Hi! My name is Jovani Ibrahim. I am an actor originally from Cleveland, Ohio. I’m excited to share that after 4 rounds of auditions over the span of 6 months, I was lucky enough to be accepted into The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London for their 3 year BA acting program.

RADA is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious drama schools in the world, home to alumni like Cynthia Erivo, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, and Jessie Buckley, among many more. Out of more than 4,500 applicants from around the world, 28 were chosen. And I don’t want to let a bank account be the reason I can't go.

Why I need your help

Theater has been an immense part of my life since discovering it in high-school, and has helped shape me into the person I am today. So getting to attend one of the best programs in the world, while at the same time getting to receive a degree as a first generation college student, would be life changing for me. While attending RADA is a dream come true, affording it is not for the faint of heart. I come from an extremely low income household. My family regularly depended on government assistance, and we even had our home foreclosed on a few years back. Even with the money I’ve saved up from working in previous years, I’m left with a cost of roughly $50,000 for my first year, which needs to be satisfied before my enrollment on September 1st. Here's what your contribution goes toward: Tuition for year one of my BA Acting program at RADA, Housing in one of the world's most expensive cities, Travel, materials, and living expenses while I train full-time.

Funding opportunities for international students in the first year are extremely limited, and most scholarship programs only become available once you are already enrolled. In addition, I’d be unable to work during school due to me being on a student visa. My plan is to aggressively pursue those opportunities starting year two, but first, I have to get there.

I don’t come from money. My family cannot contribute. I have applied for every scholarship available, BAFTA, Warner Bros., institutional awards, and I am pursuing every legitimate funding path I can find. This GoFundMe is not my first move. It is one piece of a larger strategy to get to London and stay there for three years without taking on debt that would follow me for the rest of my life.

I’m asking for support from those who believe a person's background should never limit their future. This is a significant amount of money for anyone to raise, so anything you can do to support, no matter the amount, or by sharing this, will really change my life. Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

-Jovani