The Costly Road To Graduation
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Dear family, friends and contributors,
Thank you for clicking and sharing this link. My name is Daiquan Nigel Sadiq Bradford, but my friends and colleagues call me Sadiq.
Back in August of 2012, I ventured from my hometown Boston, MA (Roxbury) in pursuit of a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science at a HBCU (Historically Black College or University) the renowned Morehouse College. As a first generation college student from the inner city I know first hand the difficultly and the humility it takes to ask for help. In fact, it is the very reason (despite the cost of attendance at Morehouse College) I became a part of the class of 2016.
My experience at Morehouse College has been like a dream; there is no other institution I would have chosen if I had the chance to do it all over. My freshman year was undoubtedly the toughest year financially. I took out nearly $25,000 in loans in order to finance my education with the belief this was an investment. During my sophomore year I became a Bonner Scholar, a program dedicated to community service and civic engagement for positively impacting the community at large. This program was a vehicle for me to get involved in multiple capacities in Atlanta similar to my experiences as youth community organizer in Boston all while financing my education.
With that being said, I have reached my senior year at Morehouse College. Unfortunately, though, even with the Bonner Scholarship I received last fall, Morehouse College's Financial Aid administration explained that I have a $4,000 balance. I have done my absolute best to asses and resolve the matter myself, all while figuring out tentative post-grad plans, preparing for the LSAT, honoring my commitment to community service hours for the Bonner Scholars program, and finishing up what has become the most trying semester for me academically. Candidly, I did not believe I would even be able to enroll this spring semester or apply for graduation, considering this burdensome balance.
I was able to enroll for my last semester of undergrad as well as successfully apply for graduation. I have continued to advocate for myself, but was told there was no way around this balance. The fact is, my aid for the year is at its maximum of $47,952.00 so I cannot receive any additional scholarships. I have exhausted all of my options and as graduation approaches, and it is growing to be a difficult semester for me mentally, emotionally and spiritually, fighting this battle alone. In high school, I learned about the power in numbers as a tool for advocacy. Therefore, I am humbly requesting your help, your contribution and your sharing power in order to help me graduate so that I can begin this journey as an advocate for others.
Again, family, friends, and contributors, thank you for taking to the time to read through my story. I never thought I would have to use this platform, but any amount contributions will be directed to defraying my balance at Morehouse College.
With much thanks,
Sadiq
Thank you for clicking and sharing this link. My name is Daiquan Nigel Sadiq Bradford, but my friends and colleagues call me Sadiq.
Back in August of 2012, I ventured from my hometown Boston, MA (Roxbury) in pursuit of a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science at a HBCU (Historically Black College or University) the renowned Morehouse College. As a first generation college student from the inner city I know first hand the difficultly and the humility it takes to ask for help. In fact, it is the very reason (despite the cost of attendance at Morehouse College) I became a part of the class of 2016.
My experience at Morehouse College has been like a dream; there is no other institution I would have chosen if I had the chance to do it all over. My freshman year was undoubtedly the toughest year financially. I took out nearly $25,000 in loans in order to finance my education with the belief this was an investment. During my sophomore year I became a Bonner Scholar, a program dedicated to community service and civic engagement for positively impacting the community at large. This program was a vehicle for me to get involved in multiple capacities in Atlanta similar to my experiences as youth community organizer in Boston all while financing my education.
With that being said, I have reached my senior year at Morehouse College. Unfortunately, though, even with the Bonner Scholarship I received last fall, Morehouse College's Financial Aid administration explained that I have a $4,000 balance. I have done my absolute best to asses and resolve the matter myself, all while figuring out tentative post-grad plans, preparing for the LSAT, honoring my commitment to community service hours for the Bonner Scholars program, and finishing up what has become the most trying semester for me academically. Candidly, I did not believe I would even be able to enroll this spring semester or apply for graduation, considering this burdensome balance.
I was able to enroll for my last semester of undergrad as well as successfully apply for graduation. I have continued to advocate for myself, but was told there was no way around this balance. The fact is, my aid for the year is at its maximum of $47,952.00 so I cannot receive any additional scholarships. I have exhausted all of my options and as graduation approaches, and it is growing to be a difficult semester for me mentally, emotionally and spiritually, fighting this battle alone. In high school, I learned about the power in numbers as a tool for advocacy. Therefore, I am humbly requesting your help, your contribution and your sharing power in order to help me graduate so that I can begin this journey as an advocate for others.
Again, family, friends, and contributors, thank you for taking to the time to read through my story. I never thought I would have to use this platform, but any amount contributions will be directed to defraying my balance at Morehouse College.
With much thanks,
Sadiq
Organizer
Sadiq Bradford
Organizer
Atlanta, GA