Dear Benefactor...
A letter to the anonymous benefactors of my college education.
My college does not disclose much information of the financial aid donors, but they asked me to send them a brief reflection on what their monetary support has meant to me. Below is the requested reflection, written from my soul.
11.24.2025
Dear Benefactor,
“Say Thank You” by Jill Scott is a song that encapsulates my symbolic journey within Barnard.
It began with the veil fully erect. I was naive to the underpinnings of these institutional cultures that were initiating me into a path that has been neatly charted. Something within me told me not to succumb to the social pressures of using education solely as a means to an end.
This voice inside, along with my syllabi at Barnard, triggered the fall of the veil. I quickly became acquainted with these nonphysical forces within campus that have restructured my psyche. Although the campus at Barnard has inhibited my ability to dream, it has also provided me with the tools of self-determination.
Like Jill Scott’s song, I asked for correction and direction, and then I have been taking every step to create my uniquely designed path in alignment with my intentions. The theory I was learning in the classroom became a framework in which allowed me to reclaim a future that is aligned to the wildest dreams of my ancestors and myself.
This has been possible with the monetary support I have received from YOU. I truly say thank you. Your monetary support has triggered my lifelong journey of self-actualization.
All the best,
Keiah Welch