Send Vanessa Warri to UCLA!

We're Sending Off Vanessa Warri to UCLA and We Need Your Help! 

Higher education and access to it is often an intense obstacle course for transgender women of color living at the intersections of being transgender, being Black, being a woman, and living in poverty. Vanessa Warri has proven to so many of us in transgender community and beyond, that sheer will and determination and the dare to dream can be a transformative experience! 



At 27 years old, she is embarking on a new journey that she truly deserves to celebrate: Completing a baccalaureate degree from a top tier institution, and one of the premier institutions of higher learning for her academic discipline, in the world. 

Here's Where You Can Support: 

College is expensive. Relocating is expensive. Settling into a comfortable habitat with minimal stress- PRICELESS :) 

Here's a snapshot of projected expenses: 

Housing: 
Vanessa has received a scholarship for ongoing housing costs, however, she will need approximately $2,000 of her own resources for housing deposit. (First month's rent & Deposit that is double the rent is typical in California). 

Vanessa will also need resources to make a room or studio apartment a home! Thinking of all the essentials (a comforter, pillows, a mattress, a blender, a microwave, plates, a bathroom rug, purchasing internet modem, etc) we anticipate she will need approximately $4,000 to settle in to a new space. Hello IKEA! :) 


Books & Supplies: 
Vanessa has received a generous scholarship towards her Books, Fees, and Registration fees! In addition, she still needs a remainder of $1,500 towards her textbooks, and incidentals that come with schooling (notebooks, pens, refurbished printer, printer ink, highlighter pens, printing at the school library, etc). 

Incidentals: 
We're thinking of the incidentals that come with going to college in a new city that often don't cross our minds. Bus passes to get to/from school, carpooling coins, and FOOD for the refrigerator and freezer! :-) She has initial support from her chosen family and trans sisters who will be supporting her in her move to SoCal, but any additional resources towards this always helps. We anticipate $500+ for this area towards quality of life while studying. 


More About Vanessa Warri: 

In May 2018, Vanessa graduated City College of San Francisco with 4 Associate's Degrees and with HIGH HONORS (3.8 GPA). 

She is recipient of the POINT FOUNDATION "POINT SCHOLARS" scholarship for Fall 2018! 

LINK: Vanessa Warri, POINT SCHOLAR




In her Public service efforts, here's a snapshot of some of her impactful efforts: 

*She has worked with numerous projects, such as The St. James Infirmary, Lavender Youth Resource & Information Center (LYRIC), TRANS: THRIVE, and GLITZ INC to promote the wellbeing of queer and trans youth of color, and youth engaging in the sex trades. 

*She has worked with the University of California, San Francisco's Center for Excellence in Transgender Health to facilitate research that prioritizes the health and safety of transgender women of color.

*She has worked with the San Francisco County Jail- Dept of Corrections and Adult Probation Department in providing support services for trans women who are incarcerated, and advocated for equitable access to GED and education workshops that are culturally competent for trans people. 

*She co-founded TAJA's COALITION (Transgender Advocates for Justice & Accountability Coalition) upon the gruesome murder of transgender community member, TAJA DE JESUS. TAJA's COALITION grew to become a coalition of 16 SF BAY AREA trans-serving nonprofits committed to eradicating violence against trans people. 


*For the last 10 years, she has dedicated her work towards the advancement of transgender women of color, raising awareness on the intersectional experiences of Black and Brown transgender women (such as sex work, homelessness, incarceration, poverty, marginalization, discrimination and more). 


*She served as a Mayoral-appointed San Francisco Youth Commissioner from 2012-2013- raising awareness on policy issues for trans and queer youth, bullying, and implicit bias in elementary schools. 

..... and so much more! 



Vanessa's Bio: 

Vanessa Warri is a transgender Nigerian-American researcher, strategist, and advocate, committed to the liberation, empowerment, and safety of Black transgender women, and marginalized communities existing at various intersections of oppression. Born the only child of devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, Vanessa constantly found herself torn between what she was being taught and what she felt and in 2004 she ran away from home at the age of 14. From foster care to homelessness on the streets of San Francisco, Vanessa faced challenges that helped educate her about the harsh realities disproportionately affecting Queer and Trans people of color. These experiences informed the development of her personal mission: to heal fractured and forgotten communities by advocating for their needs and conducting research to inform public policies that improve quality of life for disenfranchised communities. For 11 years she has provided empowerment based direct services and education for transgender communities and LGBTQQIA+ youth. As a research associate with the UCSF Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, she focuses on health-based intervention development designed to facilitate behavior change toward health care engagement. Vanessa is also involved in collaboration with Gays & Lesbians Living in Transgender Society Inc. in New York, supporting with advocacy against SESTA/FOSTA, and developing national rapid responses to anticipate and address the challenges and dangers this legislation will have on transgender women of color. Vanessa hopes to be able to support younger transgender women of color in their educational attainments by creating initiatives that center transgender women in research about them.




THANK YOU FOR HELPING US MAKE HER DREAMS COME TRUE!