F&C Alumna Raises Money for her Houston Students

September 20, 2017

Like most first-year teachers, Wendy Gomez (F&C '12) is facing a lot of new challenges on the job. But the mountains of paperwork and difficult parent-teacher conferences she knew to expect. What no one in her Houston school district saw coming was a category four hurricane that dumped up to 50 inches of rain just days before school was supposed to start. 

Before Hurricane Harvey hit Wendy knew that many of the low-income Hispanic children that would make up her first grade class were going to have a hard time buying their necessary school supplies. When school finally opened a week late due to the hurricane, she found only 8 of her 19 students were prepared for class. In her class and throughout the school she hears stories of multiple families crowded together in tiny apartments or people living day by day in precarious situations while they wait to find permanent housing again. Teachers and students alike are starting the school year by living out of suitcases.

Wendy isn't the type of person to watch the devastation unfold without doing something about it. She became a teacher through Teach for America because she believed it was the best way for her to make an impact in society, and she feels passionately about giving her students a fighting chance. She isn't alone in this idea. Former TA Luna Rey (F&C '16) is also in Houston through TFA (though her school and its community were spared the worst). 

Wendy is currently raising money to help her students supply themselves with everything from notebooks and glue sticks to water bottles and fruit snacks. With her connection of friends and family she's already raised over $600. Whatever she raises from now on will go straight to her classroom and students. Anyone interested in helping Wendy can go to her fundraising page on gofundme.