Close Lucy's tuition gap!

As many of you know, this fall I began my AmeriCorps service as a Community Organizer for the DREAM program. My role is to provide academic support for our youth in our Elm Street community in Winooski and I have had the pleasure to support Lucy Surma with her college application process. Over these last couple of months I have helped Lucy write her college essays, apply for scholarships, and navigate the college process. However, even with grants and scholarship awards, we are expecting that there will be a tuition gap including costs like books and student fees. Given the financial burden that taking out a student loan with have on Lucy and her family, DREAM would like to cover this tuition gap.

Lucy and her mentor, Hayley apple picking in 2008

Since 2007 Lucy has been a mentee in our mentoring program and has participated in our summer camp at Camp DREAM and our Winter Adventure Camp. She is also a participant in the UVM Trio Upward Bound which is a federally funded program that helps low income/first generation high school students prepare themselves for college. Lucy is also enrolled in the Community College of Vermont's Early College program and plans to study nursing. She is incredibly independent, hardworking, motivated, and a leader and role model in her community. I am always amazed by her maturity and am excited to see what the future has in store for her.

Lucy has currently been accepted to the University of Vermont, University of Connecticut, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Pace University, Saint Mike's College, and Castleton University.