I come from a family of ten. My father is a refugee from Iraq, and my mother was born in the US. Neither have pursued higher education, and I’m the first child of theirs to graduate from high school (my older brother has his GED). My family is no stranger to financial struggle, and even paying bills has been difficult for us, so going to college has always been more of a dream than an expectation for me. Fortunately, I’ve enrolled in Westminster College, where I have previously taken classes, as a Computer Information Systems major. I took IT in high school as one of two female students enrolled in the entire program, so I have experience in a male-dominated field already. As of right now, I’m completely focused on my classes as Westminster, but I’d like to be able to experience college without the overwhelming financial stress of making large out of pocket payments or taking out loans. Instead of feeling like pursuing higher education was a burden placed upon me and my family, I’d like to graduate knowing that I was able to fulfill my academic goals. Overall, I’d like to learn as much as I can without any financial barriers holding me back!