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WELCOME EVERYONE! My name is Angel Acuña and I am a dance artist from San Diego, California. Before I start sharing details of my life with you, I must first state why I am here. I NEED YOUR HELP.
With great pleasure I share with you that I have been selected and accepted to study, beginning this Fall 2017, at École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal in Canada . The school offers a three year professional training program that cultivates discipline, trains dancers in a variety of movement techniques, and most importantly nurtures the uniqueness of each student. With luck on my side, I was selected to enter the program as a second year student. That means that my tuition expenses will be minus one third of the regular cost. Which leads me to bring up the money talk. (CUE DRAMATIC MUSIC TO MATCH DRAMATIC EYE OPENING)
After doing my calculations, This is what I came up with:
-$11,556 US dollars ( 2 years worth of tuition)
-$300 US dollars (2 School Annual fees)
-$415 US dollars (1 School Summer School)
If you are checking the math, you will notice that it sums up to $12,271 US dollars for the entire school experience, which is just a bit more than I am asking for your help with. This is without the costs of rent, mandatory private insurance for two years (1,406 US dollars), student permit, plane tickets to get there and keeping myself alive. These expenses I am currently working my coconuts off to pay for myself and IT´S NOT EASY.
One could think, ¨Angel, sweety, darling....why don´t you get a loan?¨ I am on Gofundme for a reason: My last option. The school is not listed as a qualifying institution for a federal international student loan. After having that door closed, I checked banks – another door closed. Visited multiple credit unions (with all options of getting a loan on my own, in partnership with family members and even the sketchy options) and again – door slams. The reality is, I (my family and I) can´t afford school. Looking at the total alone $12,271 we can shrug and optimistically say, ¨that is actually not a lot for 2 years of school.¨ My reality is that I don’t have access to that amount of money without asking for help. It is possible as much as it is impossible. As with many of you, I don’t know what having 12k feels like. What I do know is what it feels like to have love, support, friendship, empathy, encouragement, passion, excitement, hopes and faith to have the chance to turn my dreams into my reality.
If I do make it to 12k with your help, I will know what it feels like to have this immediate, life changing purpose.
With your help, I can begin to achieve to a dream that I’ve held since I was 10 years old which will propel me to an extraordinary artistic and academic experience. Friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends, I am reaching out to every single one of you to ask for help. Any size contribution is heartily and greatly appreciated. Please remember that a contribution could also be in the form of sharing this request for help to your friends, family, colleagues, connections, co-workers, and/or anyone who can help.
For the individuals that fund my potential experience, I will make sure you don’t go unnoticed. My exchange to you will be a giant thank you in the shape of a two year collection of personal monthly e-letters that will share with you my experience in Montreal through a collaboration of creative writing, videos, photos, and musical playlist that were created just for you.
Thank you for your big hearts.
Remember,
When you grow, I grow, as much as when I grow, you grow.
With love, dance and laughter.
-Angel
With great pleasure I share with you that I have been selected and accepted to study, beginning this Fall 2017, at École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal in Canada . The school offers a three year professional training program that cultivates discipline, trains dancers in a variety of movement techniques, and most importantly nurtures the uniqueness of each student. With luck on my side, I was selected to enter the program as a second year student. That means that my tuition expenses will be minus one third of the regular cost. Which leads me to bring up the money talk. (CUE DRAMATIC MUSIC TO MATCH DRAMATIC EYE OPENING)
After doing my calculations, This is what I came up with:
-$11,556 US dollars ( 2 years worth of tuition)
-$300 US dollars (2 School Annual fees)
-$415 US dollars (1 School Summer School)
If you are checking the math, you will notice that it sums up to $12,271 US dollars for the entire school experience, which is just a bit more than I am asking for your help with. This is without the costs of rent, mandatory private insurance for two years (1,406 US dollars), student permit, plane tickets to get there and keeping myself alive. These expenses I am currently working my coconuts off to pay for myself and IT´S NOT EASY.
One could think, ¨Angel, sweety, darling....why don´t you get a loan?¨ I am on Gofundme for a reason: My last option. The school is not listed as a qualifying institution for a federal international student loan. After having that door closed, I checked banks – another door closed. Visited multiple credit unions (with all options of getting a loan on my own, in partnership with family members and even the sketchy options) and again – door slams. The reality is, I (my family and I) can´t afford school. Looking at the total alone $12,271 we can shrug and optimistically say, ¨that is actually not a lot for 2 years of school.¨ My reality is that I don’t have access to that amount of money without asking for help. It is possible as much as it is impossible. As with many of you, I don’t know what having 12k feels like. What I do know is what it feels like to have love, support, friendship, empathy, encouragement, passion, excitement, hopes and faith to have the chance to turn my dreams into my reality.
If I do make it to 12k with your help, I will know what it feels like to have this immediate, life changing purpose.
With your help, I can begin to achieve to a dream that I’ve held since I was 10 years old which will propel me to an extraordinary artistic and academic experience. Friends, friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends, I am reaching out to every single one of you to ask for help. Any size contribution is heartily and greatly appreciated. Please remember that a contribution could also be in the form of sharing this request for help to your friends, family, colleagues, connections, co-workers, and/or anyone who can help.
For the individuals that fund my potential experience, I will make sure you don’t go unnoticed. My exchange to you will be a giant thank you in the shape of a two year collection of personal monthly e-letters that will share with you my experience in Montreal through a collaboration of creative writing, videos, photos, and musical playlist that were created just for you.
Thank you for your big hearts.
Remember,
When you grow, I grow, as much as when I grow, you grow.
With love, dance and laughter.
-Angel