Abigail's Tuition Gap
Donation protected
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Abigail Covington. I am a recent graduate of the Madeira School Class of 2015 and incoming freshman at Syracuse University. Right now, I am asking for your support for a gap in my tuition. Even if you cannot afford to give anything just give my story a read and maybe you can pass this on to someone who could help.
So let’s go to the beginning. In Januar,y I was accepted to Syracuse. My goal: become a broadcast journalist. (Think if Soledad O’Brien mixed with Anderson Cooper and eventually flourished into an Oprah like figure...just trying to give you a picture here.) Anyway, I want to use my platform as a broadcast journalist to reach back into my community and pull up other young women of color who see their vision but need assistance getting there. Syracuse is going to provide me that opportunity. I was blessed that my financial aid worked out the way it did. However, there is still a gap between what I have been asked to pay and how much I currently have. Thus, this crowdfunding adventure that I am currently on.
Now, you might be saying that the amount I am asking for is not that large of a gap. However, with my current situation it is not an easy one to fill.
Since fifth grade my mother has been the provider for my household. She has done everything she can possibly do to provide for my family. Last September my mother went in for a lung biopsy and was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. This put a large strain on my family. During the time of her diagnosis, I was away at school. For those of you who may not know Madeira is a boarding and day school in Northern Virginia. This meant that I was not able to see her on a daily basis. (I was a boarder on scholarship, I wasn’t going anywhere other than class.) So I called my mom every day to constantly check on her. It’s safe to say her health condition had me stressed out. My hair was breaking off and I found it hard to concentrate on simple tasks. All the while, I was trying to finish my college applications. However, I pushed on in my studies and had a perfect academic year. One of the things that I’ll always be grateful for is that my mother never made me pull out of school. She continued to motivate me to stay there. She could have easily told me it was too much of a strain and to pull out to go to public school for free. Yet, she never even mentioned it. She has continued to be a source of inspiration and motivation for me.
My mother has been on sick leave since December and it has been a challenge to keep things moving fluidly in our household. I have an older brother who is a rising college junior. He and I both depend on my mother’s financial support to help pay for our school costs. With her current health condition keeping her at home, my mother is obviously not able to make ends meet as much now as she used to be able to. Since her diagnosis we have moved into a one-bedroom apartment that is cramped, as you could probably imagine. Even with the lack of space, my mom has tried to make us feel as comfortable as possible. All while, continuing to power through her chemotherapy treatments and massive amounts of medical bills.
Two days after my graduation my mom was taken to the hospital because of swelling in her kidney. We found out that her cancer had created a tumor that was pressing against her kidney and causing it to swell. This was of course an added stress on our family and made things even more difficult because now that it was summer there were new pressures about college preparations and last payments to the universities. With a nephrostomy tube (an exterior catheter used for the kidney to drain), her mobility became impaired. Now it is hard for her to walk long distances for long periods of time. The tube also must be cleaned and maintained. So I learned how to flush it and make sure that it is in optimal condition.
Consequently, my brother and I are now taking care of the woman who has always taken care of us and it is really hard. I’m not going to lie, it’s HARD. But, what I will say, is that it gives me a greater respect and admiration for her every day. By contributing to this fund you are helping me alleviate stress from myself. But more importantly you’re helping me lift a weight off of my mother who has been carrying the financial burden of my family for years.
I greatly appreciate any and all donations and I hope you are all blessed richly. Thank you so much!
-Abigail
So let’s go to the beginning. In Januar,y I was accepted to Syracuse. My goal: become a broadcast journalist. (Think if Soledad O’Brien mixed with Anderson Cooper and eventually flourished into an Oprah like figure...just trying to give you a picture here.) Anyway, I want to use my platform as a broadcast journalist to reach back into my community and pull up other young women of color who see their vision but need assistance getting there. Syracuse is going to provide me that opportunity. I was blessed that my financial aid worked out the way it did. However, there is still a gap between what I have been asked to pay and how much I currently have. Thus, this crowdfunding adventure that I am currently on.
Now, you might be saying that the amount I am asking for is not that large of a gap. However, with my current situation it is not an easy one to fill.
Since fifth grade my mother has been the provider for my household. She has done everything she can possibly do to provide for my family. Last September my mother went in for a lung biopsy and was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. This put a large strain on my family. During the time of her diagnosis, I was away at school. For those of you who may not know Madeira is a boarding and day school in Northern Virginia. This meant that I was not able to see her on a daily basis. (I was a boarder on scholarship, I wasn’t going anywhere other than class.) So I called my mom every day to constantly check on her. It’s safe to say her health condition had me stressed out. My hair was breaking off and I found it hard to concentrate on simple tasks. All the while, I was trying to finish my college applications. However, I pushed on in my studies and had a perfect academic year. One of the things that I’ll always be grateful for is that my mother never made me pull out of school. She continued to motivate me to stay there. She could have easily told me it was too much of a strain and to pull out to go to public school for free. Yet, she never even mentioned it. She has continued to be a source of inspiration and motivation for me.
My mother has been on sick leave since December and it has been a challenge to keep things moving fluidly in our household. I have an older brother who is a rising college junior. He and I both depend on my mother’s financial support to help pay for our school costs. With her current health condition keeping her at home, my mother is obviously not able to make ends meet as much now as she used to be able to. Since her diagnosis we have moved into a one-bedroom apartment that is cramped, as you could probably imagine. Even with the lack of space, my mom has tried to make us feel as comfortable as possible. All while, continuing to power through her chemotherapy treatments and massive amounts of medical bills.
Two days after my graduation my mom was taken to the hospital because of swelling in her kidney. We found out that her cancer had created a tumor that was pressing against her kidney and causing it to swell. This was of course an added stress on our family and made things even more difficult because now that it was summer there were new pressures about college preparations and last payments to the universities. With a nephrostomy tube (an exterior catheter used for the kidney to drain), her mobility became impaired. Now it is hard for her to walk long distances for long periods of time. The tube also must be cleaned and maintained. So I learned how to flush it and make sure that it is in optimal condition.
Consequently, my brother and I are now taking care of the woman who has always taken care of us and it is really hard. I’m not going to lie, it’s HARD. But, what I will say, is that it gives me a greater respect and admiration for her every day. By contributing to this fund you are helping me alleviate stress from myself. But more importantly you’re helping me lift a weight off of my mother who has been carrying the financial burden of my family for years.
I greatly appreciate any and all donations and I hope you are all blessed richly. Thank you so much!
-Abigail
Organizer and beneficiary
Abby Covington
Organizer
Bowie, MD
Dedria Covington
Beneficiary