Send MK to Pace University

I will never forget the first time I saw my sister Mary Kathryn perform. She had such poise, passion; a magnetic presence, even when simply reacting to the scene playing out around her. She is a natural, but never one to coast on her God-given abilities. Rather, she worked. Hard. She put in the time and always left everything on the stage. Simply put, she is a talented, dedicated, and level-headed young woman.

I knew this the first time I saw her perform. And the admissions board at Pace University in NYC took notice, too, when they accepted her into their prestigious theatre program. She even received the Pace Scholarship and a number of other smaller awards that will pay for half her tuition. Unfortunately, due to series of inopportune financial situations, there is simply no more money for us to contribute towards her tuition, boarding, and living expenses. This breaks our family’s heart, as for over 15-years, Pace has been MK’s biggest dream.

And she is so close to seeing that dream come true.

That is why, with humility in our hearts and gratitude for the blessing MK’s gift has brought to our family, we ask that you please consider contributing to this GoFundMe and help make her NYC dream come true. We invite you to explore this page – to watch her act, to hear her sing, to see her many accomplishments. If you are as moved as I was the first time I saw her share her art, we welcome you to invest in the artist.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know our family’s Rising Star. Please share this with friends, family, and other patrons of the arts.



The following is an entry from Mary Kathryn:

I am fighting to raise $18,000 to afford attending my dream college in the fall, Pace University.
Hello, my name is Mary Kathryn Alford. I am eighteen years old, I was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia. I graduated from Columbus High School (Liberal Arts College Preparatory Magnet) which is ranked as the number one high school in Georgia as well as the thirty-eighth highschool in the nation. I Worked really hard throughout my high school career, artistically and academically. My high school was extremely competitive, within the school itself and with other schools in the district. I won a state championship with my cast members during my sophomore year in the One Act Play competition, in which each school in the district performs a production in under an hour and is judged and ranked. I am also involved in my community through my church, local theatre programs, and youth organizations.
I possess a fervent passion for Theatre. Do you know what it feels like when your skin feels dry and itchy, and all you want is to finally get to apply moisturizing lotion or swim around in a lovely body of water? It is a feeling of yearning and frustration. That is the exact way I feel when I don't have a script in my hand or a stage to take care of. I have two older sisters, much older, I am the "surprise" child. I have two absolutely wonderful parents. My mother and father have both supported me througoughout my entire life, they have come to every show and every concert. During my sophomore year, I decided that I wanted to pursue Theatre. I didn't just want to perform, I yearned to grow and learn and be fiercely challenged to push myself out of my comfort zone. My senior year came so quickly, and I held on to my dreams to really run after my passion. I have been a student at the Springer Theatre Academy. The Academy is a conservatory-type summer program for children and teenagers that focuses on teaching "Life Skills through Stage Skills". (-Ron Anderson) *visit SpringerOperaHouse.org for information! As a student of the academy for nine years, I have had opportunities to make connections with people from college campuses all across the nation. One person, who is a few years older than I am, graduated and went on to study theatre at Pace University, and I heard so many stories about how he was flourishing in his craft! He seemed so happy and excited, and I decided that this might be a school I should look into. I auditioned for other schools as well across the country. I started my application process and sent prescreen auditions and resumes to three other colleges (Ithaca, Point Park, and Columbus State) and was called back and invited to personally audition for all three. Most people don't realize how stressful it is to apply for college as a performing arts major. You not only have to come across academically successful to the school on a piece of paper showcasing your grades and volunteer work, you also have to be seen as valuable to the program you're auditioning for. I paid seventy-five dollars for every prescreen audition I sent out, and up to one hundred-twenty dollars on solely applying for the schools academically. I bought a very expensive plane ticket to New York City and spent three days enduring highly stressful auditions around the city. don't get me wrong, I was excited beyond imagine to even get this opportunity to finally meet these amazing teachers and directors. I auditioned for Pace on the last day, and by this time I was tired and a bit frightened by the whole process. However, this audition was so unlike the others. There were current students there to help with the auditions and they were all so supportive and welcoming. They didn't even know me, yet I already felt like they were my friends and like they wanted me to succeed. My audition was not scary or intimidating, it was rather fun and challenging! The director of the theatre department went into further detail of the program, and it seemed like every time he introduced a new aspect of the program I fell more in love with the school. I was accepted into an international performance ensemble, meaning that I would have the opportunity to write a new show with my classmates and travel the world while performing the new play at international theatre festivals. I can not possibly imagine a better opportunity. I was overjoyed the day I finally got the call that I was accepted into the program that I had worked endlessly to be in; however, the excitement quickly diminished as I remembered that I didn't happen to have an extra fifty-thousand dollars lying around to pay for a private school in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I applied to live in the least expensive dorm option, which is still $6,795 a year. I also plan to work in a part time job while going to school to start earning an income helping to afford future years at Pace University. Most students and faculty say that the school does award more in scholarship and financial aid after freshman year, because the school needs time to evaluate how valuable the student is to the school through grades and involvement. I specifically plan to obtain the Honors Scholarship, once enrolled, by working as hard as I can to maintain a high GPA. My parents both work very hard. I was awarded several scholarships as well as financial aid, however there is still an $18,000 wall between me and an opportunity of a lifetime. My family's current financial situation prevented us from being able to take out loans. I feel like we, as a family, have reached out in very direction for help, and there has been no relief so far. There is no way to avoid feeling discouraged in this time. I struggle everyday to remember how lucky I am to have even been given an opportunity to audition for these schools. I have never felt so validated in my life than when I was accepted by every school I auditioned for. These schools were done if the top theatre schools in the nation, and they wanted me. They saw talent and potential in me, and this was the first time I actually saw it in myself too, this is the first time in my life that I actually feel good enough, or worthy to pursue something I love. Facing this problem has taught me so much. It has taught me to be patient in the Lord, because at the end of the day, His plan is the one that matters. God has shown Himself to many many times through out thus process. I remember one night in particular, I was crying on my knees in my bedroom praying for God to give me peace about my future. I told Him that I would no longer worry about this and that I trusted Him to lead me to where I needed to be. The next day, I was emailed out of the blue that I had been awarded an additional $750 through the performing arts department. This wasn't enough to afford my tuition, but it was enough to fuel a fire within me to keep fighting for this dream. I am now extending my story to anyone who wants to hear it. I completely understand that this is a stressful time for everyone financially, but I do feel led to publicly announce my dilemma. As of now, I have no idea where I will be next year, and this is a bit scary. But I have been given so much encouragement to be okay with that, and I have tried to be. I have to fight though, I cannot be okay with letting go of this opportunity until I know I have exhausted all possible resources to achieve my goal.
The he fact is that I've been given the opportunity if a life time, to learn among and from the best, and to be the best I can be. I've been given a rare chance to work at the highest possible level in my craft. and I'm trying as hard as I can to turn this dream into a reality. So my invitation to you is this, if you feel led to give after reading my story, please do. Whether it's one dollar or one thousand dollars, your contribution means everything to me, because you're giving me something to hold on to, and you're telling me that you believe in me. Thank you for all support, encouragement, good vibes, prayers, and time spent towards getting to know me and my story.



The following essay is Mary Kathryn's personal statement that she sent to the colleges she auditioned for and explains a little about how theatre has shaped her.

It started during elementary school in the library. I constantly read books and short stories because I loved to meet new characters and explore their lives. In middle school, I began my love of writing about those characters through plays, essays, and poetry. My love for people and their emotions grew immensely and keeps growing with every new experience. My first official role was "Frosty" in the third grade production of Frosty the Snowman. I can vividly recall the joy I felt while making the audience smile as I flitted across the stage in my bulky cotton white costume. By reflecting on this, I have come to realize that my love for theatre is not just about my role on the stage. It’s also about giving myself to the audience in a way that makes me vulnerable. I want the audience to feel moved - whether that is in a way that makes them love me or hate me. I simply want to develop a relationship with them. I have developed not only a love for this craft, but also a curiosity which pushes me to keep discovering more about theatre arts. I am eager to begin learning more about the industry as a whole, such as the art of directing, stage management, costume and set design, and the business of theatre. I want there to be as many dimensions to my knowledge base as there are facets to me. I believe that to truly thrive as an actor, I must continually be growing as a person and in my craft. This past summer, I was invited to attend the Georgia Governor's Honors Program. I drafted resumes, participated in interviews and auditions, and waited. On March 28th I received a text from a friend congratulating me on my acceptance into the prestigious program. My fingers fumbled on my phone screen to locate the GHP website. The list of names - which was in that instant a cynosure of my heart - became fuzzy until I read “Mary Alford”. I was not even offended that they had forgotten the “Kathryn” before the “Alford” and after the “Mary”. I was ineffably content to be accepted with a major in theatre performance with a minor in vocal performance. The common sentiment from GHP (Govenor's Honors Program) Alumni is, “It is life-changing”; and only the alumni truly believe this cheese-stuffed slogan. But I can personally tell you that these words reign true. I learned more about myself, others, and how this world works, as well as about music and theatre arts, than I could have imagined would be possible to learn in twenty-eight days. I was blessed with two instructors in my time at GHP, Mike and Jenny. They let us scream and punch walls and curse if we felt like it was right for the scene or monologue. Day by day, Mike and Jenny pushed us farther to follow our instincts and to not ponder upon other peoples’ opinions of our work. My intention behind my lines became clearer and clearer as well as the true identity of my character. The more vulnerable I became, the more concrete my character became. During the last week of my program, Mike conducted an exercise with the class. We were to stand up, walk in front of the class and stare into a mirror. The task seemed simple: say three positive things about yourself. We slowly realized that this would be the hardest assignment of all. The fearless jumped up first, ready for the challenge. "I am smart", he said first, quite confident in his affirmation. Then he paused and we saw the doubt sweep across his face. Moments passed while he struggled to find something else he liked about himself. "I am talented", he concluded, probably thinking logically -since he was accepted to GHP. He then looked down at us and felt what we were vigorously sending him in our minds. "I am loved". One by one, the rest of us stood and confronted our number one enemy. A lot of us cried, out of frustration, hate for ourselves, compassion for others, and peace after triumphing over self-worth. From that moment on, I have pledged to live my life as if I am staring into that mirror every day. I want to only show the clearest, most vulnerable part of me, so that I may have a better understanding of compassion. Now, when I check out my groceries at the store and the cashier asks, "How are you today, ma'am", I give myself some time to truly evaluate my emotions, to look into the mirror. Am I happy? Am I anxious? Am I exhausted? It is very surprising to hear some of their encouraging responses to my honest answer. I have very special memories, memories of sitting under the overhang of a random building in the rain listening to a friend talk about his anxiety for leaving his friends and family to go on a two year mission for his religion, I let him cry on my shoulder. He taught me that it is okay to be scared, but in the end, I have to have faith that everything will be all right. I have memories of talking to a mother whose daughter had been born with an extra chromosome. She taught me that love and compassion conquers all, no matter which struggle I was born with. My list of memorable moments of vulnerability with others goes on and on. I have met more interesting people, heard more captivating personal stories, and learned more insightful proverbs, in my last few months on earth, than in my life combined. Compassion is key. Why must we go through life with walls guarding our praises and worries? What is the point of living in a world overflowing with other people, if you do not share stories, listen to one another, learn from one another? After GHP concluded, my perspective on the world became fresh. I have started seeking out opportunities in everyday life to push myself out of my comfort zone, like Mike and Jenny did. I am proud to repeatedly put myself into stressful and enigmatic situations. I find happiness in being baffled, and take on challenges to be vulnerable. My decision to adventure into the uncomfortable and unknown will last my lifetime. Mike passed on a nugget of truth to all of us in class once, he said, "Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they are never weaknesses". I have found my greatest strength, and I intend to use it.



If you are interested in seeing some of Mary Kathryn's work, She also has a YouTube Channel with a couple videos of herself performing monologues ! The username is Mary Kathryn Alford.