My URL: http://www.microgiving.com/profile/226151 Offline |
Member Since: 10/14/08 | Login Count: 83 | Profile Views: 2397 | Last Login: 08/25/09
Biography
I am a college student at The University of Texas at Austin, currently in my third year of studying Social Work. My main goal in life is to help others, and I feel that through Social Work, volunteering, and raising awareness on important issues, I am able to make a huge impact on the world around me.I joined MicroGiving to try and raise money for my college and living expenses. A little over a year ago, my mother and adopted father disowned me because I contacted my birth father and they felt this was very wrong of me to do. I have come a long way since then, and have worked very hard to get to where I am today; however, I am still falling very short when it comes to paying for my tuition, my living expenses, and my bills. I am currently taking 13 hours of classes (a full-time student), working 20 hours a week as a YMCA afterschool counselor, and looking for a second job. I enjoy volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club of Austin, Salvation Army, and Ronald McDonald House, and am very active in Invisible Children, Falling Whistles, and my co-ed service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega.I am really hoping to finish school and get my degree; however, because I am already several thousand dollars in debt from education loans, I'm not sure how much more I am able to handle, and I am really worried that I will not be able to complete my eduction. I really want to help others, and I usually don't ask for help. But, in this case, I really need financial assistance so that I may continue my education, and fulfill my dream of opening up my own non-profit organization to help people around the world.Thank you for reading, and I hope that all your dreams come true.The quote I live by:"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Gandhi
My Purpose
I'm here to try and raise money to help me pay for my college education, and my living expenses. I've been struggling with my bills for a while now, and I am currently working twenty hours a week and going to school full time. I am also looking for a second job to earn more money and help better my financial situation.
My Interests
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Getting To Know Me
My Family
Mother :Melody
Father: Tom and David
Brother(s): Herbie
Sister(s): Shelbi and Mandy
Other important people in my life.
Name :Gene
Relationship: Grandfather
Recent changes in my life : -Was disowned by my mother and adoptive father for contacting my birth father.-I live in Austin, away from all my family, so that I can attend college.-Because of the disowning, I was left with virtually nothing and was forced to take out many many loans in order to survive.-My grandmother recently died of Multiple Myeloma (cancer) and has left me feeling depressed most of the time.
Favorite board game Monopoly and Scrabble
What is most important thing in your life? My goals. I have so many, and they are the only thing that keeps me going.
Pick five words that describe yourself : Passionate, Caring, Humorous, Giving, Loving
Can you juggle ? No
What is your favorite day? Any day that I can just relax and not worry about school or work. Like taking a bubble bath and read
What is your favorite season? Winter. I love Texas weather because I can still wear shorts a lot of the time, and I would much rat
What is your favorite meal? I love sushi, and would eat it all of the time if I could afford it!
What time do you wake up in the morning? On school days, 6:30. On days that I am working, 9:00 to do homework before going to work.
If you could have one super power, what would it be? To give everyone everything they need. That way no one would go hungry...
Comedy or Horror? Horror
If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be? I would put a house near the country, perhaps on a lake. But I would still want it to be close enoug
What is your greatest ambition? Helping others is my greatest ambition. I want to do everything I can to make an impact on the world
Who is the person from you past you wish you could go back and talk to? I would love to have one more day with my grandmother (who recently died from cancer).
What characteristics do you think you've inherited from your parents? I'm hard headed, and very driven.
What do you never leave home without? My cell phone, my license, and a hair tie.
Who would you most like to meet? John Lennon, Mahatma Gandhi
If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? I would pay off my debts, then donate the rest to charities.
What is the most embarrassing thing youve ever done? I once had Sunkist come out of my nose during lunch in middle school. A friend made me laugh way too much!
Hobbies and Talents : I have always been involved in several organizations.Currently:Invisible Children- raising money and awareness to children in Africa who were forced to become child soldiers in an ongoing 23 year war.Falling Whistles- an organization devoted to providing art therapy for those children affected by the war in Congo, Africa. Those children who were too small to carry weapons were given a whistle and sent to the front lines. Their job was to creat as much noise as they could. Unfortunately, they were slaughtered because they did not have any protection.Ronald McDonald House- this house is for people who have children in the hospital, and have to stay near the hospital for an extended amount of time. I volunteer at the house and provide comfort to the patients and their families.Boys & Girls Club- this is an afterschool program that provides children with a positive environment, instead of hanging out on the streets. I run the art room, and teach the children to do different art projects.Alpha Phi Omega- a co-ed service fraternity. I am an active member, and do various service projects both on campus and in the community. We also run the nations largest blood drive every semester.In the past:Circle of Friends- an organization that bridged the gap between the developmental students and the students in the general population in high school. I spent every spare moment in the classrooms, and spent time with the students. This is by far my best memory of high school.Student Council- a student government that helped to provide a way for the general student population to speak with the school administrators.Junior Classical League- also known as Latin Club. This was a way for me to extend my knowledge of the Latin language to others, and participate in state-wide contests.Future Business Leaders of America-an organization to prepare students for business professions. I was very involved in this organization, and went to a great deal of conferences in order to learn various business tactics and improve my skills.National Honor Society-an organization for students with exceptional grades and that show the ability to improve the world around them.Varsity Golf-my high school sports team. I was the Captain for two years, and was the number one girl on the team for the last two years.Habitat for Humanity-an organization that builds houses for the needy. I participated in several building projects, and also could be found running the first-aid table.In most of my organizations, I have been President for at least one year. If I was not President at the time, I was holding another office such as Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer.
List achievements and any future educational plans : -I graduated in the top 5% of my high school class of 743.-I have been attending the University of Texas at Ausitn.-I am studying Social Work, and plan on obtaining my Masters degree before stopping my college education.-In the future, I would like to open my own non-profit organization and have it help people around the world.
Looking Up!I'm doing decently well lately! I'm finally able to pay most of my bills on time, and keep food in the pantry :)
I very much appreciate donations from the amazing people who participate in MicroGiving. It has greatly bettered my life, and has allowed me to be a bit more self-sufficient!
Description: I am a college student at the University of Texas at Austin. A little over a year ago I
was disowned by my mother and adopted father because I contacted my birth father. This
left me with $15 to my name, and $1,000 that was still owed to the university to finish
out that semester. The worst part about it was that I was to be out of the dorm in two
weeks, and was told by my mother that I was not welcome at her house anymore.I found an
apartment and started working as much as I could. The apartment was very cheap, and in a
bad neighborhood, but it was all I could afford. I worked close to 40 hours a week while
attending school full time. This has been the single worst experience of my life. I had no
family to talk to, and no one to rely on but myself. At 18, that was a lot to handle. I
took out numerous loans to pay my tuition, and just to get by. It seemed that no matter
how much I worked, I was still falling short and was behind on all of my bills.
My progress: Since the initial disowning, I have worked my way up from having nothing to having my
basic needs met. I am still full time at school, and am working at the YMCA as an
afterschool counselor. Unfortunately, because I am at school all day on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, I am unable to work at the YMCA full-time. Therefore, I am currently looking
for a second job so that I may be able to pay all of my bills and not have to worry about
money, so I can better focus on school.I know have an apartment in a nicer neighborhood
and feel safe going outside by myself. However, with the safety, comes higher rent and a
farther drive to campus. I am truly working hard to cover everything myself; however, I
know that I need help so that I can focus more on school and finish my degree (so that I
can fulfill my goal of helping others in the future).
This is a long term need assistance request for 1 adults
My message:I am working very hard on keeping my head above water, and would greatly appreciate any type of help that I am given. I have emailed all the requested documents to the support email, and have uploaded them on the site as well. Thank you for your consideration.
Supporting Documentation: Paige has the following documentation
Do you qualify for any additional help?: I qualify for loans from various banks. They are usually $2,000 a piece. Some are subsidized (which means that the government pays the interest on them until I graduate or drop out of school) and others are unsubsidized (which means the interest starts accruing immediately. I have taken out both of these types of loans in order to pay for tuition and bills.
What local/other agencies have you contacted?: here are a lot of local agencies here in Austin, but most of them are geared towards the homeless, or people on welfare. Unfortunately, I do not believe that I am qualified to receive aid from these institutions.
Did you get denial letters? (if so are they attached to your request?): I have not gotten any denial letters.
What other sources of income do you or your family receive?: I do not have any other source of income other than my job and my education loans.
Progress:
$ (2%)
Still needed: $4899.58
Request was active: 101 days
Request created: Oct 16th, 2008 | Request views: N/A | Request modified 1 time(s) | Last modified: Oct 16th, 2008
Basic Needs
Disabled
October 16, 2008
Personal Fundraiser
Basic Needs
Description: I am a college student at the University of Texas at Austin. A little over a year ago I
was disowned by my mother and adopted father because I contacted my birth father. This
left me with $15 to my name, and $1,000 that was still owed to the university to finish
out that semester. The worst part about it was that I was to be out of the dorm in two
weeks, and was told by my mother that I was not welcome at her house anymore.I found an
apartment and started working as much as I could. The apartment was very cheap, and in a
bad neighborhood, but it was all I could afford. I worked close to 40 hours a week while
attending school full time. This has been the single worst experience of my life. I had no
family to talk to, and no one to rely on but myself. At 18, that was a lot to handle. I
took out numerous loans to pay my tuition, and just to get by. It seemed that no matter
how much I worked, I was still falling short and was behind on all of my bills.
My progress: Since the initial disowning, I have worked my way up from having nothing to having my
basic needs met. I am still full time at school, and am working at the YMCA as an
afterschool counselor. Unfortunately, because I am at school all day on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, I am unable to work at the YMCA full-time. Therefore, I am currently looking
for a second job so that I may be able to pay all of my bills and not have to worry about
money, so I can better focus on school.I know have an apartment in a nicer neighborhood
and feel safe going outside by myself. However, with the safety, comes higher rent and a
farther drive to campus. I am truly working hard to cover everything myself; however, I
know that I need help so that I can focus more on school and finish my degree (so that I
can fulfill my goal of helping others in the future).
This is a long term need assistance request for 1 adults
My message:I am working very hard on keeping my head above water, and would greatly appreciate any type of help that I am given. I have emailed all the requested documents to the support email (for the second time), and have uploaded them on the site as well (for the third time. Thank you for your consideration.
Supporting Documentation: Paige has the following documentation
Do you qualify for any additional help?: I qualify for loans from various banks. They are usually $2,000 a piece. Some are subsidized (which means that the government pays the interest on them until I graduate or drop out of school) and others are unsubsidized (which means the interest starts accruing immediately. I have taken out both of these types of loans in order to pay for tuition and bills.
What local/other agencies have you contacted?: There are a lot of local agencies here in Austin, but most of them are geared towards the homeless, or people on welfare. Unfortunately, I do not believe that I am qualified to receive aid from these institutions.
Did you get denial letters? (if so are they attached to your request?): I have not gotten any denial letters.
What other sources of income do you or your family receive?: I do not have any other source of income other than my job and my education loans.
Progress:
$ (1%)
Still needed: $4975
Request was active: 101 days
Request created: Oct 16th, 2008 | Request views: N/A | Request modified 1 time(s) | Last modified: Oct 16th, 2008
Basic Needs
Rejected
October 16, 2008
Personal Fundraiser
Basic Needs
Expense
Description: I am a college student at the University of Texas at Austin. A little over a year ago I
was disowned by my mother and adopted father because I contacted my birth father. This
left me with $15 to my name, and $1,000 that was still owed to the university to finish
out that semester. The worst part about it was that I was to be out of the dorm in two
weeks, and was told by my mother that I was not welcome at her house anymore.I found an
apartment and started working as much as I could. The apartment was very cheap, and in a
bad neighborhood, but it was all I could afford. I worked close to 40 hours a week while
attending school full time. This has been the single worst experience of my life. I had no
family to talk to, and no one to rely on but myself. At 18, that was a lot to handle. I
took out numerous loans to pay my tuition, and just to get by. It seemed that no matter
how much I worked, I was still falling short and was behind on all of my bills.
My progress: Since the initial disowning, I have worked my way up from having nothing to having my
basic needs met. I am still full time at school, and am working at the YMCA as an
afterschool counselor. Unfortunately, because I am at school all day on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, I am unable to work at the YMCA full-time. Therefore, I am currently looking
for a second job so that I may be able to pay all of my bills and not have to worry about
money, so I can better focus on school.I know have an apartment in a nicer neighborhood
and feel safe going outside by myself. However, with the safety, comes higher rent and a
farther drive to campus. I am truly working hard to cover everything myself; however, I
know that I need help so that I can focus more on school and finish my degree (so that I
can fulfill my goal of helping others in the future).
This is a long term need assistance request for 1 adults
My message:I am working very hard on keeping my head above water, and would greatly appreciate any type of help that I am given. Please let me know if there are any other documents that might be needed, and I will do my best to get them on here. Thank you for your consideration.
Supporting Documentation: Paige has the following documentation
Do you qualify for any additional help?: I qualify for loans from various banks. They are usually $2,000 a piece. Some are subsidized (which means that the government pays the interest on them until I graduate or drop out of school) and others are unsubsidized (which means the interest starts accruing immediately. I have taken out both of these types of loans in order to pay for tuition and bills.
What local/other agencies have you contacted?: There are a lot of local agencies here in Austin, but most of them are geared towards the homeless, or people on welfare. Unfortunately, I do not believe that I am qualified to receive aid from these institutions.
Did you get denial letters? (if so are they attached to your request?): I have not gotten any denial letters.
What other sources of income do you or your family receive?: I do not have any other source of income other than my job and my education loans.
Progress:
$ (0%)
Still needed: $5000
Request was active: 521 days
Request created: Oct 16th, 2008 | Request views: N/A | Request modified 2 time(s) | Last modified: Oct 16th, 2008
Offline |
Member Since: 10/14/08 | Login Count: 83 | Profile Views: 2397 | Last Login: 08/25/09 
