monkey
08-15-2006, 09:44 AM
i dont know if im supposed to, or even allowed to, but i want to share with you the story of my really great friend. she has been a rock to me when i was about to lose it, and today, i read this. and i cant stop crying thinking of what an amazing person she is.
--
Peoples generosity-
Im struggling to gather money to pay for my tuition to -------- University in Northern Ireland, so I decided to send out a fundraising letter via email. So far I received one generous response. I am brought to tears just by one person believing in me enough to donate her money to support my future and educational decisions.
Im sitting in Starbucks right now and feeling overwhelmed by the donation. If anyone else feels compeled to help, read my letter & bio below. But this blog is just to verbalize my appreciation for all the support that everyone has given me my whole life and all the kind words and actions that have lead me to where I am now and where Im going
My letter:
As you may already know, during the past 7 years, I have transformed from living on the streets to becoming the first person in my family to graduate from college. Many people, including you, played an essential role in helping me turn my life around, and for this, I will always be grateful. I am about to take another important step and hope you will consider helping me once again.
Last year I was accepted into an MA program in Comparative Ethnic Conflict and International Politics at ------- University in Northern Ireland. I was not able to attend because I did not have enough money to pay my tuition. This year I applied again and was accepted. I saved enough money for half of my tuition, but because of unexpected emergencies, and family problems, I am left with nothing.
I want to leverage my past experiences to help others who are struggling against adverse circumstances. I couldnt have turned my life around without people like you along the way. (Please read my bio below for information on my life in order to fully understand my situation).
So I am asking for your help.
Please help me go to Northern Ireland and study by making a $50 tax-deductible donation, or whatever you can afford, by September 1st (classes start early September 2006). Im hoping to raise my full tuition of $15,300.00. The ---- has agreed to be my fiscal sponsor. Please make your donation to the ------ with my name in the memo section of the check.
Once again, I appreciate all your help.
Sincerely,
My Biography:
In order to understand where Im going and why, its important to look at where I came from:
I grew up in Brooklyn with my mom and two brothers. My father left us when my mom was pregnant with my younger brother and so began our slide into complete poverty. My mother used her welfare check and food stamps to keep a roof over our head, food in my stomach, and second-hand shoes on my feet. She always stressed education as being the most important thing so that we wouldnt wind up like her. Even though she couldnt help us much because she didnt get very far in school, only making it through her junior year of high school, she encouraged us to study. She brought us to the library every week, found us free homework help, and always made it to the parent teacher conferences to check on our progress.
As I made my way to High School, I started getting involved with the neighborhood kids that would hang out on the corner and pick on people that passed by. They sucked me in. My mother tried to get me out. She would walk around the neighborhood all night looking for me and praying for my safety. But it was too late; I dropped out of high school in my sophomore year, ran away from home, and thought the streets were where I belonged.
I was eventually sent to a group home upstate for at-risk, run away youth. I spent my 17th birthday, Christmas, New Years Eve, Valentines Day, and my mothers birthday there.
I had hit rock bottom.
I realized that I wasnt going to make it to my 18th birthday if I continued my life the way it was. I wanted to go back to school and back home.
The group home staff told me about City-As-School, an alternative high school where students receive credit while doing internships, instead of taking classes, which I hated doing in my 1st high school. So I went to CAS. While selecting my internships, they told me about the ----, a place where I could get together with other young people and make a documentary about a topic that was important to me. I was sold. I spent the next seven years of my life, interning, and working at----. I started out making documentaries on the millennium, and the juvenile justice system, in their documentary workshop, and YO-TV programs. I then began teaching documentary classes at----, and Manhattan Neighborhood Networks Youth Channel. I taught video production to at-risk High School students at homeless shelters, Alternative to Incarceration programs, high schools, and Museums. I also had the opportunity to travel to Finland to teach at an international youth camp, and to Latvia & Estonia, where I worked on a documentary about the handicapped. I also traveled to Northern Ireland to teach a video production class to youth from Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods to foster a new generation of understanding between them.
Today, I am proud to say that I am the first and only person in my family to have graduated from college.
I graduated with honors from Hunter College. I have also traveled to 11 different countries, I have learned a new language, I have interned at Eyewitness News, worked at MoMA and the Jewish Museum, competed in long distance running races, and have become a confident, happy young lady. I have come a long way from my days living on the streets.
I would like to sincerely say that NONE of this would have been possible without the caring people that I have met along the way. Ive come a long way after being beaten down, now lets see where the future takes me.
--
Peoples generosity-
Im struggling to gather money to pay for my tuition to -------- University in Northern Ireland, so I decided to send out a fundraising letter via email. So far I received one generous response. I am brought to tears just by one person believing in me enough to donate her money to support my future and educational decisions.
Im sitting in Starbucks right now and feeling overwhelmed by the donation. If anyone else feels compeled to help, read my letter & bio below. But this blog is just to verbalize my appreciation for all the support that everyone has given me my whole life and all the kind words and actions that have lead me to where I am now and where Im going
My letter:
As you may already know, during the past 7 years, I have transformed from living on the streets to becoming the first person in my family to graduate from college. Many people, including you, played an essential role in helping me turn my life around, and for this, I will always be grateful. I am about to take another important step and hope you will consider helping me once again.
Last year I was accepted into an MA program in Comparative Ethnic Conflict and International Politics at ------- University in Northern Ireland. I was not able to attend because I did not have enough money to pay my tuition. This year I applied again and was accepted. I saved enough money for half of my tuition, but because of unexpected emergencies, and family problems, I am left with nothing.
I want to leverage my past experiences to help others who are struggling against adverse circumstances. I couldnt have turned my life around without people like you along the way. (Please read my bio below for information on my life in order to fully understand my situation).
So I am asking for your help.
Please help me go to Northern Ireland and study by making a $50 tax-deductible donation, or whatever you can afford, by September 1st (classes start early September 2006). Im hoping to raise my full tuition of $15,300.00. The ---- has agreed to be my fiscal sponsor. Please make your donation to the ------ with my name in the memo section of the check.
Once again, I appreciate all your help.
Sincerely,
My Biography:
In order to understand where Im going and why, its important to look at where I came from:
I grew up in Brooklyn with my mom and two brothers. My father left us when my mom was pregnant with my younger brother and so began our slide into complete poverty. My mother used her welfare check and food stamps to keep a roof over our head, food in my stomach, and second-hand shoes on my feet. She always stressed education as being the most important thing so that we wouldnt wind up like her. Even though she couldnt help us much because she didnt get very far in school, only making it through her junior year of high school, she encouraged us to study. She brought us to the library every week, found us free homework help, and always made it to the parent teacher conferences to check on our progress.
As I made my way to High School, I started getting involved with the neighborhood kids that would hang out on the corner and pick on people that passed by. They sucked me in. My mother tried to get me out. She would walk around the neighborhood all night looking for me and praying for my safety. But it was too late; I dropped out of high school in my sophomore year, ran away from home, and thought the streets were where I belonged.
I was eventually sent to a group home upstate for at-risk, run away youth. I spent my 17th birthday, Christmas, New Years Eve, Valentines Day, and my mothers birthday there.
I had hit rock bottom.
I realized that I wasnt going to make it to my 18th birthday if I continued my life the way it was. I wanted to go back to school and back home.
The group home staff told me about City-As-School, an alternative high school where students receive credit while doing internships, instead of taking classes, which I hated doing in my 1st high school. So I went to CAS. While selecting my internships, they told me about the ----, a place where I could get together with other young people and make a documentary about a topic that was important to me. I was sold. I spent the next seven years of my life, interning, and working at----. I started out making documentaries on the millennium, and the juvenile justice system, in their documentary workshop, and YO-TV programs. I then began teaching documentary classes at----, and Manhattan Neighborhood Networks Youth Channel. I taught video production to at-risk High School students at homeless shelters, Alternative to Incarceration programs, high schools, and Museums. I also had the opportunity to travel to Finland to teach at an international youth camp, and to Latvia & Estonia, where I worked on a documentary about the handicapped. I also traveled to Northern Ireland to teach a video production class to youth from Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods to foster a new generation of understanding between them.
Today, I am proud to say that I am the first and only person in my family to have graduated from college.
I graduated with honors from Hunter College. I have also traveled to 11 different countries, I have learned a new language, I have interned at Eyewitness News, worked at MoMA and the Jewish Museum, competed in long distance running races, and have become a confident, happy young lady. I have come a long way from my days living on the streets.
I would like to sincerely say that NONE of this would have been possible without the caring people that I have met along the way. Ive come a long way after being beaten down, now lets see where the future takes me.