Education is sold to us as a part of the american dream, but like everything else in this country there are endless borders and barriers. Whether it be grade school or college; navigating the american education system is exhausting. Beyond the gatekeeping of education, today’s society has conditioned our youth to accept the ‘struggle-lympics’. In other words, use our trauma as the measure of our worthiness. Divulging the emotional baggage we carry, the struggle, the pain, the generational curses, and the centuries worth of unbalanced scales. Overall, what we did to survive personal difficulties and systematic racism. As you get older it feels as though everything we do is at the cost of our sanity, simply for the entertainment of those in power. We should not have to sell our pain, our stories, or our lives for a chance to finally get a seat at the table. 

Besides  the hoops you are forced  to jump through in order to be accepted and receive the basic aid needed to acquire a higher education, you’re then attached to strings, otherwise known as student debt. Students work so hard everyday to accomplish goals in the face of adversity, just to then be pulled back into an endless amount of red tape. If you have ever had to call a financial aid office or undergone the painful  FAFSA application process, then you know how frustrating the encounter  can be. The work was supposed to stop once you made it to the finish line; but the truth is, the fight is only beginning. 

Everyday we see an ongoing need for mutual-aid all over the world. The Feeding Daygo Family is doing the  best they can to effectively  create change in San Diego. With that being said, we want to create  this scholarship fund  purely on a mutual-aid and small local donations framework. We believe the community stands stronger together and we aim to give everyone an equal opportunity to succeed. As schools begin to reopen, we want all students in our beloved city to know we believe in them and we are here to support them in any way possible!

In conclusion, we want to offer three students a scholarship of $500 cash each (tentative). They are allowed to spend the money on whatever they please. The purpose of this scholarship is to give everyone the accessibility to a brighter future. The only  requirements are the following: proof of San Diego, California residency, proof of school attendance or enrollment (any level), and the entry. 

For the entry portion of the scholarship we ask that students tell us what their favorite meal is and what it means to them. There are no specific demands; it can be in any shape or form such as a piece of art, a poem, or essay, whatever they feel will allow them to express it best. Feeding Daygo was founded on the principle of “everybody eats”. My favorite meal is Sunday pasta, made by my late grandfather Domenico Vanella. My number one supporter in everything I did, but especially school. He  is also the inspiration for Feeding Daygo. Therefore, we would like to honor him by creating this scholarship foundation in his name. 

When I think of my grandfather, so many of his amazing attributes come to mind. Aside from his ongoing lessons on the importance of taking care of your own, he always told me “ I don’t care what you believe in as long as you believe in something” I still remember the rants he went on as if they were just yesterday. He reiterated how grueling life can be at times so it is important to keep yourself inspired and optimistic, find something to believe in and let yourself express that. For that reason, this scholarship needs to be interpreted by each individual in their own unique way, within their own comfort zone. Do not let yourself feel boxed in and most importantly believe in yourself when creating your entry. 

As a first generation student, born and raised  in San Diego, I appreciate every opportunity and all of the support I have received on my journey towards pursuing a higher education. However, I would  love to do things a little differently.  I do  not want people to have to reveal or especially relive their traumas. That is why we did not want to create a complex prompt. It is unrealistic to expect a student at any level to find the time to fulfill all of these requirements while simultaneously trying to keep up with school. They aren’t applying for these scholarships because they need more work, they are asking for honest support.  I want to do things how I wish they were done for my grandfather; so he too could have attended college. This is only the first step in order to generate great change. Goodluck and thank you for your time!