I've had the gift of knowing Liz Amaya Fernandez and calling her a dear friend for about a decade and a half now. I first came to know her as a poet, a deeply curious soul with an open mind, an educator, and a devoted mom of two young children. Back in those days when we shared time or spoke on the phone, I’d often hear her daughter Isabel’s young and excited voice calling out to her in the background. In the years since, I’ve had the honor of watching Liz and her partner guide and nurture both Isabel and her older brother into flourishing young adulthoods. Isabel is now thriving in her senior year of high school. She is a dedicated artist on a deeply creative, competitive, passionate journey filled with dance and music.

Senior year is an incredibly expensive time. My own (way back in 1999) included many high bills and some milestones my family could not afford- and that was true without any extra curricular education or competitions. Watching Liz and her family work hard to meet the greatly increased financial demands of senior year with all of the added expenses of dance classes, intensive dance seminars, important competitions, and the necessary related travel- has made it clear that this is an enormous financial demand. They’ve devoted time and energy to countless fundraising efforts over the years, selling products in support of Isabel’s dance teams, and making many other strong offers to chip away at the bills.

Knowing the high cost of supporting a senior who is working hard to chase her dreams, it occurred to me that this is one of those times where it truly does take a village. Whether you have been a fan of Isabel’s dancing, a devoted reader of Liz’s poetry, a beneficiary of Liz’s sexual health education or doula practice, a friend, or perhaps you don’t know either of them and have simply found this campaign as a fan of the arts - I hope you will consider donating to support the dreams and goals of this young artist as she works hard at closing out her high school chapter and launching into the next part of her creative journey.