Help Tinashe Stay in the U.S. for OPT & Grad School

Friends, community, and kind strangers:

My name is Tinashe, and I’m a recent college graduate originally from Zimbabwe. I studied Philosophy at Hamilton College, a small liberal arts college in upstate NY, where I graduated with honors and a 3.9/4.0 GPA in the concentration. Now, at this critical turning point, I’m reaching out for support.

Since graduating this spring, I’ve been navigating a complex and stressful immigration and work situation. Due to delays in government processing and the broader policy climate, I’ve been unable to legally work since May. This gap has placed an immense financial strain on me, as I remain in the country under a legal grace period that ends on July 24, 2025, the final date I can submit my paperwork.

My goal is to stay in the U.S. to begin Optional Practical Training (OPT), a legal program that allows international students like me to work in their field of study. I have job prospects lined up (but cannot take up until my paperwork is submitted), and I am also preparing applications to graduate schools in philosophy. But to remain here, I need to cover several urgent costs:

Estimated total: $4,500–$5,700. Any additional funds will go directly toward educational expenses.

These are costs I cannot meet on my own. My family back home in Zimbabwe is proud but unable to support me financially in this moment due to assisting with an ailing grandparent. Because I’m currently out of status, I cannot take on work in the meantime. Hamilton has been kind to give me housing for the summer, and major thanks to the Dean of Students office, but I am currently making plans for the next. I’ve done everything in my power to stay afloat; what remains is to ask for help.

I care about learning, ideas, and helping to build just and meaningful institutions. I’ve had the privilege of thinking critically, writing rigorously, and throwing myself into projects that I hope will one day enable me to give back to the world, especially across borders.

If you can contribute any amount, I would be endlessly grateful. If you’re unable to give, sharing this fundraiser would still mean the world to me.

Thank you for helping me keep the dream going. If you have any questions or need more information, I am happy to share more.

With warmth and hope from a sun-baked upstate New York,

Tinashe