Help David live his dream to study in Germany
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Isaac and I am starting this campaign to help my friend David. My fiancé and I stayed at his family’s Airbnb when we were traveling several years ago and that’s how we met him. Our stay with David was the highlight of our trip. The country he lives in has a very complex history and is one of the poorest in the region. We’ve decided to not give his full name or identify his country in our fundraiser, as there are some significant obstacles that prevent students from his country from studying abroad. This is why we are doing this fundraiser. We want to crowdsource a scholarship for David!
David is incredibly smart and has a great heart to bring about positive change--I strongly believe the world needs to invest in people like him. When I first met him, he was working as a professor at a local university and running a small business outfitting motorbikes with electric motors that he and his business partners designed and engineered by hand with locally available materials. His ingenuity and creativity stood out to me from the beginning. As you’ll read below, others have also noticed these qualities. I believe that his unique perspective and skills will take him a long way, especially if he can get the chance to live in a freer country with more opportunities. Consider donating to this campaign so David can have the opportunity to study and work in Germany. Below is a letter written by David:
______________________________________________________________________________
Dear families, friends, and donators:
Hello, my name is David. I am a young professor at a Latin-American University. I graduated as a Telecommunications Engineer with the highest honors. Since then, I have been dedicated to researching and teaching in the field of digital signal and image processing. My passion has always been to find out how to apply this knowledge such that I can help those who are in the greatest need. I've always had a deep desire to help those in need, and I believe this was largely fueled by the influence Jesuit spirituality has had on me. This question has always moved me: How can we do the most good for the greatest number with the technological advances we have? Consequently, applications related to medical image and signal processing, remote sensing for monitoring global climate change and others have called my attention over my career.
Currently, I also work as an online tutor, where I help a variety of international students in their projects. This is one of the best experiences that I have ever had in teaching. Despite my love in this academic work, where I live, it's almost impossible to make a living as a researcher or a university professor. Chances to thrive professionally tend to be very scarce. Nevertheless, the course of my life suddenly changed last October when I was awarded with a possibility to study abroad in a unique master's of science program.
Last October I had the honor to be accepted (only 40 selected out of a total greater than 450) for the Communications and Multimedia Engineering international master’s program from Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. My happiness is tremendous, as this competitive university is regarded as the most innovative in Germany and second in all of Europe. A wonderful academic opportunity like this is a high and unique dream which I would not want to miss out on.
Regardless of the advantage of free education in Germany and part-time job possibilities for international students, the biggest challenge appears in the requirements for the visa application for overseas students. It turns out that is mandatory to show evidence that guarantees my livelihood before arriving in Germany and they demand me to have an amount of 10,236 euros in a German bank account. After several weeks of writing letters to a variety of institutions that offer scholarships, I was very discouraged to discover that there aren’t any scholarships I would qualify for.
I am from a very low-income country in which gathering such 10,236 euros is impossible. Therefore, my hopes rely on GoFundMe and people willing to help. I am at a critical moment and I would like to build an academic future in Germany: The Land of Ideas, where creative people make their ideas come true. I would be grateful if you would consider supporting my attendance by contributing to the expenses in any way you can. No matter how much you can donate, it would be lovingly received with high value. I will keep this campaign open to provide updates of the process.
Thank you so much!!!
David
David is incredibly smart and has a great heart to bring about positive change--I strongly believe the world needs to invest in people like him. When I first met him, he was working as a professor at a local university and running a small business outfitting motorbikes with electric motors that he and his business partners designed and engineered by hand with locally available materials. His ingenuity and creativity stood out to me from the beginning. As you’ll read below, others have also noticed these qualities. I believe that his unique perspective and skills will take him a long way, especially if he can get the chance to live in a freer country with more opportunities. Consider donating to this campaign so David can have the opportunity to study and work in Germany. Below is a letter written by David:
______________________________________________________________________________
Dear families, friends, and donators:
Hello, my name is David. I am a young professor at a Latin-American University. I graduated as a Telecommunications Engineer with the highest honors. Since then, I have been dedicated to researching and teaching in the field of digital signal and image processing. My passion has always been to find out how to apply this knowledge such that I can help those who are in the greatest need. I've always had a deep desire to help those in need, and I believe this was largely fueled by the influence Jesuit spirituality has had on me. This question has always moved me: How can we do the most good for the greatest number with the technological advances we have? Consequently, applications related to medical image and signal processing, remote sensing for monitoring global climate change and others have called my attention over my career.
Currently, I also work as an online tutor, where I help a variety of international students in their projects. This is one of the best experiences that I have ever had in teaching. Despite my love in this academic work, where I live, it's almost impossible to make a living as a researcher or a university professor. Chances to thrive professionally tend to be very scarce. Nevertheless, the course of my life suddenly changed last October when I was awarded with a possibility to study abroad in a unique master's of science program.
Last October I had the honor to be accepted (only 40 selected out of a total greater than 450) for the Communications and Multimedia Engineering international master’s program from Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. My happiness is tremendous, as this competitive university is regarded as the most innovative in Germany and second in all of Europe. A wonderful academic opportunity like this is a high and unique dream which I would not want to miss out on.
Regardless of the advantage of free education in Germany and part-time job possibilities for international students, the biggest challenge appears in the requirements for the visa application for overseas students. It turns out that is mandatory to show evidence that guarantees my livelihood before arriving in Germany and they demand me to have an amount of 10,236 euros in a German bank account. After several weeks of writing letters to a variety of institutions that offer scholarships, I was very discouraged to discover that there aren’t any scholarships I would qualify for.
I am from a very low-income country in which gathering such 10,236 euros is impossible. Therefore, my hopes rely on GoFundMe and people willing to help. I am at a critical moment and I would like to build an academic future in Germany: The Land of Ideas, where creative people make their ideas come true. I would be grateful if you would consider supporting my attendance by contributing to the expenses in any way you can. No matter how much you can donate, it would be lovingly received with high value. I will keep this campaign open to provide updates of the process.
Thank you so much!!!
David
Organizer
Isaac Ekblad
Organizer
Sedro-Woolley, WA
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