Hello, my name is Karime. I'm currently attending culinary school, hoping to achieve my dream of becoming a chef!

This upcoming summer, our school has a study abroad program that I would love to attend. Gaining experience not only in the kitchen but also through travel would be of great benefit to someone like myself who has lived in the same place their entire life.

Unfortunately, money has been extremely tight. I live with my elderly father and cuddly pup in a city that's getting more expensive by the day. Less than a year ago, I left my full-time job in hopes of pursuing my small business selling cakes and sugar cookies. Almost immediately after quitting, I got sick. I was unable to make any income for 3 months. Once I was better, getting a job was extremely difficult and left me unemployed for nearly 6 months. That was more than enough to drain my savings and left me starting over from nothing.

Since then, I've worked low-paying jobs at bakeries because finding good-paying ones is nearly impossible. But I've been making the best of them, as they've helped me gain so much experience! Attending school while working in the industry has been a challenge, physically and financially. Unable to meet 40 hours/week at an already low rate has left me living paycheck to paycheck.

Therefore, I am here asking for help. From anyone willing to share my story, so I can get to do what I love most: cooking, baking, and feeding people amazing creations.