Aid 2 Black Women's Academic Journeys In Paris

Hi!! My name is Gabrielle LaRochelle, and I am the co-founder of this go-fund-me. My best friend Ninoshkka Paul is the other co-founder. We decided to create this go-fund-me together, so we can receive some funding assistance for our master's programs and our move to Paris, France (where our schools are located!!). We are both 24 years old, neurodivergent, Queer, Black, and Caribbean cis-women.

 

Ninoshkka and I have been discussing getting our master's abroad since we first met and became roommates freshman year of undergraduate college at The New School: Eugene Lang. After a long and grueling 3.5 & 4 years of off-and-on schooling, financial instability, racial academic profiling & targeting, housing instability, ableism, fatphobia, etc., we both graduated from TNS, with the hopes that we would be able to finally put that time behind us and head off to grad school.

 

You know how they say, you make plans and God (or the Universe) laughs? Well, we had to find that out the hard way when the pandemic put our grad school dreams on hold and had to move back home for a while. We saw our lives come and go without any of our input in it, and once 2021 rolled around, we said enough is ENOUGH ———— Ninoshkka and I decided to take our futures into our own hands and apply to the grad schools of our dreams on a wing and a prayer.

 

On Monday, March 7th, 2022, Ninoshkka and I found out we both got into Université de Paris together for Graduate School and felt extremely ECCACTIC!! Ninoshkka also found out she got into another French graduate program, so it was set in stone for us to finally move in together for the Fall semester of 2022. I have decided to receive my degree in History and Civilization of English-Speaking Countries. This was our dream, finally realized.

 

However what we ALSO realized is, we are woefully underfunded, and underprepared to make this giant leap alone without any type of assistance. Ninoshkka works a full-time remote job with long hours, and I work full-time as an editorial assistant, AND a freelance journalist remote job as well. We both assist our extensive families wherever, whenever, and however we can, so it is not like they can help us with the hefty cost of this international move. I am the oldest out of eight siblings, I have a sibling in college, another sibling about to GO to college, and five other younger siblings that my parents have to take care of and focus on. I typically assist my family by picking up and dropping off my siblings at school, after-school activities, doing errand runs, medical issues runs, etc. Ninoshkka has a sibling in college as well, and a single mom who is financing everything all on her own all while paying off medical debt, with Ninoshkka's assistance. Ninoshkka also takes care of her sick grandpa and grandma, who only speak Kreyol, and cannot read. Ninoshkka is the primary person the family comes to for taxes, paperwork, and healthcare assistance. When we got our undergrad in NYC, Ninoshkka and I received numerous scholarships to help fund our education + dorm, and I eventually became an RA to finish my stay in NYC (which again, got cut short because of the pandemic, unfortunately). With the hefty amount of responsibilities Ninoshkka and I carry, it is hard for us to find time in our busy schedules to apply for any grants or scholarships since most of the deadlines have already passed.

 

We created this go-fund-me with the starting goal of 35k, for tuition, rent, transportation, visa, food, and moving expenses. Ninoshkka and I are planning on splitting this go-fund-me equally since we are going to live together during the duration of our studies. It only made more sense to create this go-fund-me together to also pay for rent, transportation, moving costs, and more. If it goes past its starting goal, then we will discuss what to do from there but for now, we truly do appreciate any and all that y'all can donate. We can provide proof if necessary that we got accepted into our schools, and that we are moving abroad.

 

We also do accept Venmo, Zelle, and Cashapp donations with the description "Paris education + expenses donation," so we can save it and add it to our total.

V: @glarochelle16 + @Ninoshkka-Paul
CA: $glarochelle16 + $NinoshkkaPaul

 

Ninoshkka and I are truly excited for what this future will bring for our careers and overall life experiences. We are so happy and elated to bring you all along on this journey as well.

 

Thank you so much again, :@)

 

With much love and gratitude,

Gabrielle