Support McKenna's Path to SCAD

It's always a humbling experience asking for something your ego makes you believe you should be able to provide yourself. The short story is that this GoFundMe is to help fund a girl pursue a dream to be a storyteller at an art school. The long story is that this GoFundMe is helping someone who hasn't been able to speak (hypothetically of course, I'm definitely not mute) for a very long time finally scream. I'm going to be real. Its hard to self fund college, especially when you really have no other option. Especially to fund a school that pays 65,000 dollars a year. Whether it's 1 dollar or 1000, it's more than I had before. Consider skipping your daily Starbucks and instead donating to the poor (Me!), or even just dropping a cent because you can. SCAD is truly a dream of mine and the reality of it is setting in fast.

I included some art pieces so you guys know what you're investing in and below is a college essay (which I'll say got me into all of the colleges I applied for):

“Reprogrammed”

This year, I became fully conscious. Before, I was simply a “resilient” Roomba programmed only to vacuum the various confined spaces I was placed in. Hitting walls of hard decisions and deciding that the only way out is to turn around and vacuum the already spotless floor. As a kid, I felt helpless; people would pick my small rounded robot body and drag me to a new place - Roombas, like children, find it hard to oppose constant relocation. Resilience became my biggest strength and yet also my biggest flaw. I became used to the uncharted spaces and began to look forward to new experiences and people, but I didn't have any opinions or beliefs; I was merely a product of the different hands that came to pick me up. My story has taken me through the rooms of family who became strangers and strangers who became home – building community who showed me I had strengths other than being a nomadic vacuum. I became an artist, a writer, a friend, and for the first time: a daughter. I was no longer defined by- or forced to consume the debris of those who were also lost.

Although my early memories consist of nomadism, broken relationships, and premature independence, I never failed to find beauty in every life that I would live. My mother used to take me to the bars and parties that led her socialite lifestyle in Florida. But rather than succumbing to fear or isolation, I immersed myself in the music and revelry, dancing to every song and embracing the sun-kissed beaches. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this joyful escapism served as a subconscious defense mechanism, helping me temporarily escape the trauma that was silently shaping me.

At six, I became a caretaker. My former U.S. Marine father’s struggle with drugs and the aftermath of war often left him incapacitated. Days would end with his limbs akimbo on the cold tile floor. Yet, there was a strange comfort in the quiet moments afterward. Tucking him into bed, and watching his chest rise and fall, became a nightly ritual. I never questioned the irony of our reversed roles because it was merely my programming.

Later, my grandparents retook possession of me, and thus began the search for my “forever home.” My uncle and his wife lived in Arlington, Virginia, at the time and were eager to discuss long-term arrangements. I could have easily let my experiences force me into a depressive and helpless lifestyle, finding solace in my newfound Roomba docking station. Instead, it fueled my pursuit to be better than my parents.

As the dust that was my convoluted childhood settles, I find myself vacuuming the small debris left in its wake from time to time. Feeling comfort in routine and reminding myself of the hurdles I’ve overcome. I’ve come to realize that resilience is not enough. I now strive for antifragility - the ability not just to withstand challenges, but to grow and thrive in the face of uncertainty. Resilience is about coping with adversity, but antifragility is about embracing it.

Today, I embrace the unknown not as a threat, but as an opportunity for growth. I no longer fear the uncharted paths or the unfamiliar faces; instead, they’re welcomed as catalysts for my evolution. As an artist, a writer, a friend, and a daughter, my world is navigated with a sense of purpose and conviction. No longer rolling around at the whim of the broken souls who came before me, I have found my footing and am able to program my own path. Proudly categorized as an “antifragile” Roomba, I am conscious.

If sappy stories mean anything to you, I have plenty. But that's not the point of this and I don't want to be defined that way either. If you'd like to help me be a film student at Savannah College of Art and Design, anything helps.

Stay hydrated,

McKenna