Help Calvin Reach Grad School Dreams Amid Medical Struggle

Howdy - I appreciate y'all taking the time to read. I'm looking for a little help covering bills & upcoming tuition expenses as I try and prep for grad school in the fall and get past the hump of mounting unexpected medical bills this summer.

As many of you know, I was diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder about five years ago. Unpredictable mood swings are par for the course and the recommended tactic for tackling the disorder is a balance of medication (with regular blood testing and dosage adjustments), therapy, and a stable, routine schedule. Unfortunately, it's been a long while since all three of these things were accessible to me at the same time.

I embraced photography as a means of coping with the symptoms of my Bipolar, channeling manic and depressive episodes through stark compositions. Influenced by modernist traditions of photography, as well as mid-twentieth century portrait and fashion photography, my work focuses on minimalist yet dramatic lighting and geometry, and their place in exploring his and the human condition. Since graduating from SCAD in 2020 -- just before being diagnosed Bipolar -- I've built a career as a commercial assistant, exhibiting artist, and commercial photographer in New York. With clients, corporations, editorials and studios all facing budget cuts and the looming threat of AI, my photographic career has very much stalled, as have those of my many friends, peers, and mentors.

Last summer I left a PM job at a photography studio; my unpredictable and nightshift schedule led to many sleepless evenings and mornings, which led to mania, which led to missed days of work, which led to tightened finances, which triggered stress-induced episodes -- it's a vicious cycle that is often exacerbated by all of these factors. Once I stabilized, I knew I had to leave - and since doing so I have found a job I love, but one that does not offer health insurance. Because of this my therapy/psych sessions have been sporadic, and I have been unable to make much needed adjustments to my dosage for over a year. All of these factors culminated in some months-long intensive suicidality, and ultimately a brief hospitalization earlier this week. The decision to go to the psychiatric emergency room was a necessary, but expensive one - welcome to the States!

The good people at Mt Sinai brought me back to baseline, adjusted my dosage for the time being, and set me up with standing appointments with their team, and I am incredibly thankful for their help, and my wonderful partner who took me to the ER that morning. I am waiting on approval for Medicaid but I don't yet know how much will be covered, nor do I have faith that my specific service will exist much longer due to, again, States.

One can never prepare for a manic episode, nor is it ever timely, but this one struck just as I am saving up for grad school in the fall. After several years working in New York, I've chosen to pursue a master’s degree to prepare for a career in teaching photographic theory and ethics. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to teach, inspired by my late mother, strengthened by my time at SCAD; and horrified by the rise in the aforementioned threats overtaking our industry. I was fortunate enough to be accepted at my alma mater for their graduate program this fall, and I was in the process of applying for loans & prepping for the move down to GA when this all happened. I don't have much in the way of family to support me when it comes to these expenses, so the culmination of my hospital bills, medical upkeep, tuition, living expenses, and moving costs are falling squarely on me.

Ultimately, I'm just trying to stand on my own two feet before going into more, albeit predictable debt this fall. I am extremely thankful to my dear friends, my partner, and my sister for their continued support, and incredibly appreciative of anyone who took the time to read this. If nothing else, my work can be seen at my website here, as well as on my instagram.