My name is Jennifer. This past spring was my first semester back in law school after taking one year off to receive cancer treatment. After about a year and a half of trying to be diagnosed in December 2008, I was finally diagnosed with stage 1, grade 2 invasive papillary carcinoma of the breast. During that year and a half, I tried to keep going. I was flying back and forth from school in Washington, DC to my doctors in San Francisco and spending over 20 hours a week trying to receive a diagnosis, talking on the phone, talking to insurance companies, and going to doctor’s appointments.

During this time, I saw more clearly what the important parts of my life were, who my good friends were, what dreams I found important, and how important it was not to delay my life’s dreams. Between the time for surgery and radiation, I had to wait several months to wait until my genetic tests came back clear. If they were not, my doctors told me that with that gene, I would be sensitive to radiation and therefore, they would recommend that I did not undergo radiation. Luckily, the test came back clear, and I finished radiation at the end of summer. During that time of waiting, I applied to intern at the United Nations, a place that I had always wanted to work. Fortunately, I received an offer and moved to Austria during the where I met some of my best friends from even today.

In January, I moved back to Washington, DC to start school again. I have found that again, it has been difficult. Because of my health insurance, it is cheaper to fly back to California to receive my follow-up treatments. I need to return at least once every three months for injections, which means I have to go back home at least once a semester. To help with my severe fatigue from working long hours at school, I started going to acupuncture, which my insurance does not cover. In addition, the accommodations that my school has offered me do not compensate for the stress upon my body, so I have opted to take summer school to lessen my load. However, the financial aid I have received consists overwhelmingly of loans.
I received a job offer for a contractor position at the UN for the 2010-2011 school year, but my law school refused to accept my petition to take leave to work at the UN where I would be working fewer hours than at school. Therefore, I will be returning to school again this fall. However, my school has decreased my financial aid grants by at least 40%.

As a result, I have mounting loan debt, especially since it is difficult for me to work and go to school at the same time. This grant would be helpful to pay for some of the ever-expanding number of expenses due the cancer and its side effects. Anything would help.

Thank you and all the best,

Jennifer