Melissa's SAS Voyage: Help me Travel the World!
My Travel Story
If you want to know more about SAS, please see the link to their website I have placed at the bottom of this page. I have also included a link to my personal travel blog and I urge you to follow it so you can get email updates while I am on my trip!
Here is a breakdown of my funding plan and the costs:
The cost of the program is $24,000. This includes tuition, room and board. However, I also have to pay for personal expenses such as plane tickets, on-land food and hotels, souvenirs, field programs (read more about these on my blog later) and independent travel. All of this will cost around $5,050. Additionally, since I am married (to a very loving and supportive husband!) I will need to leave behind $3,000 to pay my half of rent, utilities, emergency money, and animal care (for our dog, Ozzy). That makes the total cost of my voyage $32,050.
Fortunately I have already raised the majority of funds I need to travel. So far I have paid $4,100 from my own pocket out of the money I was able to save in the past year. Additionally, the $10,850 in scholarships and grants I receive each semester from UT (go vols!!) is transferable to my voyage, and the SAS program has graciously supplied me $9,000 in financial aid. I have also applied for outside scholarships from sources such as the Foundation for Global Scholars, the Center for International Education, and the Golden Key International Honor Society (I am still waiting for award announcements on most of these scholarships), and I continue to look for alternative funding options. However, I am still $8,050 short of my travel fund goal.
That's where all you lovely readers come in! I've managed to find 2/3 of my funding already, and I know the rest can be raised through third-party scholarships and donations. I urge you to donate now and help a dedicated scholar achieve a life-long dream of studying abroad. When you donate to my campaign you will become an important part of my voyage, and to show my appreciation I am offering the following rewards to donors:
$10 or more: Your name on my blog’s donor list and my eternal graditude.
$25 or more: A pre-voyage shout-out (around New Years) on my blog and a personal thank-you email. Plus a handwritten postcard from a destination of your choice!*
$40 or more: Photo-ception! Send me a photo of yourself and I will take a picture of me holding your photo in front of a famous landmark! You will also receive the hand-written post-card, a shout-out on my blog, and a personal thank-you email.
$75 or more: A small souvenir (such as a bracelet, ring, handmade trinket) and a postcard from one country of travel (donor's choice) in addition to the Photo-ception reward, the pre-voyage blog shout-out, and a personal thank-you email.
$100 or more: A postcard from EVERY country, a small souvenir from one country and the Photo-ception reward, in addition you will get a shout-out on my blog and a personal thank-you email.
$150 or more: A t-shirt or other article of clothing from a country of your choice PLUS a post on my blog dedicated to you which will include a your Photo-ception picture and a story from my travels. Also includes postcards from every country, a small souvenir from your choice country, the pre-voyage shout-out on my blog, and a personal thank you email.
$200 or more: ALL of the above rewards (t-shirt, blog dedication, postcards, small souvenir, Photo-ception, shout-out, and personal thank-you), PLUS a large souvenir of your choice from any destination AND I will personally visit you (or Skype if visiting is not an option) and talk about my trip once I get back in July. I will also bring/mail you a hand-signed, hardcopy compilation DVD of photos from my journey and a CD copy of my travel soundtrack (see below).
*I will ask you for details on souvenirs and postcards when I send my thank-you email.
In addition to all these rewards, anyone who donates over $30 can request a free DVD compilation of my photos after I return from my journey. I will also be compiling a musical soundtrack of the music I encounter on my trip, which I will post on my blog. $30+ donors can request a CD hardcopy of this as well. Please send all DVD/CD requests to my email: mhill39@vols.utk.edu
With rewards like these, you almost lose money by not donating! So please, donate today and help make a young scholar's dream of traveling the world come true.
Please direct any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, etc. to my email: mhill39@vols.utk
Thank you for your support!
More Travel Information
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Campaign Ended
$ 360 USD
Total Donation Received-
4%
Funded -
$ 8,050 USD
Goal Amount -
0
Days Left
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Cost Calculator
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Husband Tax
$ 3,000
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Accommodation
$ 2,000
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Local Travel Expenses
$ 1,150
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Books/ Text and Study Materials
$ 400
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Airfare/ International Flights
$ 1,500
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Funders
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Leslie Gay Funded $ 75 USD
Nov 18, 2014 -
Rachel Golden Funded $ 75 USD
Nov 07, 2014 -
Judith & Dennis Hughes Funded $ 200 USD
Oct 20, 2014 -
Anonymous Funded $ 10 USD
Oct 20, 2014
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