Help me go to Howard

When I was thirteen, I decided that I was going to plan my entire life.  I decided that I was going to become a psychiatrist, marry my high school sweetheart (whoever I thought he was at the time), have four kids (two biological and two adopted), get a golden retriever, and live in a two-story house with a white picket fence.  I realized that I would need to do some research on all of these plans, so on that summer day, I did.  First, I searched for pictures of houses and golden retrievers in Google images.  Then, I figured that I may need a college degree to become a psychiatrist, so I began a college search.  I looked for colleges with the best psychology programs.  I narrowed it a bit, to schools with good psychology programs that were also HBCUs.  That wasn't specific enough for me, so I added "the DC area" to my search because it the perfect distance from home, not too close, not too far.

That is how I found Howard.  I printed pages about the history of Howard, about requirements, and about tuition.  It was decided; Howard would be the University that I would attend.  I loved everything about it:  why it was established, what it strives to do, and how it impacts the community.  Howard is the Mecca, the most prestigious college in the country, in my eyes.  Howard was established in order to allow hope for the future of our culture.  Howard strives to disprove stereotypes, to educate minority youth, and to show the world that we can make a difference.

Days passed, then months, and eventually years had gone by without notice.  Those plans that I made changed.  I changed.  My career path was different (I now want to be a public school teacher) and by the time I was a junior in high school, I had forgotten almost all of the things I searched for that day.  I began touring colleges and while Howard remained in the back of my mind, it did not seem like an attainable goal.  Applying for college was my next step.  I decided that being close to home would be the easiest thing for me to do.  I consulted with my college counselor, she helped me with applications.  When I mentioned Howard, and how I felt that I wouldn't get in, she talked me into applying because (and I quote) "It can't hurt."  I applied but I had no idea that I would be accepted.

My acceptance letter to Howard was the first that I received.  I was ecstatic. I made it into my dream school. I received letters from other colleges and began debating on which college I would attend.  Most of the time, Howard was number one and after I toured the campus on Accepted Students Day I knew why.  If there was any doubt in my mind about where I would go to school, it was erased after that day. 

I committed to Howard on National Decision Day.  When I received my financial aid letter, I realized that I still needed a lot of money.  I called Howard multiple times to find funding but I could not find any.  So, I am asking you:  My friends, family, and maybe even strangers to please help me go to my dream school.  Please share this with as many people as you can. Thanks for reading, I hope you can help me make this happen.