I’m Rene, and if you’ve followed me for a while, you probably know me through comedy and the content I’ve created online. But over the past few years, another part of my work has become deeply important to me: women’s health education. I’ve created content about endometriosis, fibroids, HPV, menopause, reproductive health, and the ways women can struggle to have their symptoms taken seriously in healthcare. The more I researched these topics, the more I realized something about myself: I don’t just want to talk about healthcare. I want to be part of it. That’s why I’m going back to school. My goal is to start at CCBC, become a Registered Nurse, continue on to a BSN, and eventually become a Nurse Practitioner with a focus on women’s health.

Getting started has been harder than I expected. Right now, I don’t have reliable transportation, and I don’t currently have a job. That makes it difficult to get to school, find work, and eventually complete clinical rotations. I’ve also been dealing with financial and administrative issues that have made accessing financial aid more complicated than I expected. This fundraiser is meant to help me get over that initial barrier and build enough stability to move forward. Here’s how the funds will help:

• $12,000 for reliable transportation so I can get to school, work, and future clinicals
• $2,500 for registration, taxes, insurance, and initial maintenance
• $12,500 for CCBC tuition, books, supplies, uniforms, testing, and other nursing school expenses
• $3,000 for gas, insurance, maintenance, and a small emergency cushion

I plan to work while attending school, including pursuing CNA and PCT opportunities so I can gain patient-care experience and begin supporting myself financially. I’m not asking to be carried forever. I’m asking for help getting to the starting line.

Why women’s health? Because this part of the journey has truly changed me. I’ve seen how many people are looking for someone to explain complicated medical topics in a way that doesn’t make them feel stupid, ignored, or dismissed. I want the education and clinical experience to do more than make a video explaining why something happens. I want to sit with patients, listen to their concerns, understand what’s happening, advocate for them, and participate in their care. I still plan to create, make people laugh, and continue the content that brought so many of us together, but I’m also trying to build something bigger alongside it. If you can donate, thank you. If you can’t, sharing this fundraiser would mean so much. And if you’ve ever watched one of my women’s health videos and thought, “I wish more people talked about this,” this is one way you can help me take that conversation to the next level. I’m not asking you to believe I have everything figured out. I’m asking you to believe that I’m willing to work for it. Thank you for believing in me.