Lesley Najera

North Park University, IL

Lesley is a first-generation college student who says “the federal Pell Grant has helped make college possible for me.” Lesley’s mother has been undergoing treatment for cancer, which has taken an enormous financial toll on the family, leaving Lesley to handle all of her schooling and food expenses.

“We took another hard hit when my older brother died a few years back as well. The funeral and expenses left an even more gaping hole in my family’s already struggling financial situation. Doubling the Pell Grant would help me and so many other students be able to achieve their dreams,” she says.