After her father suffered a major spine injury and was unable to work, student Wendy Pesantez began working as a teen to help her parents make ends meet in Peekskill, NY.

“​​We had to learn the hard way [how] to defend ourselves,” recalls Wendy. Being the first in her family to go to college, she admits that the whole process has been “a bit stressful, being the first generation… because I don’t have much knowledge of all the things that the university has to offer.”

Luckily, things began to look up when she found out about the Tzu Chi USA Scholarship program. “I was not sure that I would get it. And when I got the email, I was very happy, because I’m like, ‘Wow, my hard work paid off.’”

Now, Wendy goes to all her classes without worrying about her studies falling on her parents’ shoulders: “I felt this feeling of relief.” As a nursing major, we can’t wait to see the impact she’ll have in her future career:

“There’s so many great people out there that want to be a helping hand, and that’s what Tzu Chi is, and that’s the same mindset I have. My mission is to be able to help people and save lives.”

See how Tzu Chi USA’s Scholarship Programs make the future brighter for students and how you can help with a donation to our year-end fundraiser at https://donate.tzuchi.us

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