Hello, my name is Khrystyna. Not only am I a 1st-gen college student, but I am also 1st to pursue a master’s degree! I take pride in this fact as, to me, it represents perseverance. My family immigrated from Ukraine🇺🇦; since then, I’ve encountered challenges such as severe financial hardship, an initial language barrier, lack of college readiness and familial support, and self-esteem issues. My family struggled to make ends meet, so at age 15, I juggled classes, a full-time job, daily gymnastics varsity team practices, and even boys wrestling team management. Nonetheless, I view my background as a source of strength rather than a deficit. My parents chose a life of sacrifice for me to have better opportunities. This has pushed me to be a high achiever; I want them to see that their suffering was not in vain. I am determined to take advantage of the opportunities my parents never had. I scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT without tutors or prep classes. I graduated college with honors and a 4.0 GPA and am now pursuing an MS in Accounting at Baruch. "Being challenged in life is inevitable; being defeated is optional."-R. Crawford I hope Bold.org can alleviate my financial burden so that I can continue my studies and achieve my goals. Financial support would relieve stress as I'd be able to work fewer hours. I would have more opportunities to study and engage in hobbies such as learning foreign languages and trying exotic food recipes. Most importantly, I would be inspired to pay the kindness forward; eventually, I hope to help provide relief for the less fortunate.