Help me finish my Master!

Okey... so, while speaking with my family about my current situation and how to continue with my Master they told me about this website and how it has worked for other people so I decided to give it a try. At first, it was a little hard, I mean to put all your business out there, but I have learned that asking for help when you need it is not so bad and that people are almost always willing to give you a helping hand.

So, I'll begin by saying I am finally on the last stretch of my long and mostly messy journey! Those of you that know me personally or have been part of it in some way know what a HUGE struggle it has been. On the other hand, for the ones that don't know very well I'll try to give a little summary.

A few years back after many applications and acceptances to Masters I couldn't and would never afford, and a year after graduating from my Civil Engineering Bachelor in Caracas, Venezuela (and also driven by the country's situation at the time), I made the hard decision (as many others my age) to move to a country that provided me opportunities to grow and develop as a young professional. This also all happened a few months after my dad's passing, due to lung cancer and after probably the biggest heartbreak I will ever experience. You can say that pretty much everything was driving me out of the country. I reasoned I had to put an ocean between me and everything negative that was going on at the time so I did not hesitate to tell my mom I was leaving for good. 


I choose Italy. Why Italy? Besides always wanting to live here for some odd reason (because I had never visited the country in the first place), it only made sense to take advantage of my dad's Italian citizenship.
Going a little back...when I was younger, my parents decided to move to the United States. There, is where I basically grew up, living 10 years, learning English and making awesome friends I still have today. After I decided to move out of Venezuela, it was obvious that the United States was going to be my "base" and the place where I was going to regroup and think about the steps that followed. I landed in Florida with nothing more than a few hundred bucks and two suitcases (try filling your entire life in two small suitcases). It was obvious that I needed to find a job and work my ass off in the months that followed if I wanted to make it all the way to Italy.  Hitting Miamis busiest streets everyday and just about every restaurant/coffee shop in them...  It took me about a 2/3 weeks to find two cool jobs that helped me save enough money to buy myself a plane ticket and to survive "comfortably" for few months in Italy.


Once here I was able to slowly get the process of my documents started and after two months I couldn't just wait for them while spending my savings and so I decided to find a job somehow. It was super hard, but luckily, I came across an article about Aupairs and thought it fitted me best. To make the story short (haha) I ended up working for a wonderful family in Bergamo and after receiving my Italian citizenship, almost a year after, I decided to move to Milan and finally start my Master's, more specifically a Building Engineering Master. I thought it could be a good idea to continue with the AuPair job in Milan while I studied.


Soon, I discovered that Milan was not a welcoming city (although It has grown on me now). The first family I found was an awful experience, very wealthy family with very little values and respect for other people's effort, struggles and lifestyle choices. I couldn't stand my new "home" and at one point I found myself out of their high priced apartment with all my luggage on the streets. After this harsh experience I soon found a new family to take me in. I was not about to quit my Master, the thing I wanted the  most.


Moving forward... I have been with this new family for 9 months now. They have taken me as one of their own. A big sister I think... it's nice. When you are far away from home for so long, the simplicity of having a routine and feeling that you belong somewhere, gives you strength and sanity.

What is the point of all of this and why am I asking for help? Well, Venezuela is in a horrible situation at the moment. I haven't and won't be able to get the documents (as they publically said they won't be processing them to go abroad) I need to apply for financial help to finish what I have started and so desperately want.  The amount I am asking for will cover ONLY tuition expenses. More specifically the second semester of the first year €2327 (that I just finished and still owe) and the entire second year of my Master Degree which is divided in two payments : 1st installment 1118€ (excluding late fees)  and second installment €2541. Let me highlight that an average salary of an Aupair in Italy is 400€ month (some Aupairs may be less lucky). Balancing tutition fees, sending money to my mother in Venezuela every now and them and basic daily expenses can be quite tricky and close to impossible.



Any help is greatly appreciated and once again I will move forward and succeed thanks to you guys.

I will for ever be grateful...

Maria Bovio