Put Kat on the Wine Map
Donation protected
Friends of friends, I, Katherine Varela (known as Kat by most), have been studying wine since college, since my years at the Florida International University in my hometown of Miami. After college, I moved to California to be closer to the vineyards and it is where I pursued more wine education by completing the first level of the Court of Master Sommeliers and achieving a Certified Specialist of Wine title with the Society of Wine Educators. In the wake of the new year, I decided to apply for a Master of Science program, with Kedge University, specializing in Wine & Spirits Management in Bordeaux, France. During these sixteen months away at school, I would also be completing the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) levels 1-3. I chose this program because I wholeheartedly believe that this will pave way towards a bright future with many opportunities at my fingertips. If you are not familiar with the history of wine in Bordeaux, this has been dubbed the capital of wine, which is why I chose it over a program offered in California, USA. Not to mention, it is less expensive to study abroad.
Friends and family, you probably already have had to listen to me ramble on about wine. My sincere apologies. Nevertheless, this program will allow me to utilize my business degree and further explore the wine industry. The goal is to build a successful career and a prosperous life for my family and myself.
Unfortunately, Kedge does not offer any financial aid nor is it affiliated with any banks so that one could apply for a student loan. Thus, leaving me with little to no options in terms of funding. Since this is a masters program, a student is only allowed to work 20 hours a week, which we all know is not enough when you are on your own, financially.
I am one to exhaust all my options, especially when it comes to money, before I ask for help. My family has assisted me in every way they can but it is still not enough for my tuition. The tuition is roughly $12,000 (I say roughly because the Euro to USD exchange rate changes daily) and I may have unexpected costs (i.e. books, transportation) once I arrive in France. I have been preparing for my move abroad for months; gathering all the paperwork needed, selling all my furniture, and culturally equipping myself by taking French lessons. However, the funding I had in line fell through in the last couple of weeks so here I am, attempting to assemble the last piece of the puzzle. A GoFundMe page was my last resort to achieve my financial mark.
In a perfect world, all 643 of my Facebook “friends” would be able to donate $23, or all 2057 of my Instagram “followers” would donate $7 to reach my goal amount. Be that as it may, it is not a perfect world and I understand that we all have our own struggles and financial burdens, I will and do appreciate anything that can be donated. And if not a donation, a click of the “share” button would move mountains. If my goal amount is not reached by the third week of September, I will not be able to attend the program (the tuition must be paid in full at this time) and I will be refunding everyone their donations.
Thank you - Kat
Organizer
Kat Johanna Varela
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA