College Tuition

Hi everybody! 

My name is Norma De la Rosa and I am 18 years old. I was born and raised in Cuernavaca, Morelos, México but moved to Los Angeles, CA two years ago. At age twelve I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease named Ulcerative Colitis. Most of the treatments we tried in Mexico did not help and we also didn’t have the financial stability to cover all the expensive treatments; therefore my mom and I decided to leave our life in Mexico and move to the States seeking better opportunities and a better treatment for my illness. It’s been a complicated journey but currently my illness is stable and a year ago I was able to finish high school and get into Whittier College in Whittier, CA. I did not know English when I first moved to the US but I tried my best and learned in a year (I am still learning, of course).

I am double majoring. The first major is a fusion of Chinese and Economics through a program Whittier College offers, and the second one is Pre-medicine. 

I am really working hard to graduate and help my mom with our expenses but due to the fact that I am undocumented it has been extremely hard. Yes, I can go to school but I cannot receive any federal financial aid. I have two scholarships which cover more than half of my tuition but it is not enough. Also, getting a scholarship as an undocumented student is extremely hard. Most private scholarships require the student to be at least a DACA recipient (which I am not). However, I must add that I am in the process of obtaining my permanent residency but it takes a long time. I do not want to leave Whittier College because I already got into the special program they offer in order to create my own fusion of majors. I also volunteer at the Office of Equity and Inclusion at Whittier College where we offer students from all different backgrounds a safe space and we also create dialogues and other different events to promote equality and raise awareness about social issues. This is my home. Throughout this summer the Associate Dean of Students, the Director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Director of the Counseling Center and myself submitted a proposal to innovate our campus by implementing a course to engage our students from marginalized identities with mental health, mental health resources, and fight the stigma surrounding mental health in marginalized communities. I am extremely exited about all the plans and opportunities I have for this upcoming semester, and I would truly be heartbroken to lose them due to my immigration status and all the problems it brings. 

I have worked really hard to be where I am. I have a lot of dreams and I am determined to accomplish them, but I need your help.

I need 12,000 dollars in order to cover the remaining amount of my tuition, so whatever you can give truly helps. I need to pay this by September 20th, 2019. Thank you so much for your support. If you cannot donate, please share this. It would help enormously. I’ll be forever grateful. Thank you so much.

Love, 

Norma De la Rosa