Making the Leap
Donation protected
Hiya! My name is Addi Berry. I am 19 years old and just finished my Freshman year at Wagner College on Staten Island, NY. Due to limited financial resources however, I now find myself faced with the possibility of not being able to return:
I am the eldest of four daughters in my family, and therefore the first of us to attend college. My lifelong passion has been theater; since I was 8 years old I've been performing, training, and auditioning, building up my repetoir and honing my skills so that one day, I might have the priviledge of working in the Broadway theater district of New York City. I have been blessed with parents who support this dream and continue to work and sacrifice to make it a reality.
The hard work paid off! Last year I was accepted into Wagner College's prestigious theater program, which is one of the best in the nation. I spent my Freshman year there studying theater and found myself falling completely in love with the program, the faculty, the students, and most of all, the city. It is everything I've dreamed it would be. Unfortunately, due to the rising cost of tuition, despite recieving the hightest scholarship awarded to theater students, I am still shy $6900 necessary to return for my Sophomore year.
I have done everything I can to advocate for myself at the college. I have the support of several acclaimed faculty, but due to the fact that my large family makes above a certain amount of income a year, there is nothing else the college can do for me in the way of financial aid. In addition, my family is not in a position to take out any loans. I have made straight As and been on the Dean's list both semesters, am in the Honor's program, and have a 3.9 GPA. I have worked four jobs this summer, in additon to investing the money I have saved, but it's still not enough.
I have been increadibly blessed by the opportunity to attend Wagner's theater program. Its strength lies in the acting philosophies taught there, the solid curriculum and dedicated faculty, the performance opportunities, and the passionate students who have become my dear friends. I took a leap of faith by going to Wagner becuase I knew it would not be the easiest option, but I believe that it's where I am called to be.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your support of me means more than you could ever know. God bless! :)
I am the eldest of four daughters in my family, and therefore the first of us to attend college. My lifelong passion has been theater; since I was 8 years old I've been performing, training, and auditioning, building up my repetoir and honing my skills so that one day, I might have the priviledge of working in the Broadway theater district of New York City. I have been blessed with parents who support this dream and continue to work and sacrifice to make it a reality.
The hard work paid off! Last year I was accepted into Wagner College's prestigious theater program, which is one of the best in the nation. I spent my Freshman year there studying theater and found myself falling completely in love with the program, the faculty, the students, and most of all, the city. It is everything I've dreamed it would be. Unfortunately, due to the rising cost of tuition, despite recieving the hightest scholarship awarded to theater students, I am still shy $6900 necessary to return for my Sophomore year.
I have done everything I can to advocate for myself at the college. I have the support of several acclaimed faculty, but due to the fact that my large family makes above a certain amount of income a year, there is nothing else the college can do for me in the way of financial aid. In addition, my family is not in a position to take out any loans. I have made straight As and been on the Dean's list both semesters, am in the Honor's program, and have a 3.9 GPA. I have worked four jobs this summer, in additon to investing the money I have saved, but it's still not enough.
I have been increadibly blessed by the opportunity to attend Wagner's theater program. Its strength lies in the acting philosophies taught there, the solid curriculum and dedicated faculty, the performance opportunities, and the passionate students who have become my dear friends. I took a leap of faith by going to Wagner becuase I knew it would not be the easiest option, but I believe that it's where I am called to be.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your support of me means more than you could ever know. God bless! :)
Organizer
Addi Berry
Organizer
Boone, NC
