Kyle Lawler was born and raised in California and moved to Chicago, seeking change and opportunity. He first attended Harold Washington School and transferred to DePaul this year. He chose DePaul because he noticed that eyebrows perked up at the name and reactions were only positive when talking about DePaul. Kyle chose to pursue finance because it was a promising field that would demonstrate some of his strongest skills and abilities. Kyle was also recently accepted into the Keeley Center Banking & Capital Markets Academy at DePaul.
Kyle was struck intensely by the COVID 19 situation and like some students, not knowing if he would be able to afford to attend school let alone afford to keep a roof over his head. Kyle works in the restaurant business and in January he noticed business began slowing down. By March 15th, all of the restaurants were closed and Kyle’s full income went down to zero. He felt helpless because he knew that school was very important to him but had no idea how he was going to be able to pay his tuition bill. Exhausted and out of options, he decided to email DePaul to see if he qualified for any other loans or could have his tuition postponed. The next day DePaul said they would work on his tuition but first, wanted to be sure he has a place to stay. The Student Emergency Assistance fund paid off his rent within 3 days. A week later, he got a call that an anonymous benefactor paid his tuition. Kyle was overjoyed and shocked with the amazing news. The kindness and generosity surpassed anything he ever could have imagined. Kyle wanted to thank the benefactor personally, but the anonymous donor didn’t reveal his identity. He let Kyle know that all he wants is for him to one day help someone else in need and pay it forward.
Paying it forward is exactly what inspires Kyle. He says that during these tough circumstances it is important to realize that there are things that are out of our control. “Let it happen and keep your head up. Keep going and try to find ways to grow at home during the pandemic. Our outlook on life is the one thing we can control.”
DePaul has earned Kyle’s loyalty because of how they really stepped in and took care of him when he was going through one of the most difficult times of his life. He is committed to follow through with the anonymous personal request of paying it forward for another person in need some day.
By Anastasiya Kadukov