The Finer Ivy League DeShawnDeborah Burrell Dream
Donation protected
Herstory:
I am raising money to fund co-curricular activities for young women pursuing post-secondary education. When we go to college, there are experiences and leadership development opportunities that assist us in staying the course and building rich, impactful, and lasting relationships. There are countless scholarships that will assist in tuition, room and board, even books! Where are the scholarships that help students with co-curricular activitiy fees?! The Finer Ivy League Scholarships will be awarded to women pursuing co-curricular experiences; sorority initiation, study abroad, Miss (insert college/University), tech needs, dorm/apartment decor needs, groceries, personal hygiene, if you can think it is needed, we are trying to award dollars to support it.
Examples: Student needs a laptop-$500-$1000.00
Student wants to join a sorority-$1000-$2000.00
Student wants to travel abroad-$500-$2000.00
Student wants to compete in the Miss Black and Gold $250-$500.00
Student needs groceries/personal hygiene items-$100-250.00
Students wants to decorate her safe space-$250-$500.00
My goal is to award at least 5-10 co-curricular/student need based awards starting on 12/29/2021...my 41st birthday, a very special year in the life of my inspiration for this scholarship...its a long read but worth it!
I dreamed of this day, April 1st, 2021. My mother's birthday,in my 40th year of life, my mentoring/consulting business launch and thus the experiences to come, in memory of my mother, the late Deborah Jean Hawkins Burrell.
I lost my mother at a pivotal time in my life, the tender young age of 12. Her 40th year, was the last full year I had with her. She was the epitome of class, refinement, love, patience, resilience, understanding, and hope. Every life she touched her smile, laughter, hug, and even sometimes the stern words would breathe life back into a space that had been deflated.
My mother made it a priority to provide me with experiences that would ultimately mold and shape me, my life, and subsequently the lives around me. My mother took care of those who could not take care of themselves, not always physically, but most certainly emotionally and spiritually.
Fast forward to me and my girls. I ran a program for young ladies aging out of the foster care system. These young minds, spirits, and hearts had experienced practically everything but positive life altering experiences. Many had abandoned them, some hurt them, but the consistent thought they carried with them was that nobody would stick around or help them experience happiness. That changed the day they entered, “Ms B’s” life. The revelation of my life’s assignment, handed down to me by my mother, was to use my Finer connections to birth Ivy League experiences for those who either did not know they were available or could not afford them.
For my girls; we went on college tours (just like my parents did for me), we got glammed up, (just like my mama did for me; yep I was a Debutante), we went to nice restaurants, I have hosted baby showers, shown up for graduations, moved them into their first dorm room or apartment, you name the memory, I was there for it. They knew they could call on me and if I could, I would be there hands down, no questions asked, and typically with a squad of amazing women in tow who understood that my goal was for these young women to find value in themselves through positive life experiences.
As life would have it, the weight of the world took some of my girls away from me, from this earthly life, to their heavenly home, where they would feel no pain and have endless happy experiences. I vowed that no one would have died in vain, as I would take our experiences and create more for others to have, especially seeing the world as their oyster of endless possibilities. I miss my girls tremendously and not many days pass where I do not think of how they changed my life, probably more than they will ever believe.
Thank you for helping me help others experience the life changing happiness, first bestowed up on by my mother.
~Little by Little, you will be transformed~St. Mary Euphrasia
I am raising money to fund co-curricular activities for young women pursuing post-secondary education. When we go to college, there are experiences and leadership development opportunities that assist us in staying the course and building rich, impactful, and lasting relationships. There are countless scholarships that will assist in tuition, room and board, even books! Where are the scholarships that help students with co-curricular activitiy fees?! The Finer Ivy League Scholarships will be awarded to women pursuing co-curricular experiences; sorority initiation, study abroad, Miss (insert college/University), tech needs, dorm/apartment decor needs, groceries, personal hygiene, if you can think it is needed, we are trying to award dollars to support it.
Examples: Student needs a laptop-$500-$1000.00
Student wants to join a sorority-$1000-$2000.00
Student wants to travel abroad-$500-$2000.00
Student wants to compete in the Miss Black and Gold $250-$500.00
Student needs groceries/personal hygiene items-$100-250.00
Students wants to decorate her safe space-$250-$500.00
My goal is to award at least 5-10 co-curricular/student need based awards starting on 12/29/2021...my 41st birthday, a very special year in the life of my inspiration for this scholarship...its a long read but worth it!
I dreamed of this day, April 1st, 2021. My mother's birthday,in my 40th year of life, my mentoring/consulting business launch and thus the experiences to come, in memory of my mother, the late Deborah Jean Hawkins Burrell.
I lost my mother at a pivotal time in my life, the tender young age of 12. Her 40th year, was the last full year I had with her. She was the epitome of class, refinement, love, patience, resilience, understanding, and hope. Every life she touched her smile, laughter, hug, and even sometimes the stern words would breathe life back into a space that had been deflated.
My mother made it a priority to provide me with experiences that would ultimately mold and shape me, my life, and subsequently the lives around me. My mother took care of those who could not take care of themselves, not always physically, but most certainly emotionally and spiritually.
Fast forward to me and my girls. I ran a program for young ladies aging out of the foster care system. These young minds, spirits, and hearts had experienced practically everything but positive life altering experiences. Many had abandoned them, some hurt them, but the consistent thought they carried with them was that nobody would stick around or help them experience happiness. That changed the day they entered, “Ms B’s” life. The revelation of my life’s assignment, handed down to me by my mother, was to use my Finer connections to birth Ivy League experiences for those who either did not know they were available or could not afford them.
For my girls; we went on college tours (just like my parents did for me), we got glammed up, (just like my mama did for me; yep I was a Debutante), we went to nice restaurants, I have hosted baby showers, shown up for graduations, moved them into their first dorm room or apartment, you name the memory, I was there for it. They knew they could call on me and if I could, I would be there hands down, no questions asked, and typically with a squad of amazing women in tow who understood that my goal was for these young women to find value in themselves through positive life experiences.
As life would have it, the weight of the world took some of my girls away from me, from this earthly life, to their heavenly home, where they would feel no pain and have endless happy experiences. I vowed that no one would have died in vain, as I would take our experiences and create more for others to have, especially seeing the world as their oyster of endless possibilities. I miss my girls tremendously and not many days pass where I do not think of how they changed my life, probably more than they will ever believe.
Thank you for helping me help others experience the life changing happiness, first bestowed up on by my mother.
~Little by Little, you will be transformed~St. Mary Euphrasia
Organizer
DeShawn Burrell
Organizer
Louisville, KY