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Hey there, everyone!
My name is Melanie Laird and I'm a senior at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. I am a History major with a minor in Classical Studies. Once I graduate this spring, I plan to head directly into GMU's Graduate School for Education and obtain my teaching licensure for Social Studies Grades 6 - 12. I am here today to humbly ask for your help to make this future educator's dream come true!
If you listen to my mother, she'll tell you I have had a passion for history since I was seven years old, grabbing books on Ancient Egypt, Medieval Europe, Colonial America - anything I could get my hands on was fair game. And it's completely true! I have now dedicated my academic and personal life to quenching this insatiable curiosity for the past, and hope to extend my own passion and inspiration to my future students.
I was lucky enough to receive a little extra financial aid this year, and have the opportunity to travel to Italy for two weeks this January. The program will take me to Florence and Rome, where I will immerse myself in the rich traditions and complex history of Renaissance art and culture. Italy is young nation with an ancient past, and this program will allow me to study and experience multiple historical narratives through art, architecture, and archaeology. It is a wonderful opportunity to round out my history degree, and will give me firsthand experience with subjects I'll be teaching to my own students!
Like millions of other students, I have always struggled to finance my college education. Before college, my family struggled through years of financial hardship, and I spent much of high school working as much as I could to help pay my family's bills and cover other expenses. This situation continued into college, and after my first year, I could no longer afford to live on campus. I was forced to move back home, away from my friends and newfound independence, and begin commuting to school. While I was extremely lucky to have enough aid to cover most of my tuition, paying my bill each semester always brought about worry and stress. My family and I are much better now, and after years of commuting and paying school expenses out of pocket, I finally have a chance to pursue my dream. My financial aid will cover most of the program fees, but traveling abroad is quite expensive and I am asking for your help for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The total cost of this program is $5,300, and my financial aid package will cover $3,800 - this leaves $1,500 to go! Any and all donations will go directly to covering the expenses of this program, which include school tuition, airline fares, transportation, and my hotel stay. Thank you very much for reading my story, and for your support in helping me achieve my dream!
- Melanie
My name is Melanie Laird and I'm a senior at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. I am a History major with a minor in Classical Studies. Once I graduate this spring, I plan to head directly into GMU's Graduate School for Education and obtain my teaching licensure for Social Studies Grades 6 - 12. I am here today to humbly ask for your help to make this future educator's dream come true!
If you listen to my mother, she'll tell you I have had a passion for history since I was seven years old, grabbing books on Ancient Egypt, Medieval Europe, Colonial America - anything I could get my hands on was fair game. And it's completely true! I have now dedicated my academic and personal life to quenching this insatiable curiosity for the past, and hope to extend my own passion and inspiration to my future students.
I was lucky enough to receive a little extra financial aid this year, and have the opportunity to travel to Italy for two weeks this January. The program will take me to Florence and Rome, where I will immerse myself in the rich traditions and complex history of Renaissance art and culture. Italy is young nation with an ancient past, and this program will allow me to study and experience multiple historical narratives through art, architecture, and archaeology. It is a wonderful opportunity to round out my history degree, and will give me firsthand experience with subjects I'll be teaching to my own students!
Like millions of other students, I have always struggled to finance my college education. Before college, my family struggled through years of financial hardship, and I spent much of high school working as much as I could to help pay my family's bills and cover other expenses. This situation continued into college, and after my first year, I could no longer afford to live on campus. I was forced to move back home, away from my friends and newfound independence, and begin commuting to school. While I was extremely lucky to have enough aid to cover most of my tuition, paying my bill each semester always brought about worry and stress. My family and I are much better now, and after years of commuting and paying school expenses out of pocket, I finally have a chance to pursue my dream. My financial aid will cover most of the program fees, but traveling abroad is quite expensive and I am asking for your help for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The total cost of this program is $5,300, and my financial aid package will cover $3,800 - this leaves $1,500 to go! Any and all donations will go directly to covering the expenses of this program, which include school tuition, airline fares, transportation, and my hotel stay. Thank you very much for reading my story, and for your support in helping me achieve my dream!
- Melanie