About Aum Foundation USA

"My name is Amaliyah Watson. I want to talk about why affordable housing is so important. AUM changed my life. I joined my senior year, not knowing what it was, but it was the best thing that happened to me. My senior year was tough. My dad got arrested for domestic abuse, and I had to go into hiding. It messed me up financially and mentally. I was finally able to get back on my feet with AUM's help. Before AUM, I had no college support. My parents even told me to drop out and get a GED. I wanted to prove them wrong, and with AUM, I did. Now I'm a freshman at Alabama A&M. Finding affordable housing as an 18-year-old on low-income isn't easy. I can't even sign legal contracts in Alabama. Plus, my parents make things harder by not being a safe place, my dad was arrested last year. That's why I needed housing so badly. On-campus dorms are great, but during breaks I have to leave. Most kids love going home, but I dreaded it because of the toxic environment I grew up in. Thanks to AUM, I finally have affordable housing. But my story shows why programs like AUM and access to housing are so important for students like me."