Hi everyone! I’m Alyssa and I’m a second-year dental student at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. My road to becoming a dentist has been no easy path. Upon completing my very first set of exams in December 2019, I was deregistered due to an inability to provide the funds needed to pay for my first semester. If it had not been for my mother doing all that she could to help me, I would have had to take leave of absence.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attaining the fees have been even more difficult. I have reached out to other family members who have tried to assist me. I have also sought out other means of assistance by writing letters to corporations and scholarship funds which typically depended on donations were hit hard and did not accept any applications last year. As such, I am reaching out to everyone, in hopes that someone out there will see my plea and come to my aid.
Pursuing Dentistry has been a long-time dream of mine. As a child, I had my own insecurities with my smile and wanted to ensure that when I grew up, I could help other children. However, as I got older and became more aware of the issues in the dental field, my dream became bolstered by a need to ensure that all Jamaicans can have access to the proper dental care that they deserve. My goal is to play my part in improving the structure of Jamaican dental care so that under-represented individuals can be better served.
The total amount I need to complete my current academic year is $15,000 USD which would cover all my tuition costs. Dental school, thus far, has been challenging but extremely rewarding. I feel closer to my dream each day, however, due to the enormous financial challenges, I sometimes worry that I will not be able to make it to the end. I assure you, providing this support will not only be an investment in me, but an investment in the people of Jamaica, from the patients I will impact, the communities I will serve and the future generations of dental students that I will do my part to support and mentor.
If anyone sees this and is willing to donate, you can find the link to my fundraiser below, it would mean the world to me as no amount is too small and all bring me one step closer to my dream. If you’re unable to donate, I will be immensely grateful for every single reblog and share, thank you all so much.
