***

NOTE -- This page has been inactive for a long time.  I chose to leave it up not as a means for continuing to draw funds (I have disabled donations), but as a way of honoring those who chose to help me out when I was in a pretty dark place.  We should always appreciate those who are willing to help us when we need it most.  People should be praised for their love and generosity.  Maybe if we all spent a little more time expressing this appreciation, the world would be a tiny bit brighter.  So I will leave this page up as a way of remembering how my fellow human beings, through no obligation or coercion, found it in their hearts to lend me a hand so that I could continue to walk my path and try to realize my dreams.  That may sound cheesy, but I promise that it's genuine. 

As I write this (September 29th, 2018), I've spent the past few years clawing my way toward the degree that I started around the time I created this page.  I've grown tremendously as a person and had so many amazing experiences that wouldn't have occurred if I had not been able to stay in Austin.  I'll forever be grateful that so many wonderful people were willing to take a chance and help me out.

As stated earlier, I'm not looking for money from you.  I am standing on my own two feet now thanks in large part to the people who were willing to help me out when I needed it.  So instead of asking for anything material, I only ask that you take a moment to appreciate people who are willing to do something kind for their fellow human beings.  If someone has helped you when you really needed it, thank them.  Pay them back if they let you, and pay it forward if not.  If you can, perhaps do both!  But whatever you do, just try to keep the love for your fellow people alive.  We all need each other more than we may like to admit.  The generosity of the people on this page changed my life for the better, and I hope that others can benefit in the same way.

Be well, friends.

***

Hey, everyone!  For those who don't know, I'm Geoff Futch -- wannabe writer, budding exercise science educator , and scholar-in-training.

I'm also a new doctoral student in Exercise Physiology at the University of Texas, and I'm absolutely thrilled that I've been given the opportunity to follow my dream of becoming a professional geek by earning my Ph.D.  This opens the door to becoming a researcher -- and even more important to me, a TEACHER -- in a field that I love so dearly.

Unfortunately, I've been plagued by a number of financial setbacks over the past few months that have left me in a difficult spot.  A nasty injury, an even nastier illness (that kept me sidelined for a couple of months), crippling depression, and a number of other incidental costs have put me in a position where I'm struggling to make ends meet.  Recently, I received word from the University that the financial aid I was originally eligible for is no longer going to be offered to me.  This is after months of being told that I was going to receive a healthy sum of aid from the school to help cover my living expenses.

That, as they say, is the straw that broke the camel's back.

I'm now looking at a shortfall of several thousand dollars.  While I luckily do have a fellowship that waives out-of-state tuition and provides a stipend, it's simply not enough to cover all of my expenses.  Furthermore, more than half of my tuition and fees need to be paid upfront at the beginning of the semester, while my funds come in monthly installments.  I'm in a bind where I can probably cover either my tuition *or* my rent/utilities.  But not both.

The sum I have chosen ($4500) would cover my entire tuition for the Fall 2015 semester -- $4201 for 9 hours of graduate enrollment and a few hundred to cover books and fees.  It would mean being able to pay my bills, cover my school costs, and jump-start the final leg of my journey to being a professor and giving something back.

*** Know that I intend to put every cent raised here toward my tuition and school fees.  If I exceed my initial goals, any extra will be put toward future tuition/textbooks as well as my efforts to educate others through my writing and videos.  This is NOT a fundraiser to help me live free and easy.  It is exclusively for my education and for my endeavors to educate others!***

Austin has been quite welcoming, and I've already made some fantastic friends at school from my lab and summer classes.  It feels like a home, and I know that this is where I need to be.  So please, I would be forever grateful for any help you can provide.  Help me keep the dream from ending before it truly begins!