The I Believe Foundation is about helping Alternative Highschool students create a new beginning despite their past or circumstances they are in. Providing everyday necessities and offering a escape from a survival mindset giving them a opportunity to focus on their future.
I am starting the I Believe Foundation as scholarship growing it into a nonprofit Business. I decided to start this scholarship because I once was an alternative high school student with a struggled hardship past. When first starting the alternative high my only objective was to graduate high school. I never put any thought into my future or even collage for that matter I truthfully was more concerned about how I was going to survive my day to day life. Later, in the program I found out that I had to apply for college and scholarships to graduate the HSED program. When it came time to apply for it, I took it as a joke thinking no one would care about me, my future or my story. Funny thing is when graduation came, I received a scholarship from the president of NTC and that gave me an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and importance. Just from the simple fact that she believed in me despite what I had gone through. That is what I want to give to more students.
Last year I spoke to the alternative high school telling them my story the first question I asked them is “how many of you have been physically or mentally abused? and how many of you have parents that are drug addicts or alcoholics?” Sadly, every single hand was raised in the room of 30 students. I think it is important to bring awareness to the fact that these students have been through hardships that most people can’t even fathom and it’s hard to focus on school when you’re constantly in survival mode trying to figure out how you are going to live your day to day life. I want to give these students a sense of hope and help them with those expenses that a parent or caregiver is supposed to take care of. With things like paying for testing, clothes, school supplies, bus passes, gas cards or even groceries. I want to make it possible for the teachers at alternative high schools to apply for grants so they can purchase such things to help these students out. That way they can spend less time worrying about if they are going to eat or how they are going to get to school or work and focus on how they can accomplish their goals. I want each one of them to break the cycle of abuse and do better for themselves. I want them to know even though maybe no one at home cares about them or their future the community does, and I care about them and I believe in each one of them. Character built from hardships and they can use that to do good in this world and obtain their goals and dreams.
The I Believe Foundation is about giving a sense of hope and inspiration to students even if it seems impossible with their circumstances in their personal life. I believe in them even if they don’t believe in themselves, I believe they have the power to change this world for the better with their story, I believe they can accomplish their goals and dreams despite their past or their circumstances now.
