Support My Dream: Study International Sustainability Mgmt

Hi! ❣️ I'm Alex Ashton and I have been living in the crazy-beautiful New York City for the last 4 years and have been so graciously loved by our beautiful diverse and queer community! I'm so grateful to have grown even more within an inspiring commune-like community where we could support each other & collectively mourne and march for many of the injustices we see around the world, from Congo to Palestine from ICE raids in Los Angeles to Dolls getting arrested for minor incidents without bail all over the country.

Professionally, I’ve poured myself into a winding but rewarding freelance path — from sustainability consulting for fashion brands to coordinating/assisting creative production companies, coordinating fundraisers, and working as an assistant. It’s been meaningful work, but in recent times financially unstable. I’ve been working since I was 15 years old but have faced some challenges in the workforce since being a COVID year graduate and throughout my journey now believe the solution is to go back to school to gain technical skills and network to land a job in the developing industry of sustainabilty consulting particularly for the Fashion/Apparel industry.

And now, I’m ready for my next chapter — one where I deepen my knowledge and equip myself with the institutional tools, some of which will be helpful in my journey to make systemic change, especially in the Fashion/Apparel industry, which is one of the top female labour force exploiters and GHG emitters. With new laws being deliberated on, like The New York Fashion Act, and the already passed EU textile regulations, such as the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles under the EU Green New Deal, which is now being enforced. It gives me hope for more work opportunities in this space.

I’ve been accepted into the International Sustainability Management Master’s program at ESCP, taught in Berlin and Paris. It aligns perfectly with my undergrad in Environmental Sustainability & Social Justice from San Francisco State, and with the global lens I’ve always brought to my activism in the fashion revolution.

But there’s a hurdle:

ESCP does not accept U.S. federal financial aid, and my $3,500 USD deposit is due by August 1, 2025. Plus my 1 of 4 tuition payments ($35k USD total) due soon after + required student visa savings account balance ($12kUSD) which I haven't been able to save for due to not enough work and high living costs we know about in NYC. I plan on funding the rest of school with work, scholarships, and grants, but need assistance to get started. With classes starting September 1st, I’m reaching out to my community — not just for money, but for belief. ‍

If you’ve known me, worked with me, or seen me out on dancefloors of New York, I hope you see my heart. I’ve tried to show up in every way I could — and now, I’m asking for help to take this next step so I can show up even stronger, wiser, and more equipped to fight extractive systems from the inside out.

Any amount truly helps!!!

Whether it’s $5, $50, or a share — I’m grateful beyond words. <333