Support Marcus at USC Film School!

I'm going to graduate school! 

When the pandemic hit, I decided to concentrate on learning, expanding my skill set and making choices that would prevent any future shut downs from being as debilitating as this one felt. Following 2 screenwriting classes with Jessica Blank, Stan Zimmerman and a pitching class with mentor Jodi Collins, I took the plunge and applied to the University of Southern California's John Well's Screenwriting program housed by the School of Cinematic Arts. I clicked submit on a November evening and didn't think too much about it until February. It felt like a long shot and I was proud to have the tenacity to try.

But I got in! With an overall admissions statistic of 2% to USC SCA, this achievement is huge, and a little surreal. It's also entirely exorbitant and I'm still doing the math to make it work.

SO WHAT AM I ASKING FOR?

The projected cost of tuition per year is $48,500 + fees. [GULP!]

This breaks down to about $2,165/unit and each semester we'll take between 8 and 13 units. Fortunately, the school offers students the option of a payment plan which will make things manageable. With a full schedule of units in semester 1, my monthly payment will be $5600. The first payment will also include one-time fees and health insurance costs. 

With all of this in mind, I am hoping to raise $6900 by August 2 to support this first payment, one time fees and some additional costs I'll incur moving cross-country.

WHY INVEST IN ME?

If you know me and my work, you know that my work is always about striving forward while reaching back and supporting others. The things I learn, I share. And I am eager to use the skills I'll learn at USC to uplift my whole community. This is evidenced in my year-round work with Artists Striving to End Poverty, ASTEP and in partnership with the National Queer Theater and SAGE USA.

You likely also know that nobody works harder than me. I'm up with the sun and typing this at 2am (on my Birthday). Success isn't a destination to me, it's a practice and I want to be successful every day. At USC, I'll get to do this among burgeoning talent and industry leaders who will help me achieve more than I currently know to be possible.

I don't let people down. Your dollar contribution is literally fueling my success!

Thanks for considering this! I appreciate your time, attention and consideration as we all continue to make ends meet at the end of a most-challenging year!