I am a first generation University student from the USA, and the first in my family to move abroad. I studied acting in my own hometown as much as I could and when I reached the limitations of what the small conservatory programs in Florida could offer me, the opportunity to study at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts came about. I took that opportunity and completed the program and through that program, I earned an Associate Degree but have yet to achieve my Bachelor’s. The program was wonderful in its way, but not as intense and challenging as I would have hoped and I am seeking to earn my place in the great drama schools of England. My passion is and always has been in the theatre. I want to earn my right to work in the incredible theatres of London and to do that, London is where I need to study. I work a full-time job and I am saving up as much as I possibly can on my own, but training and living in the UK is expensive. Once I move, I will no longer be able to maintain a job as my entire focus will be on my studies. I want to dedicate myself and my time to the theatre and in order to do so, I humbly ask for any possible donation to help me achieve that goal. The proceeds generated by this fundraising will first and foremost be used to pay for tuition at the school. Anything I have remaining will be used to cover the cost of rent in a shared home, transportation (Oyster card for buses and the tube), and food for myself. I intend to keep costs as minimal as I can to make any money I do have stretch and fund the entirety of my stay.

For me, acting is beyond a career path or an artistic choice. Acting is a means of reaching out to others and trying to make a connection through other walks of life that may be distant to our own experiences. In finding commonality between ourselves and the roles we take, we open a bridge of understanding and of empathy, that if done truthfully and with integrity, will seep into the audiences and inspire compassion. Compassion in its original means “to suffer with” and in doing so we can form a bond of awareness and understanding. From comedy to drama, theater has long been a means of reflecting the current status of our society and taking apart, reviewing, and questioning the situations around us. While theater may not have all the answers, it often begs questions that are difficult to manage in a more straightforward approach. Theater is metaphor, it is satire, it is the heartbeat of a society and I feel a need to be a part of that heartbeat.

In the past couple of years, the world has been shaken by this horrible pandemic. The absence of theater during lockdowns across the world felt incredibly bleak but also further solidified my belief that theater is essential as a mouthpiece for humanity and for the struggles we face. The hole left was palpable but give rise to the potential for new voices to be heard and new stories to shake away the ashes and hopefully bring about something brighter as we slowly emerge back into society.