Owen graduated at the top of his class | Photo: Video/NBC News
Seth Owen, a high school graduate from Florida, was kicked out of his parents’ home for his sexuality. Due to this situation, his dream of attending Georgetown University in Washington, DC — which he was accepted to and provided a partial financial aid package — became threatened.
Owen, who graduated from First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida with a 4.16 GPA, found salvation in the generosity of strangers.
His biology teacher, Jane Martin, set up a GoFundMe for Owen’s college tuition. As of this writing, people have raised over $141k for Owen.
Turns out, however, this money will be going to another great cause.
‘While the campaign has been ongoing, the professionals at the Office of Student Financial Services have continued to work with me to make my dream a reality,’ Owen wrote in an update on Friday (3 August).
‘Due to their efforts and attention, they were able to adjust my aid package even further, my expected contribution is now $0. With these new adjustments, I will be able to attend Georgetown University this fall.’
Where will the money go?
Now that Owen has received a free ride from Georgetown — who originally refused to adjust his aid package — the money from GoFundMe has to go somewhere.
Owen also explained that part of this story in the update.
‘Thank you to all who have donated to the campaign. Your generosity will help me succeed academically this year and in the years to come,’ he wrote.
With all the money raised, he hopes to help other students in situations similar to his own and struggling financially.
‘At the moment, I am in process of exploring the establishment of a scholarship to help LGBTQ+ scholars who find themselves in the circumstance I was in earlier this year. I am looking forward to utilizing the resources of Georgetown to help with this effort.’
A long process to get here
Owen’s parents originally found out he was gay when he was a sophomore in high school. They sent him to conversion therapy following this.
Earlier this year in February, Owen asked his parents if he could stop attending church because of its anti-LGBTI rhetoric. His parents said that if he stopped going to church, he could no longer live at home.
He decided to leave his parents’ for his own happiness and safety and ended up staying with friends.
This fall, he’ll travel from Florida to the nation’s capitol for the start of his college career.
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