If you’re like me, you have fond memories from graduating high school: prom, the cap and gown, the graduation ceremony, getting your diploma, and maybe even a senior trip where you celebrate the end of high school with your friends and see something new.
The Columbia Heights Educational Campus at 14th and Irving, which includes Bell Multicultural High School, is coming up on their graduation, and some students need a little help paying for their expenses. Senior class president Saba Amare more than 80% of seniors at Bell receive free or reduced lunch and receive other public benefits. That makes it hard for them to pay for all of the fees.
Felix Breedlove, an educational aide at the school, reached out to tell me about a fundraiser the senior class is holding to help students who need it pay for these expenses. It sounds like a great way to help local students get the full high school experience. Here’s the link to the fundraiser.
Here’s the note from Amare:
Hello,
We are the Senior Class Student Government representatives at Bell Multicultural High School, a public school in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington D.C. This year, our graduating class has been working tremendously, in order to raise enough money to decrease the cost of our senior fees of $300/per student. This total only accounts for the each students Cap and Gown, Graduation Announcements, Yearbook, 1-Prom Ticket, Senior Class T-Shirt, and a Senior lunch. This amount is extremely expensive, considering this total does not include the Senior Trip to New Jersey and New York, currently priced at $350/per person.
Although our Senior Class fees have decreased over the years through fundraisers, donations, and etc., we refuse to simply sit around and pout! Although, this looks perfect in our heads, unfortunately we are struggling economically, and thus apprehensive about the possibilities of graduating with this debt. More than 80% of students in the senior class receive free/reduced lunch and receive other public benefits. The economic instability of many of the students’ households further hinder the affordability of these fees.
As Student Government representatives, our job is to voice the concern of our peers and figure out solutions. That is why we are reaching out to people who are compelled to support us! School Bake sales are just not cutting the costs lower enough and considering we have to pay these fees by May 20th, we do not have much time!
Hopefully you can support the 211 students graduating this year, by your generous donations! Any amount is of service, as it accumulates, and inevitably makes a vast difference. On behalf of the Bell Multicultural Class of 2016, I would like to say THANK YOU in advance!
Best,
Senior Class President
Saba Amare
Here’s more from Felix:
The current senior class is in the process of arranging a fundraiser for those students who face certain financial limitations, so that they may have the opportunity to participate in the Senior Class Prom, graduation expenses and the Senior Class Trip to the NYC/NJ area. Please refer to the following website for more information: https://www.gofundme.com/griffins_2016
The fundraiser is for the entire senior class, which constitutes of 211-students. The fund-raiser shall cover expenses for those students who face financial difficulties and/or challenges.
