5 May

Star Of The Day: A Happy Folasade Tijan Digests A Landmark Week In Her Life And Gives Thanks. She’s Going To The College She Chose After All

by Jon Katz

I spent an hour with Folosade today; I wanted to post her smiling face; I’ll write more about the talk over the weekend. She wrote me the most gracious now and handed it to me today: “Thank you for all the things you have done for me. Without you, I would not be able to live on campus. I am forever grateful.” She asked to thank all the good people who donated money so this could happen.

I’ve known Folalslade Tijan for four or five years; we helped raise tuition for Bishop Maginn and Bishop Gibbons for her and her brother and worked to help her raise the money she needs to live in the college she wants to go to. A lot of people worked hard to make that happen.

Sienna College is not far, but It is a three-and-a-half-hour bus ride from her home each way, and her family couldn’t pay the fees for room and board (the college awarded her a full scholarship. She could never have gone there without living on the campus. For much of the year, she thought it was hopeless.

She is notoriously quiet and shy; I never saw a smile on her like the one I saw today. Sue Silverstein has been with her every step of the way in her struggle to get to Siena College, which has a strong pre-med program.

She plans to be a pediatrician so she can help children and “do good in the world.” I had a long talk with her and want to write about it, but it’s too late tonight; it was a long day. I’ll write about it over the weekend and also on Monday.

Donors gave Sienna money to cover tuition and also room and board fees. I’m working to raise some money for personal expenses – clothes, laundry, textbooks, and hopefully, for occasional entertainment. She loves music. It keeps her calm and is a passion. Folasade has been anxious about going to college, but more and more, she is happy and excited, and eager to get there.

It was wonderful to raise the tuition for her, but it was also wonderful to give her a college life as well. She deserves it.

Thanks for supporting Folasade; she fought long and hard to make this happen and deserves every dollar of support.

Anyone who wishes to support the personal expense campaign can do so via Paypal, [email protected] or Venmo, Jon-Katz-Jon-Katz-13, or by check, Jon Katz, Folasade Expenses Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, New York, 12816. We are almost halfway there.

I’ll be writing more about this this weekend.

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