My name is Jessica Whitaker. I am a driven young woman whose main goal is to get her degree. Who am I? Why am I special? - Overcoming adversities has become the story of my life. At the young age of 7 I lost my mother to leukemia. If this was not hard enough, two years later when I was 9 years old, my father suffered a massive stroke and passed away. Even though my sister and I have family members who love us, in a way, we are very much on our own. Today at the age of 20, I am an independent student with full financial need.



After graduating from Central High School of Philadelphia with the 270th graduating class, I was blessed to be admitted into Howard University. Unfortunately, my financial aid was not enough to cover my expenses. I have accumulated an outstanding balance of $13,688. Howard has dropped me from my classes, forbid me to register, removed me from my housing assignment, took my meal plan and forcibly purged me from the University. I was forced to sit out of school.



I deserve to go back to school. Not many people are willing to put up a fight for their education, but I deserve a chance. I actively volunteer my time to make the world a better place. I volunteer with Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, I provide meals to the homeless with We Feed The Homeless Philly, I have volunteered with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and I have worked to spread awareness for childhood cancer with Alex's Lemonade stand.



My dream is to graduate with a degree in Psychology/Human Development from Howard University. I want to work with children who have been through traumatic experiences. I need to finish my education so I can help young children who have been through circumstances similar to my own.



I need your help! I CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. Invest in me. Invest in the future. I can assure you that I will change the world one step at a time.



I am so determined to get back in school. I have been applying to as many scholarships as possible, but with the University withholding my transcripts, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I cannot get any loans because I do not have a creditworthy cosigner. Please consider helping in any way!



*100% of ALL donations will be paid to Howard University Student Accounts*



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