Support Locklan's Cultural Anthropology Dream

I've had the absolute joy of knowing Locklan since 2003 and treasure our strong friendship. In 2020, I visited them while they were living in Germany during their studies for their Bachelor of Arts with a minor in German. Not only did I value travel assistance from a trusted friend, but I was also impressed by their ease of navigating German life considering the length of their studies and stay.

I am so proud to share that Locklan's journey has a chance to continue this fall with their primary education choice, Erasmus Mundus. Their long term funds are secure, however, we are concerned about finances for the first semester. I hope you'll continue on to read their story; we appreciate your time and consideration.

Guten Tag!

My name is Locklan, and I am raising $15,000 to help fund my first semester of a Masters in Cultural Anthropology in Germany. I am currently also working as much overtime as possible, and selling some hand knitted items, but I fear that I will not make enough money to leave by middle of September. The good news is that I have secured funding for the following semesters, so this should be a one-time fundraising effort.

The $15,000 goal is to help me pay for my rent for six months, books, school fees (because while school is free in Germany, that only applies to EU members) and my flight. All the money will be directed towards helping me achieve this goal of getting through the first semester.

In January 2020 I had an opportunity to go for a study abroad for what would have been an 8-month long study abroad for my Bachelors in German. Unfortunately, the Pandemic cut that time short, and I have been working on getting back to Germany, and back to my studies (though I did graduate online from a local university in 2021) since.

The funds raised through this campaign will help me achieve my global perspective and obtain a career in helping people with international development, museum studies, and advocacy. The program that I was accepted into also helps with setting up a career, not just a job, so I know that I will be in good hands with this decision.

Some career choices that I’ve been looking into include working with the European Union, the Peace Corps, United Nations, or something where I can be able to bridge the gaps between people of different cultures. The program that I was able to get into includes an internship, and my goal is to turn that into a career.

Another perk to this program is that I will be able to take intensive language courses for free, and I plan to take every advantage of that benefit. My goal is to graduate with this Masters in Cultural Anthropology in August 2027 and then apply for programs in Library Science and Museum Studies (a program in Germany that is in either fully German, or a mix of high fluency German and English). Because of my passion for academia, I am also planning on continuing my education into getting a PhD, though I am unsure exactly what my specific discipline will be at this time.

My goals of living in Europe, and more specifically Germany, have been layered. I believe that the work-life balance, the healthcare system, the public transportation system, and the focus on community building are all important aspects of human development, and I admire the German spirit in this. I have also been working fervently on learning the language and will be enrolled in intensive German language courses in the evenings, so that I can learn to communicate more effectively in my chosen country.

Another reason for my wanting to go to Germany for this program is because I am non-binary, using they/them pronouns, and present very androgynous. The current climate of the United States is concerning to me, and I worry about how further developments could impact people like myself, so I want to go somewhere where I will feel more comfortable presenting as myself.

All of this is to say that I appreciate your time and support. Even just reading my story and sharing it with friends and family means the world to me, and I want to thank you for listening.