My name is Jahliely Salcedo. I am from the Bronx, and I graduated from Vanguard High school in New York city. I recently got accepted to my dream school, California Institute Of The Arts (CALARTS) for BFA acting. Originally, I wanted to go to CALARTS for my first passion which is dance. Nothing made me more satisfied than being in a studio and expressing myself through the movement of my body. As I got older, I wanted to be more than just a dancer so I joined The Open Hydrant Theatre company where I got in tune with musical theatre and it gave me a space to not only dance but sing and act, from there I fell in love with acting. Acting offers a unique lense into world viewing, storytelling, and expression. When I'm on stage, my goal is not only to tell a great story but to heal someone in the audience, as performing was a part of my own healing. Being on stage helped me free myself from myself, which is something I didn't know how to do before until the Garden Of Dreams foundation gave me the opportunity to express myself and improve my performance whether it was through a screen or in front of thousands of people. This form of art provides the world with the most stripped down, honest, and vulnerable version of me, and as Calarts not only giving me a space to act but also to continue my first passion as a dancer. It’s a place where I can be free and nothing can make me more zen than that. Unfortunately my single mother and myself cannot afford to pay for this amazing opportunity let alone she also has 2 more children on their way to college next year.

I am asking for as much help as possible by sharing this and if you are able to, donating to this cause whether it is ten dollars or even one dollar is a huge help, to help further my career in this school and to fulfill my dreams as a performer. Thank you so much for all your help and consideration.