My name is Ceyoncé, and I’m about to begin a master’s degree in Media and Public Communication with a concentration in Media and Globalization at the University of Denver. After spending years in the corporate and tech world, I decided in 2024 to return to my passion for the arts and media. Last year, I launched a YouTube channel called Cey and the City, where I break down every episode of Sex and the City and explore major themes like gender and sexuality. Through this work, I’ve seen firsthand how media shapes our understanding of identity and how those narratives have evolved since the late 1990s. This experience inspired me to study the ongoing influence of traditional media on our acceptance of nonconforming genders and sexualities, and to prepare for a future PhD focused on these issues.

Leaving my marketing career meant a significant reduction in income, so I’ve been working part-time while preparing to start school and planning to serve as a teaching assistant. I was fortunate to receive a scholarship from DU, but I’m still facing a final tuition balance that I can’t cover without support. Without help, I won’t be able to pay my rent for the next few months. I’ve always tried to work with organizations that value ethical practices and responsible messaging, but I realized that real change requires more in-depth research and advocacy. That’s why I’m committed to using my education to challenge misinformation and support my queer and nonbinary communities, who are increasingly targeted by harmful narratives in the media.

My goal is to create scholarship and inform new curriculum that empower others to challenge attacks on marginalized communities and to break the cycles of fear and hopelessness perpetuated by the media. Your support will help me start my degree, move closer to a PhD, and make a meaningful impact in the fight for more accurate, inclusive, and responsible media representation. Thank you for believing in this work and for helping me continue this journey.