Help Support Ant's Grad School Pursuits

Hi, I'm Ant!

I am pursuing a second career as a Licensed Professional Counselor via part-time graduate studies.

I've spent the last 20 years working in the coffee industry and am an owner-operator of a tiny coffee roasting company I founded with my life partner.

I've already received acceptance to graduate school, but the financial ask is currently out of reach even with an additional scholarship. Your donation will help: cover the deposit required to confirm my spot in the 2023 Fall semester, buy books and pay additional fees.

My main goal objective once receiving my Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling is to ensure trans representation to patients and allow them to feel seen, validated and understood.

I’m personally motivated by the pressing need for increased LGBTQ+ representation among mental health professionals and see my future in a role as an LPC, working to serve a public looking for professional support and mental wellness.

My time volunteering as a crisis counselor with The Trevor Project fueled my motivation to give back to the LGBTQ+ community, especially youth and young adults. I strive to pursue a degree in the field of counseling and change careers after hearing my story mirrored in many of the conversations I’ve had with young people during my volunteer shifts.

I’ve spent years repairing childhood traumas and unpacking the shame that kept me closeted for 20 years of my adult life. This movement towards personal healing has taken a lot of time working with my mental health professionals to rebuild my sense of self-worth, while also expanding my understanding of the world. Unfortunately, cisgender hetero-normative therapists, while often well-intentioned, have frequently provided a lot of very unhelpful therapy and misdiagnosis in my youth.

I am confident in my capacity to learn how to best support individuals, to listen to them and guide them as they heal.

I am determined to support the LGBTQ+ community in areas of limited access to gender-affirming mental health care providers.

Any surplus funds will go towards tuition payments.

Thank you for your donations & support!