Help Destinée-Jolene Stay at SVA

Hi! My name is Destinee, and in 2022 I became a full-time student at the School of Visual Arts. Since then, affording college has been one of the hardest things, but somehow, my mom and I managed.

Around November 2023, my mom and I moved to a shelter with no kitchen facilities, now creating a new expense in our life: buying food from outside. Slowly but surely, the constant spending on food, external storage and more caught up, causing my mom and I to be unable to afford the last month payment from my previous semester, and now the future payments for the upcoming semester in the fall. We have exhausted all other resources possible, now leading me to begin this GoFundMe.

Film over the past 5+ years has consumed my every being. From the very first moment I picked up a camera to record, and began to edit, I knew it was the one thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The happiness and connection I feel with all of the projects I've ever worked on, whether I was a crew member or in charge of post-production is something I never want to let go of. Getting into SVA for film felt like a confirmation that I had found my calling. I've managed to meet the most amazing people; both students and professors that have been incredibly enriching to my passion.

Here I am now, with two years remaining, considering it the end of my dream because of the huge financial roadblock ahead of me. After calling my school, I was told that by August 15th, I need to provide $4000, which would cover the remaining balance for last semester, and the first month's payment for the upcoming one in the Fall. The remaining funds will go to cover the future monthly payments, throughout the year, hopefully alleviating the intense pressure for both my mom and I.

Being a part of the SVA community is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I truly don't want to let it go. I'm reaching out to my community for help to keep my dream afloat.

Thank you for anything and everything,

Destinée-Jolene Marcion and Aimée Daniel