Help Fund Research and Studies at Harvard

Once when I was young, my dad and I were watching the news, about an undocumented girl who had been accepted into Harvard and my dad said, "Mira mija, tu tambien podrias hacer eso." | "Look daughter, you could do that too."

At some point, in realizing what 'Harvard' meant, I quickly gave up on the idea and never gave it much though of it again. Yet, as life would have it, I recently became a US Citizen in May and have also been accepted to Harvard for a Masters in Entrepreneurship and Leadership. However, at the heart of what felt like life coming to a full circle, my father, following his deportation to Mexico, had his life tragically taken, in short, by the corruption, violence and war on drugs that exists not only there, but all around us. This has not only taken an emotional toll, but a financial toll which brings me here to welcome any support that will help me focus on my purpose and studies while at Harvard of creating better educational opportunities for young learners all around the world.

My goal at Harvard is to create tools that will foster early literacy skills while also promoting a holistic well-being.

Much of my purpose is rooted in my own experience as an immigrant and and English Language Learner. Learning was so challenging that I still vividly remember crying, as I would read dictionaries just to learn new words. With diligence and time, I not only discovered new words, but the world of books. They became my teachers, counselors and friends, leading me to fall deeply in love with learning. Books became not only a vehicle for me to escape life through, but also a driver in advancing my skills in and outside of the classroom.

In pursuit of discovering what it meant to be a great teacher, I joined Teach for America in Colorado where I've taught for the past five years. And this is where I began my obsession over finding the best strategies for each individual child that came before to to have the best education they could. In doing so, 100% of my Kindergarten class finished reading on grade level, 92% ended reading above and a third finished the year at a 2nd grade level. Now, I am hoping to develop this on a greater and global scale for all children to discover the power and joy that comes from reading. The same impact that led me to find the best teachers - books! Along with this, I will also be working on developing culturally diverse and inclusive books that promote healthy coping strategies to support the healing process of children who are/have experienced trauma. 

If this is something you share a passion for as well, please join me, as I welcome your support in helping create better educational opportunities for children globally.

Any contribution towards towards this is of great benefit and will be directed towards housing (10,000) and and required medical insurance (5,000) for the year which totals to ~ $15,000. Harvard University is one of the most prestigious universities in the country and stands out among the best education schools in the world with the full cost of a Masters in Entrepreneurship and Leadership program adding up to about ~85,000. While I received some financial aid and have applied to scholarships, it is all very minimal in covering the full cost, but am at least hoping to have support in covering the immediate living expenses of housing and insurance, to be less burdened and able to devote my time and energy in creating tools that myself, my father, my friends, my students and many other children have been missing to find the power, joy and healing that comes in learning to read - a book.

Venmo is @MonicaFigueroa [8233]