Hi, I am Seniha, an actor, director, and creative from Istanbul. Even at a young age, I've always liked performing, creating, being on stage... However, as a person who is not from a privileged background and grew up in a house where money was always an issue, I never thought doing something creative was something I could do. During my school years, I worked really hard and I was always the top of my year and got into medical school. My getting into a medical school made everyone around me happy except me. I was feeling so lost, I felt like I had no purpose. Then I found acting and directing, and I felt like I found myself. Suddenly, my whole world has changed. I decided to move to England and start my career here. In April 2022, I moved out of my parents' house to a completely different place by myself. I started auditioning for the UK drama schools. I've auditioned for 3 years and during that time I've also joined a Theatre company, got training, performed in plays, and been in short films. And this year, I got through to the final round for all the places I applied to and got into 5 drama schools.

Why I need your support

I unfortunately am not eligible for student loans yet, and I don't get any support from my parents or anyone. I have been an independent person since I came to the UK. I have worked in various jobs on minimum wage to pay my living costs, and this summer I worked almost every day to try to save money to go to the drama school I want. I am so lucky that I got a bursary to help me with some of my tuition fees, and I will work on the weekends and evenings to pay the rest of the fees and my living costs; however, it still won't be enough. This is why I need your help. And thank you for taking your time to read my story, and your generosity means the world.