Help Mauricio Go To UCL!

Hello, I am Mauricio Marc Coombs I and I am currently attempting to raise funds to help offset the cost to obtain my Ancient History, MA at the prestigious University College London (UCL) in London, England. This would be a major step in my academic / career goals as my long-term goal is to obtain a doctorate in African History and become a college professor and researcher. My research interest lies in the relationship between Ancient Kemet (Egypt) and other contemporary African states, and I believe that the extensive collection of Ancient Egyptian and Sudanese artifacts in England would allow me to best pursue this study.

I started my academic journey as a student in the Rochester City School District, attending School #7, School #50, Integrated Arts and Technology High School (at the Franklin Campus), and graduating from Wilson Magnet High School utilizing programs such as Biz Kidz, Roc E6, Upward Bound, and the International Baccalaureate Program to help guide my interest and make myself a competitive applicant for the undergraduate collegiate pool. With the help from these programs as well as my family I was accepted into the University of Rochester (Ranked #30 of the top 100 schools in the USA) with a $73,000/year scholarship through the Office of Minority Student Affairs HEOP program.

During my time at the University of Rochester, I served in a variety of student organizations in a variety of capacities including the Black Students' Union, Student Organization for Caribbean Awareness, Keidaeans Honor Society, Rochester Business Association, Douglass Leadership House, and The Pact. In serving student needs, I have also been part of the #URBlackLivesMatterPetition committee and worked extensively with faculty and staff to make the University a more diverse and equitable place.

In addition to these social commitments, I have distinguished myself academically by being part of the Kearns Scholars Program, McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, and Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society. I've also done research with a variety of professors at the University, most notably, Professor Cona Marshall and Professor Michael Jarvis. All of this culminated in my graduating from the University of Rochester with a 3.56 GPA, a B.A. in African and African American Studies (AAAS) and B.A. in Religion.

Before graduating in 2022, I was disheartened to learn that I was not accepted into any Ph.D. program in the USA with funding, and thus could not pursue my graduate education immediately. During this forced gap year, I worked with the UR Fellowship Office to craft an application for the Fulbright Program to solicit a federal grant to pursue an MA at the University College London. Working closely with my fellowship advisor, Belinda Redden, I also submitted applications to Oxford University, Cambridge University, and UCL in addition to my Fulbright application. Despite being admitted into all three aforementioned schools, I only made it as far as a semi-finalist in the Fulbright competition and thus did not receive the funding crucial to my educational goals.

This process is extremely frustrating and emotional for me, as based on my history and my prior achievement I don't believe it would be pretentious to call myself a 'model student'. Despite personal hardship and familial issues which led to poor attendance (particularly in high school) I have always been in accelerated or honors classes (as early as the Major Achievements Program from 4th - 6th grade), maintained a high GPA, and have been involved in a plethora of extracurricular activities that have always been directly or indirectly related to academia. I now find it almost unfathomable that despite my track record I have such limited options in pursuing my education.

It is no secret that opportunity is a scarce commodity for people in inner-city Rochester, particularly, those from underrepresented, low-income backgrounds. There are next to no local programs or internships to aid me in gaining my footing as a young Black historian and no local funds or initiatives to help propel me to places that would accelerate my development. It is for this reason that I reluctantly decided to create a GoFundMe campaign.

While I am attempting to solicit grants and scholarships from the University College London, the funding pool is very small for Masters students, and I currently have no other option than to ask my community for help. I am asking you for your help, whether that be a financial contribution or a share of this link to help spread awareness.

Despite all these obstacles, I am determined to see my education through. While the journey has been tumultuous, I am asking that the Rochester community or anyone with the ability to help, does help.

Thanks for your consideration,