My whole life, I’ve loved school. I loved it so much that I spent my K-12 years vacillating between favorite subjects, trying to figure out which part of school I liked best. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I finally decided on English literature: the perfect blend of analytics, creativity, culture, and exploring the diverse psychology of human beings. In the Spring of 2024, I had the opportunity to study abroad at Oxford University, and my passion narrowed even further—to 18th and 19th-century British literature. Niche, I know. But there’s something about those eight hundred-page novels with their wide-ranging casts of characters that I find fascinating. Studying all of that in Oxford—surrounded by the landscapes I was reading about and being taught by experts in the field—cemented for me that it was something I’d never get tired of. Unfortunately, that was 2024, and that semester got cut short. Now, after a few years spent in limbo, trying to recover from finishing college in my childhood bedroom during the pandemic, I have the opportunity to venture back across the pond. I’ve applied for, been offered, and accepted a place in the Romantic and Victorian Studies Master’s program at the University of St Andrews—the top-ranked school in the UK, located in a gorgeous small town on the coast of Scotland. It’s a year-long program in which I’ll read novels, go to discussion classes with prestigious professors, and research and write a thesis. These past years have been tough, and this feels like an all-around answer to prayer. Through this next year, I’m praying for clear direction about whether I should pursue professorship, publishing, or something else I’ve never considered. I cannot wait for the people I’ll meet, the books I’ll read, and the places I’ll get to see. However, I need your help. While God has provided lots already—including a lovely two-bedroom flat complete with a backyard garden(!)—the finances have been much more challenging than I anticipated. Through months of research, I discovered that scholarships for US students studying Humanities in the UK are few and far between. Namely, there are two. I applied for what I could but haven’t heard back. I’ve worked hard these past few years, substitute teaching and waitressing, to save up for tuition but did not anticipate how costly health tax, student visas, priority mail, and different application fees would be. This evening, as I purchase my plane ticket for only a little over a month from today, it seems like most of what I’ve saved up for school is draining away before I even get there, and the wall of student debt is looming in the distant future. To put it in perspective, I have about $23,000 of my tuition left to pay. At present, the majority of my savings will need to go toward my living expenses. UPDATE: Since first posting this, I have made the decision to sell my car, so I have lowered my goal to $10,000! I humbly ask that you would help make my dream a reality. Any amount is so appreciated. Thank you in advance for your contributions and your prayer. I truly believe this is the next step God has planned for me, and I know He will provide for it somehow—whether through this fundraiser or the faithful long haul after I graduate. Thank you, family and friends, for supporting me my whole life, and I can’t wait to share this next adventure with you!
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