Erin's Dream Cheetah Internship

Hello everyone! If you've reached this page, I'm assuming you already know me, but if you have not had the chance to get personally acquainted with me I'll give you some quick background information. My name is Erin Vargo and I am currently a junior at Grand Valley State University, majoring in biology with a wildlife emphasis. I've always had a huge heart for animals, but for as long as I can remember, I've also always harbored an indubitably mighty affinity for cheetahs and cheetahs alone. I now own over fifty cheetah stuffed animals, twenty cheetah books (of which I have read every single one at least three times), a cheetah steering wheel cover, cheetah shower curtains, cheetah bed sheets, cheetah notebooks, countless cheetah posters, cheetah clothing, a cheetah dish set, and even a series of cheetah noise ringtones that nobody ever gets the chance to hear because I keep my phone on silent (also why I am horrible at answering calls right away). However, I'd like to point out that this is much more than a materialistic obsession, but rather a lifestyle choice. My end career goal has always been to specifically be a cheetah biologist and hopefully become a full time employee for the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF). That thought has always been pushed to the back of my mind though, as I had never imagined I'd be getting myself to Africa this soon. If anything, I thought I'd get accepted somewhere more lowkey in the states first, like Wildlife Safari Park in Oregon, or the San Diego Safari Park, or even just Binder Park Zoo in little ole Battle Creek. So  now, as I proudly accept my month long internship at CCF, I feel completely unprepared and am taking a hit to the ego to extend my arm in need of some donations to get myself there. The internship is from May 10th through June 10th in Namibia, Africa. I will be doing tasks such as hiding in a bush for 12 hours at a waterhole to count game species, using telemtry to track cheetahs that have been radio collared, taking ambassador cheetahs to schools to help educate kids on conservation, raising Anatolian Shepard puppies to give to farmers to protect their livestock, releasing cheetahs back into the wild, cleaning enclosures (unavoidable), and inputting entries into databases. It costs $2,020 for my month there (includes housing and food) and the plane ticket-- which is the real killer-- is a stubborn $2,500ish. I also still have to purchase a passport and work visa so add in another $500.  Therefore, as this is a research trip and will directly benefit my resume and career path, my goal is about $5,000. As a broke college student with minimum money in my savings, I aim to fundraise the entire cost. I currently am taking 15 credits and working about 25 to 30 hours a week as a waitress (which will be cut down soon because that cannot realistically coincide with a 4.0 GPA that I desperately want this semester) so I am definitely pulling my weight while I ask for money. But anyway, this is seriously all I have wanted in my entire life and most of you know that. Anything dollar amount will help. Whether it be $5 or $50, you will all be getting personalized thank you letters on how you have helped one of the few souls brave enough to follow their dreams, actually achieve her dream. I am also willing to babysit, shovel snow, dog walk, etc for some extra cash. And coming soon I will have a blog/vlog to document all of my adventures. Sorry for the lengthy bio, but there just aren't enough words to cover the vast expance of how excited I am!!! Thank you again, everyone. Any donations will truly mean the world to me <3

Ps: This is CCF's website: www.cheetah.org