Hello! To my friends, my family, fellow writers, lovers of film, and the Emerson Mafia, I come to you asking for your support.

My name is Wyatt Buzek, and I have recently been granted one of the greatest opportunities of being accepted to participate in a study abroad program in New Zealand for a writers' retreat, where I would be traveling and honing my craft of storytelling.

I come from nowhere, California, a small town of dusty roads and hills. With not much to do or see, I found myself in 1 of 2 places: in front of the TV with my cases of DVDs and VHSs, falling asleep to Kevin Costner's Robin Hood every night, or I was out exploring, getting lost in the hills and fields, coming up with my own adventures. Either way, I was always entranced with the stories and tales of heroes, lovers, and dreamers. But small towns can only support so many passions of heroes, lovers, and dreamers.

So when I was finishing high school, I was faced with a decision. I can either hunker down and stay home, where I would blend into the background of the desert, or I can take the risk of jumping and pursuing my dream of becoming a storyteller. I had this voice screaming at me internally to jump, to take the risk, to try. So at the age of 18, I decided to move out on my own. I moved to Boston right out of high school, paying rent with what little I earned from my minimum wage cafe job, where I would attend community college and continue to apply to Emerson College.

And here I am now, I'm 21, still living in Boston, now with my girlfriend of 3 years, working full time as a restaurant host, where I am now in my junior year of college. And every day I am reminded of how happy I am that I took that jump. Icarus is smiling at me.

Now being in my junior year, I told myself that I needed to prove myself. Seeing all my peers accomplish these amazing tasks of directing their own films, traveling abroad, and becoming stronger storytellers, stronger artists. When I decided that I wanted to study abroad, I wasn't sure where would best suit me initially. I looked into every program, every abroad opportunity, and then I found the New Zealand program, and that is when I heard that voice screaming at me for the second time in my life.

Ask any storyteller why they write, and they may tell you about a storyteller that came before them, someone that inspires them, drives them to be who they are now. For me, I draw my inspiration from the early films of Taika Waititi – a New Zealand local. So this is how I wanted to prove myself. By going to New Zealand, the home of the person whose stories have led me to where I am now, and becoming a stronger writer, becoming a more well rounded storyteller.

So please, help me. Help me become the storyteller I am meant to be.

What would your donation go toward?

Traveling expenses such as plane tickets, food, and a passport

School supplies and tuition

A month's worth of rent, since I would be traveling for 4 weeks

Groceries for my partner and 2 kitties at home

If anyone has any questions or is interested in reading a sample of a script I've written, feel free to reach out on Instagram @_wyattb__