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Hey friends, family, & fellow rabble-rousers!
I recently got accepted to graduate school at the University of Maryland! I have enrolled in UMD’s Master of Library & Information Science program, and I will be starting classes this fall.
Those of you who know me personally know that I have long had a desire to find a career that would fulfill my passion for journalism, and also pay a living wage, while providing a general public service to my surrounding community. After more than a decade of working low-wage jobs, I’ve come to realize that being a librarian would satisfy both my desire to promote popular education for working class and otherwise oppressed people, as well as my love of research and media studies. A little known fact about librarians is that most of those who work for municipal governments or universities have to have a masters degree and prior experience in the field. It’s a lot of work to become a librarian, but I am determined to both climb out of abject poverty, and to give back to the working class communities that have supported me throughout my adult life.
There’s just one problem: I’m currently in default with my undergraduate student loans, and I can’t get more loans to attend grad school this fall until I get out of default! To do that, I’ve agreed to a consolidation plan with the Department of Education and the private collection agency they work with: I have to make three payments of about $600, for three months. After that, I can defer the rest of my loans throughout grad school, and then be on an income-driven payment plan after I graduate.
This may seem simple enough, but as a preschool teacher, I don’t make enough to afford to set aside that much money, even for such a short period of time. Most of my family members are also in similar economic situations. If I can actually pull off getting out of default and going to grad school, I would be the first person in my immediate family to do so.
This is where all of you lovely people come in! I’m asking for $2,000 between now and July 31st. That might seem like a LOT of money, but if most people in my social networks donate just a few dollars, I could easily reach my goal. I’m extremely humbled by the people who have helped me with basic living expenses over these past couple of years, and I don’t ask for this lightly. However, this amount would allow me to cover all three of my payments, and it would also account for the preschool cutting my hours this summer. This way, I would still be able to pay my rent, my utilities, and my other monthly expenses.
If you can’t donate, that’s totally ok! Just please share my fundraiser around to trusted friends and community members. That way, those who can donate will be able to do so.
Finally, a note on my privacy settings: Since I’ve previously been harassed online by fascist goons in the Alt-Right, I’m employing extra security to make sure I’m not publicly targeted by those jackasses. This means if you donate, you might not be able to comment on my GoFundMe right away, and it also means you won’t be able to search for my fundraiser without the link. Rest assured, I’ll still get the donations, and if I’m friends with you IRL or online, I’ll send you a message thanking you!
Thanks for all your help, everyone!
Love & Solidarity,
Cal C.
I recently got accepted to graduate school at the University of Maryland! I have enrolled in UMD’s Master of Library & Information Science program, and I will be starting classes this fall.
Those of you who know me personally know that I have long had a desire to find a career that would fulfill my passion for journalism, and also pay a living wage, while providing a general public service to my surrounding community. After more than a decade of working low-wage jobs, I’ve come to realize that being a librarian would satisfy both my desire to promote popular education for working class and otherwise oppressed people, as well as my love of research and media studies. A little known fact about librarians is that most of those who work for municipal governments or universities have to have a masters degree and prior experience in the field. It’s a lot of work to become a librarian, but I am determined to both climb out of abject poverty, and to give back to the working class communities that have supported me throughout my adult life.
There’s just one problem: I’m currently in default with my undergraduate student loans, and I can’t get more loans to attend grad school this fall until I get out of default! To do that, I’ve agreed to a consolidation plan with the Department of Education and the private collection agency they work with: I have to make three payments of about $600, for three months. After that, I can defer the rest of my loans throughout grad school, and then be on an income-driven payment plan after I graduate.
This may seem simple enough, but as a preschool teacher, I don’t make enough to afford to set aside that much money, even for such a short period of time. Most of my family members are also in similar economic situations. If I can actually pull off getting out of default and going to grad school, I would be the first person in my immediate family to do so.
This is where all of you lovely people come in! I’m asking for $2,000 between now and July 31st. That might seem like a LOT of money, but if most people in my social networks donate just a few dollars, I could easily reach my goal. I’m extremely humbled by the people who have helped me with basic living expenses over these past couple of years, and I don’t ask for this lightly. However, this amount would allow me to cover all three of my payments, and it would also account for the preschool cutting my hours this summer. This way, I would still be able to pay my rent, my utilities, and my other monthly expenses.
If you can’t donate, that’s totally ok! Just please share my fundraiser around to trusted friends and community members. That way, those who can donate will be able to do so.
Finally, a note on my privacy settings: Since I’ve previously been harassed online by fascist goons in the Alt-Right, I’m employing extra security to make sure I’m not publicly targeted by those jackasses. This means if you donate, you might not be able to comment on my GoFundMe right away, and it also means you won’t be able to search for my fundraiser without the link. Rest assured, I’ll still get the donations, and if I’m friends with you IRL or online, I’ll send you a message thanking you!
Thanks for all your help, everyone!
Love & Solidarity,
Cal C.