JUSTIN'S COLLEGE FUND
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Dear friends,
We are initiating this campaign to help pay for Justin Brown’s senior year in college. Justin is a student of considerable promise in the theatre program at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. His spirit is strong, but his financial resources have been exhausted. We are able to provide a start to this campaign, but look to the hearts of the theatre and arts communities (and beyond) to help secure the future of this dedicated, talented, creative, and tenacious soul.
With thanks,
PAT SIMON and RICHARD WINKLER
IN JUSTIN’S OWN WORDS
I grew up in Puerto Rico, where I knew very little about theatre. My mother was a single mother who worked twice as hard as others to get by. She suffered a tragic accident at her workplace and died suddenly when I was 14.
When I discovered she had a life insurance policy, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it: be the first of my generation to graduate from college. She had always told me that there are fewer things in this life worth more than what a degree can get you. College is a luxury for my family; my mother had never graduated from college and it was something incredibly important to her. As a half African-American half Puerto Rican, growing up lower middle class, it never seemed like a possibility for me.
After my mother’s death, I had to move to Connecticut with my father, with whom I’d never had much of a relationship. I was accepted to the Greater Hartford Academy of Arts, and focused there on learning as much as I could about theatre and the arts. It was there I came to learn the beauty of performance and how it can be a vessel of healing.
I graduated in the top 10 of my class and was accepted by Marymount Manhattan College. While Marymount didn't offer me the best financial aid package, it was absolutely the college with the best theatre department for me, a place where I could thrive.
In the meantime, my father’s health had forced him to retire, and my stepmother was now responsible for a six-member household. But I had my mother’s insurance policy, and some financial help from Marymount. The college was able to cover half my tuition as a full-time student, while I worked part-time to cover the rest.
Unfortunately, my mother’s insurance policy had been locked in place in the district court of Puerto Rico, technically not available to me until I was 21. I had to keep asking for it in portions through lawyers, who squeezed out as many fees as they could. There have been times I didn't know how I was going to afford my Metro Card or lunch but it was worth it because I was getting an education in my field of theatre at one of the top schools in the country.
I have thrived during my three years at Marymount. I’ve won an award from the student body for development and leadership, directed, acted, and continued to learn. Now my mother’s insurance policy has run out, my family cannot secure a loan, and I desperately want to finish my course work and earn my degree.
Timing is of the utmost importance. I have only one more year left and in the state of New York my credits will expire after a finite amount of time. With not only the impending debt I hold to the college (which has inhibited me from registering and finishing my time at Marymount) I also have a tight window to register for my Senior year.
Though I am an incredibly independent individual and have prided myself on surviving with just myself to count on, I think that now - more than ever - I need to reflect on another philosophy my mother taught me: thankfulness. It brings me close to tears to know that there are people that want to help me, and to think of the assistance that would come of this. It has been an incredibly difficult year and a half, not only reminiscing on how much I have learned at Marymount, but the unshakable fear that I may have to give all of that up.
Gratitude does not begin to define how I would feel being able to walk the halls of Marymount, as I complete my degree. As I try to gather my thoughts, I continue to find myself at a loss for words other than thankful. Any help in achieving my dreams and goals, and honoring my mother’s memory and my family, is appreciated in ways I simply can't put into words.
I strongly believe we can shape the world around us. I want to work as an actor and director, showing communities facing adversities that we CAN fulfill monumental dreams and change the environment around us. I want to change the world around me with my art and in turn pass that ability on to future generations. I look to you to help me achieve this goal.
With tremendous thanks,
JUSTIN
We are initiating this campaign to help pay for Justin Brown’s senior year in college. Justin is a student of considerable promise in the theatre program at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. His spirit is strong, but his financial resources have been exhausted. We are able to provide a start to this campaign, but look to the hearts of the theatre and arts communities (and beyond) to help secure the future of this dedicated, talented, creative, and tenacious soul.
With thanks,
PAT SIMON and RICHARD WINKLER
IN JUSTIN’S OWN WORDS
I grew up in Puerto Rico, where I knew very little about theatre. My mother was a single mother who worked twice as hard as others to get by. She suffered a tragic accident at her workplace and died suddenly when I was 14.
When I discovered she had a life insurance policy, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it: be the first of my generation to graduate from college. She had always told me that there are fewer things in this life worth more than what a degree can get you. College is a luxury for my family; my mother had never graduated from college and it was something incredibly important to her. As a half African-American half Puerto Rican, growing up lower middle class, it never seemed like a possibility for me.
After my mother’s death, I had to move to Connecticut with my father, with whom I’d never had much of a relationship. I was accepted to the Greater Hartford Academy of Arts, and focused there on learning as much as I could about theatre and the arts. It was there I came to learn the beauty of performance and how it can be a vessel of healing.
I graduated in the top 10 of my class and was accepted by Marymount Manhattan College. While Marymount didn't offer me the best financial aid package, it was absolutely the college with the best theatre department for me, a place where I could thrive.
In the meantime, my father’s health had forced him to retire, and my stepmother was now responsible for a six-member household. But I had my mother’s insurance policy, and some financial help from Marymount. The college was able to cover half my tuition as a full-time student, while I worked part-time to cover the rest.
Unfortunately, my mother’s insurance policy had been locked in place in the district court of Puerto Rico, technically not available to me until I was 21. I had to keep asking for it in portions through lawyers, who squeezed out as many fees as they could. There have been times I didn't know how I was going to afford my Metro Card or lunch but it was worth it because I was getting an education in my field of theatre at one of the top schools in the country.
I have thrived during my three years at Marymount. I’ve won an award from the student body for development and leadership, directed, acted, and continued to learn. Now my mother’s insurance policy has run out, my family cannot secure a loan, and I desperately want to finish my course work and earn my degree.
Timing is of the utmost importance. I have only one more year left and in the state of New York my credits will expire after a finite amount of time. With not only the impending debt I hold to the college (which has inhibited me from registering and finishing my time at Marymount) I also have a tight window to register for my Senior year.
Though I am an incredibly independent individual and have prided myself on surviving with just myself to count on, I think that now - more than ever - I need to reflect on another philosophy my mother taught me: thankfulness. It brings me close to tears to know that there are people that want to help me, and to think of the assistance that would come of this. It has been an incredibly difficult year and a half, not only reminiscing on how much I have learned at Marymount, but the unshakable fear that I may have to give all of that up.
Gratitude does not begin to define how I would feel being able to walk the halls of Marymount, as I complete my degree. As I try to gather my thoughts, I continue to find myself at a loss for words other than thankful. Any help in achieving my dreams and goals, and honoring my mother’s memory and my family, is appreciated in ways I simply can't put into words.
I strongly believe we can shape the world around us. I want to work as an actor and director, showing communities facing adversities that we CAN fulfill monumental dreams and change the environment around us. I want to change the world around me with my art and in turn pass that ability on to future generations. I look to you to help me achieve this goal.
With tremendous thanks,
JUSTIN
Organizer and beneficiary
RICHARD WINKLER
Organizer
New York, NY
Jae W Brown
Beneficiary