From ATL to Cape Town: Support Jared’s Journey
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Hello Everyone!
My name is Jared Shanklin, and I’m a non-traditional sophomore at Georgia State University majoring in History with a concentration in Pre-Law, and double minoring in Spanish and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). After years of working and navigating my way back to college, I’m proud to be on a journey that reflects who I am and who I’m becoming: a future attorney, educator, and global citizen.
This summer, I’ve been given the incredible opportunity to study abroad in Cape Town, South Africa for two weeks as part of a program focused on civil rights, global justice, and cross-cultural learning. I’ll be specifically studying language and how systems of power use it to unify people or separate and marginalize them. During this trip, I’ll visit Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned), go on a safari, tour local museums and universities, and participate in community service projects alongside a cohort of other brilliant GSU students.
This is more than just a trip for me. It’s the continuation of a journey that started earlier this year when I traveled abroad for the very first time to São Paulo, Brazil with another incredible cohort of GSU students. That experience changed everything for me. Immersing myself in Brazilian culture lit such a fire in me that I came home and changed my minors to Spanish and TEFL. Since then, I’ve committed to studying Spanish every single day, and it’s opened up a whole new world of connection, confidence, and purpose.
Since Brazil, I’ve also:
* Earned a 4.0 GPA and made the President’s List
* Been accepted into the Honors College
* Selected as the ATLAS student leader for this upcoming South Africa trip
I’ve been working hard to cover as many expenses as I can, but I still need help reaching the finish line. Your support will help me cover travel expenses, tuition costs, meals, supplies, and day-to-day costs while abroad. My goal is to raise $2,000, and anything you give, whether $5 or $50, brings me closer to fully participating in this life-shaping experience.
Thank you so much for believing in me, supporting my education, and being part of this journey. I promise to pay it forward.
With gratitude,
Jared