Help Jacqui to continue her college education

Meet Jacqui. I met this incredible person in June 2019 through mutual friends. She quickly became my friend and today I am grateful to count her as a member of my dear chosen family. I feel honored to tell you all a bit of Jacqui’s story in the hopes that you, too, will catch a glimpse of the resiliency and strength that she possesses and how very deserving she is to continue in her educational pursuits.

Jacqui was born into and raised in a conservative Mennonite community that often appears more similar to the culture of the Amish community. Jacqui describes the community as a cult, and the various accounts she has shared with me of her experiences starting from early childhood have made me come to understand that the word “cult” really is the appropriate term to use.

Jacqui was raised as a boy within a community that required strict adherence to traditional gender roles and punished those who exhibited any behaviors that fell outside of the rigid boundaries of those gender roles. When Jacqui came out to her family at the age of 25, her family disowned her and took away her savings, the house that she owned, and her job. She was left to start over from scratch and without any financial or emotional support from the only family and community she had known. She moved to Philadelphia to start her new life. Despite having only a 10th-grade education and a GED, which she advocated for and earned on her own, she worked hard and found a way to financially support herself.

Jacqui decided to take the brave step of attending community college and graduated with her associate’s degree in music in 2021, having earned a 4.0 GPA. She took the next year to raise initial funds to continue her education and was accepted into Westminster Choir College’s bachelor’s degree program for vocal performance. She finished her first year with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Jacqui is now entering her second year at Westminster Choir College. Despite receiving some financial aid, she still lacks the funding that will allow her to complete this academic year. She was able to secure the initial funds that she needed to start the year but will need another $4500 to continue. Unfortunately, securing additional loans is not an option as providers require Jacqui to have a co-signer. And while Jacqui continues to work as hard as she can to pay her outstanding tuition balance, her time and resources are limited while balancing her workload as a full-time student and helping to raise her lovely 9-year-old daughter.

So this is why I am asking for your help to make Jacqui’s lifelong dream of a college education a reality for her, as well as the resulting future career opportunities that a college education provides. Jacqui was able to be placed on a monthly payment plan and will need to make her next payment by September 15th to continue as a student. Any gift, no matter the size, will be greatly appreciated!