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I’m asking for support from the community I’ve spent years standing with: in the streets, in the water, behind the camera, and in every space where we’ve fought for environmental justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and transformative education.
This Fall, I have been accepted to attend the Harvard Graduate School of Education to pursue my master’s degree in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship. This is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity; not just for me, but for the communities I serve. I’m going to Harvard to come back with more tools, more access, and more power to open doors for others.
WHY I'M ASKING FOR HELP
Harvard awarded me a 50% tuition scholarship, which I’m deeply grateful for. But that still leaves the remaining tuition, plus the cost of relocating to Cambridge, housing, food, transportation, and basic living expenses... all while continuing to support my family back home. I’ll be moving to Cambridge alone, and the financial load is heavy.
I’ve spent years doing community work that rarely paid... documenting direct actions, producing photojournalism and drone footage for grassroots movements, supporting organizers, educators, and advocates. I did that work because it mattered, because our stories deserved to be told with dignity, and because our communities deserve visibility and truth. I never expected anything in return. Now I’m asking for help because this next step isn’t just mine. It belongs to all of us.
MY STORY
My path to this moment has not been easy. I grew up in instability, spending years in foster care because of drugs and violence in my home, and I was homeless as a teenager. After high school, I joined the Army searching for structure and purpose, but returned from deployments with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other lasting injuries. For years I struggled to rebuild my life and find direction. It wasn’t until I began doing community work: showing up for environmental justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and education, documenting our movements with my camera and drone... that I found healing, purpose, and a sense of belonging. This community helped me become the person I am today, and it’s the reason I’m pursuing this degree.
WHAT THIS DEGREE WILL ALLOW ME TO DO
- Build and expand community‑rooted educational programs that center equity, environmental protection, and Indigenous rights.
- Create pathways for youth, veterans, and underrepresented communities to access ocean science, environmental justice work, and transformative education.
- Bring national‑level resources back home: funding, partnerships, and opportunities that our communities are often shut out of.
- Strengthen the work we already do by gaining the institutional leverage needed to open doors that have historically been closed to us.
I’m committed to returning with knowledge, networks, and tools that will directly benefit the people who raised me, supported me, and marched beside me.
WHAT YOUR SUPPORT WILL COVER
- Remaining Harvard tuition
- Moving costs to Cambridge, MA
- Rent and basic living expenses
- Food and transportation
- Continued support for my family back home
- Stability while I focus on coursework and community‑centered projects
GoFundMe starts campaigns with smaller milestone goals to build momentum. My full need is $50,000, and I’ll raise the goal as we reach each milestone together.
A PROMISE TO MY COMMUNITY
I promise that this degree will not pull me away from the work... it will deepen it. I’m going to Harvard for US, not instead of us. I will continue to uplift our movements, amplify our stories, and build programs that make education, environmental justice, and sovereignty accessible to the people who need it most.
If you’ve ever stood with me, organized with me, learned with me, or trusted me to document your work or story... I’m asking you to stand with me once more.
Thank you for believing in me, and thank you for helping me take this step so I can come back stronger for our community.
Organizer
