
My journey to this point has not been easy. As a child, when I was sexually assaulted by a close family member. My voice went into hiding after suffering years of domestic violence, with no safe place or person to confide in. My voice, my agency, and my self-esteem were lost in the chaos as I was forced to adapt to heartbreaking and difficult situations.
About 3 years ago, I began an uphill journey to find my voice again. I reached out to a sibling, only to be discouraged from speaking up about my assault to avoid causing problems within my family. I felt forced into a cocoon. In Latino communities, it can be taboo to speak about family matters and mental health care is often stigmatized. One of the hardest things I ever did was seek help. Looking back at the sorrow and pain, I have learned to love myself and cherish those whom are close to me. Living with a mental illness has shaped my life so much. It has motivated me to fly out of my cocoon into the butterfly I am meant to become.
As I reflect over my life and ambitions, I know that finding my voice has made me stronger and motivated me to use my experiences to help others. I helped found a Women’s Empowerment Club in my high school, so that every girl at City of Medicine can feel safe and supported. I want to become an ER doctor so I can use my knowledge and skills to assist and heal people in moments of trauma and help them survive, just like I did.
College will help me learn more about myself and equip me with skills to use my experiences as a tool to reach this goal. It will be an important step for me, and a big adjustment for my family. It is also a major financial burden. My family is not financially able to pay my tuition and fees, and even after pooling all my own savings and accepting federal loans I am at risk of coming up short for this school year’s expenses and fees. Any and all donations through this page will go directly to pay for tuition, fees, books, and school-related costs.
Thank you for reading my story, and for your consideration and generosity.
Hello! My name is Yaqueline Chavez Mendoza. I am eighteen years old and recently graduated from City of Medicine Academy in Durham, North Carolina with Cum Laude Honors. This fall I will attend East Carolina University as a first generation college student. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Spanish, I plan to attend medical school and to pursue a career as an Emergency Room physician. Please consider donating to help with my college expenses and make it possible for me to achieve my goal of helping heal others.
My journey to this point has not been easy. As a child, when I was sexually assaulted by a close family member. My voice went into hiding after suffering years of domestic violence, with no safe place or person to confide in. My voice, my agency, and my self-esteem were lost in the chaos as I was forced to adapt to heartbreaking and difficult situations.
About 3 years ago, I began an uphill journey to find my voice again. I reached out to a sibling, only to be discouraged from speaking up about my assault to avoid causing problems within my family. I felt forced into a cocoon. In Latino communities, it can be taboo to speak about family matters and mental health care is often stigmatized. One of the hardest things I ever did was seek help. Looking back at the sorrow and pain, I have learned to love myself and cherish those whom are close to me. Living with a mental illness has shaped my life so much. It has motivated me to fly out of my cocoon into the butterfly I am meant to become.
As I reflect over my life and ambitions, I know that finding my voice has made me stronger and motivated me to use my experiences to help others. I helped found a Women’s Empowerment Club in my high school, so that every girl at City of Medicine can feel safe and supported. I want to become an ER doctor so I can use my knowledge and skills to assist and heal people in moments of trauma and help them survive, just like I did.
College will help me learn more about myself and equip me with skills to use my experiences as a tool to reach this goal. It will be an important step for me, and a big adjustment for my family. It is also a major financial burden. My family is not financially able to pay my tuition and fees, and even after pooling all my own savings and accepting federal loans I am at risk of coming up short for this school year’s expenses and fees. Any and all donations through this page will go directly to pay for tuition, fees, books, and school-related costs.
Thank you for reading my story, and for your consideration and generosity.
Organiser
Yaqueline Chavez Mendoza
Organiser
Durham, NC
