Send Joseph Rata to NYU with Love

Hey fam! I'm Michelle and I put this fundraiser together so we can send Joseph Rata off to NYU with love. Can you pitch in?

I don't need to tell you that moving across the country is expensive, or that college is expensive, or that living in New York is expensive -- you already know! And Joseph is doing all three, moving from California to New York to pursue his Master's in Dance Education at New York University this Fall.

Pursuing a dance Master's in one of the dance capitals of the world is more than a dream for Joseph. It is a chance to show all the kids who look up to him and see themselves in him, that you can do anything if you work hard to make it happen.

You see, Joseph grew up in Sacramento as a young Filipino kid from a working-class family. His parents struggled to make ends meet, and couldn't always be around because they had to work multiple jobs to provide for the family. It could make a kid lonely. It could send a kid down the wrong path. But Joseph found a way to channel his energy toward something positive when he joined his high school dance team. As he often says, "Dance saved me." As an artistic expression, dance gave him an outlet to feel free, find self-love, and help others do the same, especially through more stressful times in his life.

He went on to earn his B.A. in Dance and Theatre from Sac State and has been a key figure in the Sacramento dance community, training hundreds of kids and young adults in dance. Joseph truly goes above and beyond for every one of them, seeing them not only as dancers but as people - who, like him - may have a lot more going on outside the classroom. Joseph likes to say that dance saves lives, but really, teachers like Joseph save lives. Through dance, he helps them find ways to express and find or rediscover passion and purpose in life.

After giving so much to the Sacramento community, Joseph is now ready to embark on the next part of his journey. He's ready to become the first in his family to earn a Master's degree and explore life outside of his hometown. (Did you know he has NEVER been to New York?!)

The world is expanding for Joseph and when it expands for Joseph, it expands for the entire Filipino community, for low-income youth, and the thousands who will benefit from all the ways in which Joseph will give back in New York and beyond after graduation.

His brilliant talent and hard work has earned him two scholarships to help support his education. But like I said, rent, food, and transportation all costs money in a big city like New York. And he doesn't have a fallback. There is no financial safety net. So I'm asking us to come together and show him that WE got his back. Let's help him breathe a little easier as he climbs the next mountain, knowing we won't let him starve.

Please join me and pitch in any amount that feels meaningful to you to help cover his travel and start-up costs to establish himself in New York. We want Joseph to be able to focus on what he does best: expanding opportunities for the next generation of youth.

With his degree, Joseph plans to create an international dance education program, providing dance education to thousands of underserved kids in the U.S. and third world countries. Your support will help make this dream a reality!