Help Dee Attend Her Advanced Course

Hi!

I'm Dee Wollstonecraft Michel and am asking for funds to help get me to Irving, TX for the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) Advanced Course. It is scheduled for March 30 to April 1, and billed at $1500.

While there have been upheavals at CMS, this path is still correct to further my career as a wine professional.

In order to place into the Advanced Course or Test (Level 3 out of 4), one needs to take a pre-test and achieve a high enough mark. I scored in the 92nd percentile.

In addition to this merit, I also think it's important to say that I am one of the only (if not the only) transgender women sommeliers in the state of California, and perhaps elsewhere in the country. While that's a little disconerting (we need more of us!), I hope to lead by example and inspire more trans people in the wine industry, particularly trans women. This seems particularly important in the aftermath of the CMS scandal and how we can collectively transform an industry.

As mentioned before, the class itself is $1500, airfare is $250, and lodging for 5 days is around $750. I simply cannot afford the course by myself and need your help.

To date, there’s no financial aid nor scholarships available for this class.

I need at least $1500 by February 14th to pay for the class. Wine colleagues and friends -- I'm asking you all first and foremost. Many of my friends in the LGBTQ community are already strapped for money, and others are fundraising to cover important needs.

Thank you so much for your help. If you'd like to send me something directly, you can also use v3nmo -- at msleather.

<3 Dee