(Photo: Alondra Carmona/GoFundMe)
Chicago — An Ivy League-bound high school senior from Texas is giving up her college saving to help keep her mother in her home.
Alondra Carmona, from Houston, found out last week that her mother lost her job three months ago after an ankle injury a year ago and the start of the pandemic last March made it increasingly difficult for her to work. Her mother is now two months behind on rent with a looming March eviction.
Using her college savings to pay rent meant that Carmona had to figure out how to pay for college, which led her to creating a GoFundMe account.
“My dreams came true on December 14th when I was accepted into the Ivy League women’s institution, Barnard College. I have worked tirelessly to look for programs and opportunities that my small school could not provide,” Carmona wrote on the fundraising page.
A 6-week cervical cancer research internship at Rice University solidified Carmona’s passion for STEM and research. She now wants to pursue a M.D./PhD.
“I would also like to add that I am tremendously grateful for the grant that Barnard has gifted me and the generosity of the many donors. I hope this can offset all the costs. Thank you so much! You have all made my dream come true!” she wrote Tuesday in an update.