Help Dolly Succeed in Law School

Hello! I hope that this finds you in good health. My name is Rolanda but I am better known by my sobriquet, Dolly. I want to briefly share my testimony with you in hopes of receiving funding for my Juris Doctorate (JD). I am a native New Yorker and grew up in East New York, Brooklyn. At the age of seventeen, I became paralyzed due to inner city gun violence. I was shot three times in the staircase of my New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartment building. I have been confined to a wheelchair for the past thirteen years. During this time, I have overcome many challenges including, adjusting to life with a disability, losing my mother to an asthma attack when I was twenty, keeping my mental health in tack, and recovering from a number of medical scares that landed me in the hospital. Despite many trials and tribulations, I passionately pursued my education and remain determined to walk again and go even further academically. I have an Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies, a Bachelors in Political Science, and a Masters in History. Currently, I am pursuing my JD as a first year law student at Fordham Law School but am struggling to find the resources to pay my tuition. I was awarded a scholarship of $20,000 per semester but have a remaining outstanding bill of $27,000. This brings the total cost of my three year education to $81,000 not including the costs of books or other fees. If you are still reading this, thank you for taking the time to learn about me and I would appreciate any resources and prayers to help me pay for law school. I hope that you’re inspired to help me or someone in need and even pursue a dream of your own. Peace and love.

-Dolly.