Hi, my name is Autumn Fulton, and I am about to begin my final undergraduate semester as a nontraditional Bennett Belle in Kyoto, Japan! As a 26-year-old returning student, I have been very intentional with making my second experience in school as beneficial as possible by taking advantage of as many opportunities offered as I can. Since returning in January of 2024, I feel that I have lived up to my own expectations of making my experience more meaningful and academically successful through scholarship opportunities and experiential learning programs. I've decided to study abroad in Kyoto, Japan for my final semester to further push myself to grow both personally and academically, and I am in need of additional support to make my time there as comfortable and secure as possible.

I have primarily relied on scholarships and grants for most of my funding, and I've been fortunate enough to have most of my program expenses covered through them. I currently work full time, and while the majority of my expenses are paid for, traveling so far away from home is creating a greater need for financial security. I will be in Japan for three months total, and this is the most excited I've ever been to embark on another journey into the unknown. I am creating this GoFundMe because I am much shorter on funds than I anticipated though I've saved as much as possible, and with my departure approaching rapidly, having additional financial support will make the experience all the more secure and beneficial.

To provide a bit more insight into my background, throughout my life, I never really saw myself as much of an academic. This belief was the primary contributor to me "dropping out" in 2020 and I never saw myself returning to school on my own accord. Life sometimes gets to a point though where you realize that you are personally responsible for how you choose to live, and I decided that I wanted to be an active participant in my life rather than a bystander only aware of what was currently in front of me. Returning to school has been the best decision I could've made for myself, and I've grown to understand that I actually do really enjoy learning and having opportunities to push myself out of my comfort zone to grow personally, academically, and professionally.

This is my final semester of my undergraduate degree, and while I never imagined this time would come, I am eternally grateful for how my life has unfolded since I made the conscious effort to choose better for myself. Anything you have to offer in support of my current and future studies and would be immensely appreciated!