Hi everyone,

My name is Christina Maldonado and I’m a 23 year old writer seeking financial support to fund my creative pursuits in fiction. I have been accepted into the competitive program DISQUIET, which is an International Literary Program that takes writers from North America and other areas to work with Portuguese Writers in Lisbon, Portugal. The writing program provides intensive workshops in the arts and writing. I am an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and live on the reservation in Mentmore, New Mexico. My program takes place over the course of two weeks, during which I will be responsible for my lodging, travel, and tuition, along with any leisure activities. During this workshop I will work with both other ambitious writer participants and established writers as mentors. This will be a great opportunity for me to improve my craft in fiction, and learn more skills to cultivate my writing to further my passion, hopefully kickstarting a writing career.

I currently work as a PCA (Personal Care Assistant) for the Special Education Department in a school in Gallup, NM. I have a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. I often write about my background as Navajo and Mexican, along with writing about childhood and familial dynamics that center women’s voices. This will be my first writing workshop and I'm excited that it is abroad! I’m hoping to take this opportunity to learn more about myself as a writer, to build community, to travel, and to learn more about the craft of fiction and work along with others whose passion is also writing. My full tuition is due by April 15. $3,000 would offset the costs of tuition and travel and lodging. Thank you for considering supporting this amazing opportunity for me