Emily's College Campaign
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Hello family, friends, strangers, anyone finding themselves to read this post! My name is Emily Stutz, I am 18 years old and I am currently a high school senior at Lowell High. Like many of my other classmates it is coming time for me to choose a college to attend in the fall. May 1st, commitment day, is just around the corner. However, unlike most other students, I still have no clue what school I will attend next year. Let me give you a background on myself and why I have still yet to choose:
All throughout high school I have maintained a high GPA, ranging from 4.0-4.5 the past 4 years. I jumped at every volunteer opportunity I was offered, and joined every club that interested me. I've also worked 3 part time jobs throughout high school, always working at least 2 at a time. When it came time to apply to college I felt as though I would be all set to get in and go to any school, that is what everyone told me. I always worried about money but I was assured by many people to not give up on my dreams and with my grades & after financial aid, I would be fine. They were wrong about the financial part. I got accepted to all of my schools and I was so excited. I pictured myself at the school of my dreams studying psychology on the pre-medical track, working my way to med school. All this got shut down once I received my financial aid packages. I was fortunate enough to receive around the most money possible in merit, ranging from $11,000-$18,000 per different schools, but that was it. I received no additional financial aid. While I was extremely thankful and appreciative of the merit money awarded, at $50,000+, all of my schools are unattainable. I applied to state schools as well but they do not offer merit so they all cost me around $20,000 since no financial aid money was awarded. Now what most other students are doing is taking out loans, what everyone who goes to college does! In my situation, this is not an option. My parents have had immense financial struggles and simply cannot come up with $20,000-$30,000 a year, nor are they able to cosign a loan for me. I have no other adults in my life who are able to cosign and I am at a loss. I see my dream of becoming a doctor slip further and further away as the days pass by so I've decided I am going to do whatever it will take to get myself to college.
We've all seen the panhandlers, giving us long faces as we awkwardly sit at red lights waiting for the light to change. I've read so many stories about these people and countless times when they are told to get a job, they respond they make more standing there so why should they? So I'm going to try it! If people will give to the "homeless" panhandlers then maybe they will consider sparing a dollar or some change to an aspiring doctor who has all the academic, but no financial means to attend college. Anything helps at this point! So, as a little social experiment it is time for me to see if the people in my community are willing to help me out like they help out the other panhandlers. As an old Tanzanian proverb says, "Little by little, a little becomes a lot."
All throughout high school I have maintained a high GPA, ranging from 4.0-4.5 the past 4 years. I jumped at every volunteer opportunity I was offered, and joined every club that interested me. I've also worked 3 part time jobs throughout high school, always working at least 2 at a time. When it came time to apply to college I felt as though I would be all set to get in and go to any school, that is what everyone told me. I always worried about money but I was assured by many people to not give up on my dreams and with my grades & after financial aid, I would be fine. They were wrong about the financial part. I got accepted to all of my schools and I was so excited. I pictured myself at the school of my dreams studying psychology on the pre-medical track, working my way to med school. All this got shut down once I received my financial aid packages. I was fortunate enough to receive around the most money possible in merit, ranging from $11,000-$18,000 per different schools, but that was it. I received no additional financial aid. While I was extremely thankful and appreciative of the merit money awarded, at $50,000+, all of my schools are unattainable. I applied to state schools as well but they do not offer merit so they all cost me around $20,000 since no financial aid money was awarded. Now what most other students are doing is taking out loans, what everyone who goes to college does! In my situation, this is not an option. My parents have had immense financial struggles and simply cannot come up with $20,000-$30,000 a year, nor are they able to cosign a loan for me. I have no other adults in my life who are able to cosign and I am at a loss. I see my dream of becoming a doctor slip further and further away as the days pass by so I've decided I am going to do whatever it will take to get myself to college.
We've all seen the panhandlers, giving us long faces as we awkwardly sit at red lights waiting for the light to change. I've read so many stories about these people and countless times when they are told to get a job, they respond they make more standing there so why should they? So I'm going to try it! If people will give to the "homeless" panhandlers then maybe they will consider sparing a dollar or some change to an aspiring doctor who has all the academic, but no financial means to attend college. Anything helps at this point! So, as a little social experiment it is time for me to see if the people in my community are willing to help me out like they help out the other panhandlers. As an old Tanzanian proverb says, "Little by little, a little becomes a lot."
Organizer
Emily Stutz
Organizer
Lowell, MA