Didn't want to be a stripper to study, so I made a GoFundMe!

A dream is a wish your heart makes. My dream is to go to graduate school for a Master’s of Science in London! The only problem is; how do I go to college, survive, thrive, and get my degree debt free? Thought I’d try the social experiment of crowdsourcing and just wing it! What do I have to lose when I don't have anything, right?!

Hi there, I’m Rhiannon. Yep, that’s me, one broke girl livin’ on a prayer. You’re probably wondering how I got here. Last year, I worked for a marketing agency, whose client was the largest cereal company in the United States, as an account manager leading coupon creation for yogurt and boxes of cereal. Just before Christmas, my agency laid me off, as well as cut my health insurance at the same time, halfway through December… when my essential doctor’s appointment, they knew about for weeks, was on the 18th. My world came crashing down; what am I going to do, and where am I going to go?! What if I don’t make rent?! I don’t even think I have enough money in my bank account to cover my car payment in a few days, let alone a $350 doctor’s appointment charge! I was terrified, queasy, heartbroken my daily purpose was gone. I needed inspiration… badly.

And then, POOF!!! An epiphany! Bright, white light exploded around me like Walt Disney’s shooting star,*metaphorically speaking*. Why do the same thing over again and again, expecting different results, when I could learn leadership and enhance my skillset to be more efficient than before?! Extreme euphoria, joy hit me; I knew I was going down the right path. I was absolutely sure of it.

DISCLAIMER: GoFundMe DOES TAKE $$ out of all fundraisers in the form of their own "digital transfer service fee" at 4%... NO NEED to "tip" them as a double payment:)

By losing my job, I felt compelled to get back up and try something new. I want to be more than just advertising and coupons: I want to change the world and make it a better place than I found it. I want to be more than another number working at the same company for years and years, I want to be more than a lawyer with a law degree, more than diagnosing patients as a doctor. I want to be a changemaker to really influence transformation around the globe. I want to be a captain of industry that leads a movement of good deeds, starting a chain reaction and gives inspiration for others to do good as well, so that maybe we could solve some of the world’s problems like unsafe drinking water, mental health, the gender pay gap, or inspire a whole cultural transition to battling the effects of climate change and living green.

An MBA or Master’s of Science in Entrepreneurship would help me get there. It would open so many new doors and give me the ability to partner with other passionate people to create something beautiful and worthwhile. I researched programs in the US and found them shockingly priced twice as high as any European university overseas. I’m saying... Ohio State’s MBA program is $115,000 for just two years at a public state university, without including living expenses!!! Rather, where else be immersed in world affairs than the English capital itself?! It’s a melting pot of culture, art, food and nationalities.

I have needed to overcome the feelings of thinking I am not good enough, that I won’t get into a program, that it's too hard trying to find an apartment in the country’s largest city with a housing-crisis! The possibility that I won’t have the money to fly home and see my family for the holidays for 2 years as I complete my degree, is a hard pill to swallow, because Minnesota is my home<3

I will be using your donations for my school tuition fees, books, apartment, transportation and flights. I am going to apply for government grants if possible and look into different types of scholarships that could be awarded as well. But if I do win a few, in my undergrad experience, they’ve only come out to total of a few thousand dollars or less, and I am not confident it would be realistic to cover all costs of my graduate degree. It has to be a multi-solution approach to solve a large, multi-faceted problem. In return, I will be giving you a vlog, a.k.a. video blog via TikTok & Instagram, of my exploration in London, following my graduate journey and learning how to live in The City, gateway to Europe! I will be calling this collection Rhiannon in London, which is a nod to Netflix’s “Emily in Paris" , it could possibly be A Tale of Two Cities. It will feature amazing sights, glorious palaces, insights of Old World wine (I secretly am a well-trained connoisseur), and tips for looking smart, not a tourist. #RhiannonInLondon

If this has piqued your interest, shored up to be a worthy cause to fund, or crave to live vicariously through my posts, like my mother, anything ($5, $10, $15) would help and go a long way. Campaigns have been funded in the past by no more than $18 per individual donor, this can work!! Above all else, I am just glad you read to the bottom of this to hear me out- you get a gold star!

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney

With love and warmth of a thousand fuzzy kittens,

Rhiannon

:)