Houston Teen Gets $125,000 in Donations After Paying Mom’s Rent With College Savings

Houston teen Alondra Carmona made headlines earlier this month after she gave up her college savings to pay for her mom’s rent, and she’s gotten an outpouring of support ever since.

ABC7 reported last week that Carmona, who had recently been accepted to Ivy League women’s arts school Barnard College, gave her savings to her mother who was injured in 2020 and unable to work. ABC affiliate KTRK reports that not only has she since received thousands of dollars in donations to send her to college, but a local business is offering her a free graduation party. In a GoFundMe campaign Carmona launched less than a week ago, she had been asking for $75,000 to help her go to Barnard.

“Today, I found out that my mom has not had a job for 3 months and hid it from us,” she wrote. “She owes two months of rent and will most likely get evicted in March. All of my college savings will go to paying the rent that we are behind on. As much as I dream of going to Barnard College, it is not looking promising right now. I am turning to this as a last resort because Barnard will not be able to change my financial aid package.”

As of Feb. 10, she has received over $125,000 in donations from 3.5k donors. Tent and event company owner Darren Randle told ABC13 that her story inspired him so much, he wanted to offer her the aforementioned free graduation party. “As soon as I read it, I thought, ‘How can I help? What can I do?’ She shouldn’t be having to feel this way,” Randle said.

Once in college, Carmona wants to study science and research.