Main fundraiser photo

David's College Fund

Donation protected
My name is David Soto, and this month I will be graduating from the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Campus with a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering. Pursuing a degree in transportation in Europe has long been a dream of mine, but considering this opportunity has been difficult since I do not possess the financial resources for this kind of endeavor. 

Notwithstanding, I followed my heart and applied for doing a Master's at TU Delft, the 2nd best engineering university in all of Europe and recognized around the world for its excellence. My acceptance letter came in the mail about a week ago, igniting a hope that my dreams had finally come true to study in the Netherlands. 

Then reality set in, and calls to multiple banks as well as the university brought on the realization that no one was willing to offer a Puerto Rican (US-citizen) a student loan to study engineering in Europe. In addition, due to the timing of the acceptance letter, the few grants that may have been available stopped accepting applications months ago. Even those scholarships that were offered by Puerto Rican organizations were limited to pursuing studies within the United States.

All this has left me stranded looking for sponsors and/or the prospect of having to deal with high-interest loans that are not designed for educational purposes. The two (2) European banks in Puerto Rico are not affiliated with the university institution.

Coordinating with the Dutch government student finance programs has been impossible since they require strict residence status to recieve government financial aid. 

The biggest problem of all is I am required to upfront a full year's payment of 25,000 euros in 1 month! This would be almost impossible without your help. 

My main interest for pursuing transportation at TU Delft is to provide the transportation solutions for our economic crises in Puerto Rico. Locally and on other islands in the Caribbean there has been a lack of investment in active transportation (walking and bicycling) facilities. This has led to the highest traffic fatality rates of pedestrians in the U.S. and the highest childhood obesity rates in the U.S. (including the associated alarming rates of heart diseases). The economic benefits associated with these type of projects have been well-documented by the US-based organizations People for Bikes and the League of American Cyclists and have proven to support the growth of local businesses. 

Over the past 4 years I have led various case studies and demostrations of the applicability of North American best practices in bicycle facility designs for existing streets. My interest in studying in the Netherlands is based on their 30+ years of experience in developing cycling facilities as well as other forms of sustainable transportation options. I would be deeply grateful to have the opportunity to reach The Netherlands, a country I have never visited but have closely followed on the Internet, to learn what are the most advanced practices in transportation and study how some of these innovations could be brought back to the Caribbean basin.
Donate

Donations 

  • Enrique Soto
    • $10 
    • 8 yrs
Donate

Organizer

David Rafael Soto Padín
Organizer
Dorado, PR

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.