Help Rev.Jalesha Achieve Her Doctoral Calling at Goldsmiths

Hi friends, family, and beloved community,

Today I’m reaching out with an open heart and a deeply personal ask. I need your help in taking the next big step in my academic and spiritual journey.

I’ve been accepted into a PhD program for Religious Studies at Goldsmiths University in London, starting this September. This opportunity allows me to pursue groundbreaking research at the intersection of faith, technology, and ethics, a space where I hope to reimagine the church through virtual and augmented reality, making sacred community more accessible for all.

But right now, I’m facing a critical roadblock, and I can’t do this alone. I need your support to get there.

Why I Urgently Need Your Help

I was admitted into the program in late May. However, in the midst of completing the required 20+ page dissertation proposal (including multiple rounds of approval), I was accepted after most major scholarship deadlines and was left with limited financial aid access.

I want to be candid in saying I need help. I can’t do this alone, so I'm choosing to actively pursue this next chapter in community, not in compounding debt, because I believe in the miracles of God. And as Lauren Kelly told me long ago, “Debt is not a miracle”.

As a first-generation college graduate, I’ve carried the weight of student debt to break generational cycles. Watching the constant changes in U.S. student loan policy has shown me that relying on a broken system won’t work.

This time, I’m leaning on something stronger: community, calling, God, and collective action.

To move forward, I urgently need:

$4,000 ASAP to secure my tuition deposit and start my UK visa process

$65,000 total to cover tuition, housing, flights, visa fees, food, and living expenses for Year One.

The total cost of attendance for international students at Goldsmiths is high due to the exchange rate (GBP → USD), which is about $1.38 = £1. But I believe in miracles, grace, and community. Every dollar raised is a step closer to making this dream a reality.

Fundraising Milestones

Goal/ What It Covers

$4,000 Tuition deposit + visa sponsorship (URGENT)

$18,000 Secure housing costs

$35,000 Semester 1 full expenses

$65,000 Full Year 1 tuition + living + travel

Why This Matters

More than a personal dream, entering this PhD program is another step towards fulfilling my calling. A continuation of the work I’ve been doing for years: building faith communities, mentoring young people, telling stories, and pursuing justice.

After earning my M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary, being ordained at Double Love Experience Church, and exploring digital faith through my fellowship with TIDEL, I knew this was the next step. I’ve spent my gap year fasting, healing, researching, and preparing.

Beyond academics, it’s about putting my ministry in motion.

My Journey in Brief

My story began humbly in Houston’s Third Ward. I graduated from Jack Yates High School, ranked number five in my class, becoming the first on my father’s side to complete high school. At Yates, I learned the power of perseverance and community. Through debate, softball, National Honor Society, and even a TEDx Talk, it was there that I found my voice and my vision for my future.

As an undergraduate, I earned a full-tuition scholarship to The University of Texas at Austin, where I founded spaces like CultureX, led organizations dedicated to social justice like Alternative Breaks, mentored hundreds of students, and traveled internationally to teach and inspire youth. Additionally, with the help of close friends, I co-founded the organizations Shift Press and Institute of Engagement, bringing resources and skills to youth in Houston. I graduated with honors as an Outstanding Senior and a Herman Sweatt Legacy Student after shaping campus life at UT.

After UT, I felt a deeper call to earn my Master of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary, where I explored digital faith communities, became an Ordained Reverend at Double Love Experience Church in Brooklyn, and helped build sacred spaces that make faith accessible to all.

After I graduated, I spent this past year pausing intentionally to heal, to lose weight, to seek therapy, to journal, and to continue my research through a fellowship exploring digital faith communities. In this season, I grew stronger, clearer, and ready to take this next big step.

You can read, follow, or see more about my Journey on any of my social media platforms! @JaleysJourney on IG, X, threads, Snapchat, TikTok, and Jalesha Bass on Facebook and LinkedIn.

How You Can Help

This is where you come in. Your donation, whether it’s $10 or $1,000, gets me one step closer to London. Every gift, every share, and every prayer matters.

Donate what you can

Share this campaign with your networks

Post a memory, story, or kind words on your socials with my GoFundMe link

Keep me lifted in prayer

If you’ve ever been blessed by my teaching, ministry, mentorship, or spirit, I ask you to sow into this vision. You’ll be planting seeds that will grow far beyond me.

With all my heart: Thank you.

Thank you for walking with me.

Thank you for helping me keep the faith when the path seems impossible.

With love, light, and deep gratitude,

Rev. Jalesha Bass