Help Diana Attend Her Dream School

Hi all - My name is Diana and I am a first-generation undocumented low-income student. Although I attended an under-resourced school, I took advantage of what was available. I earned a 4.5 weighted GPA throughout high school coming top four of my class. I took eight AP courses (which was the most I could take) and five college courses to explore my interests. Additionally, I was involved in many clubs where I held coveted leadership opportunities (see below).  I truly applied myself to school because I always dreamed of going to a university. I felt like everything finally had paid off the moment I received my acceptance letter from the University of Southern California. However, due to a delay with my parent's taxes, I am not able to receive any financial aid at the moment and I have no way of making my first payment to USC on August 20. It devastates me that I have come so close to obtaining my dream, but something out of my control is in my way. It would mean the world to me if you would please invest in my education. I plan on earning my degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Cinematic Arts. I want to represent the communities from which I come from because there is power in our narratives and the experiences that we have had because they challenge the system that was not designed for us, for me.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for reading and donating. Please feel free to donate via GoDundMe or Venmo me at @Alondra-Cervantes-1 (this is my sister's account since I do not have a credit card).

My background:
When I was about two years old my parents decided to move my siblings and me from Mexico to the U.S. for better opportunities in life, specifically education. My parents did not have the privilege of a free education growing up so they began working at an early age to contribute to their family income. Becoming aware of this and understanding their sacrifices has led me to develop a strong work ethic to ensure that I can repay my parents for everything they have done for our family.

I maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school coming top four of my class. I took AP courses, honor classes, and college courses. In addition, I was involved in many clubs such as Cross Country (where I was Co-Captain), Students Run LA (where I ran 4 LA Marathons), Debate (where I improved my speaking skills), AV (where I produced short films), and leadership (where I organized school events and managed my school's social media accounts).

Financial Background: 
Due to a delay with my parent's taxes, I am not able to receive any financial aid at the moment and I must make my first payment on August 20. The funds donated will help cover my tuition, housing, meals, and other fees USC requires for this semester. I have applied to multiple scholarships but haven't heard back from most/the ones I did win are not even close to the cost of tuition. Furthermore, due to my legal status and the newest update with DACA, I am not able to legally work in the U.S which makes it difficult for me to earn my own income.