Help 15yr-old Girl Start a Business

I have a plan of how I can pay for college with only $3,500 and a laser. And no, it's not illegal! :-)
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Welcome to America; freedom of speech, press, religion, and...education? Sure, grades K-12 are free, but anything after that is super expensive.  These days families have to spend crazy amounts of money and go into debt, just for 4 more years of school. I’ve seen my older friends go through this; one had almost $100,000 in debt for her degree. Many of you have probably seen your friends or family members go through it, or have had this experience yourself. Trust me when I say I don’t want to follow this path of being in debt before I even start my career.

My name is Katie and I’m in 9th grade. No, I’m not some crazy prodigy who has their life mapped out for them. Ask any normal pre-schooler what they want to do when they grow up and they know, but ask a highschooler or middle schooler and you’ll have less luck. Ironic, right? I don’t know what I want to be when I’m older, but I know I want to do something with acting, art, or science. I do know I want to help people. But first I’d like to go to college.

Instead of asking for a lot of money to pay for a year of college, I’m asking for a smaller amount that will help me support myself. My art skills have already helped me win awards in photography, painting, and even clothing design. I want to combine my passion for art with my love of science to start a business.

I will use your donation to buy a Glowforge. (Go to https://glowforge.com to learn more.) Instead of 3-D printing, a Glowforge uses a tiny laser to etch or cut almost any material, from chocolate, to leather, to the back of your phone! I want to start a business where I can go to art festivals and craft fairs and sell items made from my art work. All proceeds will go to my college education. I can continue selling throughout college!

The fundraiser for my Girl Scout Silver Award was selling my paintings at an art festival, so I already have experience organizing events and talking to customers. But first, I need the money to by the Glowforge machine, and that’s were (hopefully) you come in. A long term plan with a little bit of money is a lot more valuable than a last minute plan that needs a lot of money, right? All I need is $3,500 to buy the device and then I can start my business! The sooner I can buy the machine, the more art I can make and sell before college. Thanks for your time and consideration!