*IF YOU PREFER TO LISTEN TO STORIES LIKE THESE RATHER THAN READ THEM, PLEASE GO TO MY TIKTOK PAGE (@NBDYTHINKSWHATITHINK), FOR A DIGESTIBLE VERSION OF THIS STORY*

Hi! My name is Zaria Williams, I am an actress and an aspiring producer/director. I am so passionate about what I do in every aspect of the word. I want to change the way we view ourselves and each other through the art of storytelling. Our society is very divided because many of us struggle to put ourselves in other people's shoes. Art, especially Film/TV, is supposed to aid us in doing so. The problem seems to be that mainstream media is more worried about what sells or what is agreeable that they fail to break boundaries. My belief is that if we change the type of stories that we make mainstream, we will be able to better understand one another, which will ultimately start to heal us as a society.

I am a sophomore at Pepperdine University where I am currently learning and honing the skills I need to be a producer, actress, and businesswoman. I have done everything in my power to get all that I can out of my education here at Pepperdine. If I am unable to get the extra funding I need, that experience will be ripped from me before I can reach the finish line. I receive a Theater Scholarship and grants from Pepperdine that I am immensely grateful for. Nonetheless, even with that aid, I still owe just over $30,000 a year for school. This is impossible for my parents to continue to pay. I have applied for external scholarships and have received little to no extra help; and I tried appealing my financial aid package to no avail. For this semester I need $17,000 by November if I even want to be able to register for classes next semester.

However, I am not simply asking for a handout. For every donation/request I am willing and able to produce the following content on TikTok:

(Always backed up by research)

*I am also willing to take other appropriate content requests aside from this list*

If you are unable to donate but would still like to help, please engage with the content that I post, especially if you enjoy it!

Thank you so much,

-Zaria W.