Help Me Graduate, Heal from Abuse, and Fight MAGA

Mission:

I’m a survivor of abuse within an evangelical, cult environment that laid the groundwork for the MAGA movement. I’ve fought for my life, returned to college at 29, and I’m now one semester away from graduating with a degree in Social Work. I need your help to finish my degree, continue healing, and turn my story into political resistance and community action.

My Story, Surviving Religious Sexual Abuse and Rebuilding My Life:

My name is David James Walter, and I’m a 33-year-old survivor of emotional and sexual abuse in a religious cult. My body, mind, and identity were controlled, sexualized, and shamed from childhood in a toxic environment masquerading as faith.

For most of my life, I lived under the weight of untreated trauma. My twenties were marked by chronic depression, suicidal ideation, and overwhelming self-hatred. In 2021, I came terrifyingly close to ending my life. I truly believed my life had no worth.

But something in me refused to give up.

At age 29, in a last-ditch effort to create meaning from my pain, I re-enrolled in college. I chose social work. I wanted to understand what happened to me — and how I could help others who were raised in similar systems of abuse and control. I found therapy. I found language for my pain: religious trauma, emotional sexual abuse, complex PTSD. And slowly, I began to rebuild.

Where I Am Now:

Today, I am thriving in many ways:

I’m earning straight As in my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program at Texas State University

I work two jobs — as a barista and babysitter — to support myself

I lead a men’s group and serve as a community builder at a coffee shop, one of the safest spaces in Austin

I’m in therapy, making art, and caring for children as a nanny.

But despite everything I’ve overcome, I’m now facing an urgent barrier that could derail my entire healing journey.

⚠️ Why I Need Your Help Now:

My final semester requires a 30-hour/week unpaid internship in the social work field — a full-time commitment on top of school. I simply cannot afford to do this unpaid labor while covering rent, food, therapy, and basic survival. I’m already in debt from years of untreated trauma and survival-mode living.

Working two jobs and going to school has taken a lot out of me — and now, I’m at the finish line with few resources left. If I can’t complete the internship, I can’t graduate.

That’s why I’m asking for support:

To bridge this financial gap, finish my degree, and continue building the life I’ve fought so hard for.

What Your Support Will Fund:

Your donations will go toward:

Turning Survival Into Political Resistance:

This campaign isn’t just about helping me get through school. It’s about something much bigger.

The cult I was raised in wasn’t just a personal tragedy — it was a microcosm of the MAGA movement, a prototype of the Christian nationalist ideology that now threatens millions. I grew up under authoritarianism, toxic masculinity, and religious extremism — long before it became a political platform.

Now, I’m committed to turning my survival into action.

I want to use my voice, story, and education to:

This isn’t just a degree. This is resistance.

My Vision for the Future:

Once I graduate, I plan to:

How You Can Help:

If my story resonates with you — whether you’ve known trauma, faced spiritual abuse, or just want to support someone turning pain into purpose — I humbly ask for your support.

Every dollar helps me reach stability, graduate, and take this mission further.

If you can’t donate, please consider sharing this campaign with your network. Visibility matters.

From Rock Bottom to Rising:

I have dignity and worth — even if my parents didn’t see it.

Even if the world didn’t make space for it.

Even if I didn’t believe it myself for a long time.

Now, I do.

And I’m asking for help not just to survive, but to rise — and to help others rise too.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for believing in survivors.

Thank you for giving what you can.

With love and hope,

Dave James Walter