Hello, this is Jeff McCargish. I am the guitarist you see in the photo for this GoFundMe campaign. The young lady sitting and playing next to me is Tia Ward. I am putting this fundraiser together for her to assist with the cost of attending the Berklee School of Music. As you can see, my goal is a lofty one. But I want you to know how extraordinary this young lady is. I have been teaching “Career Music” at the Ft Hayes Career Center for over 25 years. I have had the honor and pleasure to work with so many amazing young musicians over these years, truly a humbling and rewarding experience for me. I have seen my share of deserving students that needed assistance in various ways and certainly financial need is a common challenge for so many. With that said, I have never been so compelled to do all I can to make sure that a student gets the resources to become the artist I know they can become via a school setting and I believe 100% that the Berklee College is the right place for this outstanding young musician. Tia did receive a scholarship to attend Berklee, but not nearly enough to cover all tuition and housing expenses. The remaining costs are simply too high for her to cover. I want you to know that this young lady is incredibly strong in all areas of music performance and music studies: strong performance skills, strong theory/academic skills, fantastic aural skills, etc. But Tia Ward is also a very hard working musician that has created an annual string camp and does a wide array of performances and works beyond diligently to carve out a commercial footprint for herself and others. Our school sent her to a summer music program last year at Berklee and she fell in love with the school and the environment there and in Boston. I am so hopeful that this campaign will be a successful one. Please take the time to look her up online and see for yourself the various things she’s involved with. Please consider making a meaningful contribution to the certainly bright future for this outstanding young woman. I would ask that you forward this campaign to as many people who you think might want to invest in this very deserving and gifted musician.

Most Sincerely,

Jeff McCargish

Career Music Director

Ft Hayes Career Center

Columbus Ohio