Help Myllena Finish College

Hi, My name is Myllena Braz da Silva. You might know me from the National Geographic film Science Fair. That film told the story of my journey from a tiny town in Northeastern Brazil to Los Angeles, California, where I got the chance to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair or ISEF with a project that aimed to develop a vaccine against the Zika Virus.

My journey has been very unlikely based on my background. I grew up in a small town without access to a good education. And I’m the daughter of a maid and farmhand who doesn't read or write. But five years ago, thanks to my success in science fairs, I got the opportunity to study English on a full-ride scholarship at Hancock International College. And thanks to a GoFundMe like this one, I was able to afford to make the trip and live in the U.S. during my studies.

Moving to a new country without speaking a single word of their language, learning to navigate through a new culture, and being away from my family, especially during the pandemic, was not easy. But during these 4 years, I did not just overcome those challenges, I also became fluent in English, worked odd jobs to pay my rent and my way through community college and finished a two-year degree. And then this past April I learned that I had been accepted into the Environmental Science and Policy bachelors program by the University of California, Irvine. I am still deciding whether I will be finishing a four year degree in California or elsewhere, but one thing I will need is funds.

Getting a bachelor's degree from an American university has always been my dream. The only problem I have in making my dream a reality is finances. College in America is expensive, and as an international student options for scholarships and financial aid are hard to come by. There are just two years left to get my bachelor's degree. For that reason, my sponsors have helped me set up this GoFundMe account to try to raise funds to pay for the remaining two years of tuition.

I know what I'm trying to do isn’t easy. No one from my small town has accomplished something as big as this, and I know that this opportunity could not just change my life but could show other students to dream big and that there are ways to make things happen. Any bit of support, no matter how small it is, is deeply appreciated. Even if you can't donate, maybe you can share it with others. Anything would help. I have gone so far. I'm so close to making this dream come true that I don’t want to give up now.

With this one final push, and people like you to support it, I’ll be able to finish my degree and show to the world that it doesn't matter where we came from or how much money we had in our bank account when we started, we can still do big things.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Myllena Braz da Silva