Hi, my name is Ishara Gordon-Bethel. I am fundraising for the opportunity to cover my tuition for the CIEE summer study abroad program in Paris, France. I got into a 3-week CIEE program in Paris in which I will be learning all about Fashion Design & Culture. This fundraiser will cover my airfare, program fees, plus on-the-ground spending money.

My love of fashion began when I first walked into the small shop on Tompkins Ave in Brooklyn for my Black Girls Sew class at eight years old. I didn't even know what it was going to be like, but I do remember that8when I made bags with Ankara cloths and skirts and shirts with upcycled materials, I felt successful, accomplished, and happy seeing something I imagined come to life.

That success gave me the courage to launch my own jewelry line at twelve years old, called Miraculous, where I sell handmade earrings made from crystals and beads. It was to my surprise when at community festivals like Dance Africa and African Street Festival, people actually purchased my jewelry. For a twelve-year-old, all that support from my community really made me feel like there was a place for me in the fashion industry. I felt like a real businesswoman who was making something that actually mattered; a pretty cool feeling for a tween.

I'm inspired by artists like Ayana, who uses repurposed glass found on beaches in Grenada to create jewelry, and my aunty Wunmi, who sources handmade adire cloth from Nigeria for her fashion line WowWow By Wunmi. Their work showed me that fashion can tell stories, honor culture, and support communities.

Since then, I've also become interested in photography and sustainability, and their relationship to the fashion business. Recreating the subject in Seydou Keita's pictures for my own photography project last year in my sophomore year was a fun challenge that paid off. After I presented it, my teacher was so impressed that he asked to use it as an example for future classes. I think about the places I'm from: Brooklyn, Trinidad, Antigua; I would love to see more girls like me creating projects and art businesses like this that help build our communities as well as provide resources for them while telling the stories of our cultures and families. The CIEE program is a chance for me to do just that.

My community gave me courage before, and I'm using that courage to come to the community again and ask for support. With your donation, this Caribbean Brooklyn girl and emerging climate change creative will be able to go to Paris (and Europe) for the first time and learn as much as possible so that I can bring those experiences and knowledge back home. Imagine us winning!

My hope is that this program will be a full immersion exploration that will inspire me as well as provide lifelong experiences that I can use to inspire other girls.

I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my story, post it, repost it, or perhaps, make a donation. All donations will be funding my CIEE Fashion Design & Culture Summer Program tuition and spending expenses while I am abroad for 3 weeks in Paris, France. Thank you!