Help Luna Mateo cover grad school moving costs!
Donation protected
In August, I will be relocating to California to start a PhD in Medical Anthropology at UC Berkeley. As a first-gen low-income immigrant, I never imagined a program like this would be part of my reality. But instead of being psyched for this moment, I have been under large amounts of stress about how to make this move economically viable.
I’ve never had a time in my academic life where I haven’t worried about money and this is till the case! Since accepting my offer from Berkeley in March, I have been working to make this move economically feasible; however, I am on medicaid, working a job that barely pays enough to scrape by and have already exhausted my savings to pay for health costs. Now I need to front up to $5,000 next month to make this move happen. I have tried to have the University help with up-front costs but travel reimbursements and my student stipend will not be available until late August-September.
At this point, I’m worried that without help, I won't be able to start my graduate studies with my basic needs covered. With no safety net to fall back on, I'm turning to my incredible community and chosen family to lend support as I take this monumental step forward. Whether it's a contribution or sharing my story, your support means the world to me. Thank you.
The raised funds will go toward:
- Air travel to California in August.
- Securing housing: first month's rent and security deposit.
- Shipping essential items (clothes, books, household items) cross country.
- Covering essentials (food, pet supplies, public transportation) during the initial weeks/month of my semester.
- Health-related start-up costs (trans health-care and ASD support).
- Assisting with any pop-up academic costs (books, class supplies, university fees)
Fundraising team: Equipo de recaudación de fondos (2)
Luna Castelli Santana
Organizer
Providence, RI
Atlas Alvarado Estrada
Team member