Hello! My name is Natalie, and I am currently a student at the University of California, Irvine, majoring in Literary Journalism and minoring in English. I recently transferred to this school after attending Riverside City College for three years where I initially struggled finding a career choice that best fit my ambitions and morals. That is only until I made the switch from being a business major to a journalism major where I felt confident enough to say that was my passion.
My interest in journalism comes from my curiosity for the world. While I was a student at RCC, I competed in Model United Nations conferences where I worked with other "Member States" to create real-life solutions to real-life international issues. Collaborating with students from all across the world made me realize that I had been living in my own little bubble for too long. Since then, I have been seeking out new experiences, listening to community stories, learning how interconnected our worlds really are, something that I believe journalism explores.
This is why I applied to study abroad during the 2026 summer at the University of Cambridge to further explore these connections, only now I would be in a different country. I was recently accepted into the program and while I can say it is a privilege to be curious about a world different from my own, it is also a privilege for me to be asking you for your support. Nevertheless, with your support, the possibility of studying at Cambridge can become even greater.
I currently receive financial aid from UCI and received the same support at RCC. However, financial aid is limited during summer programs, something that initially deterred me from even applying to the program. The cost for my summer abroad program exceeds $14,000, covering housing, a meal plan, tuition, books, transportation, etc. I am asking for support in any way to accomplish my goal of completing this summer abroad program at the University of Cambridge. I am grateful for the opportunities RCC and UCI have offered me, and I am certainly grateful for my community who has continued to uplift me in my personal goals and career aspirations. Now, I am taking my education a step further, a few steps further if we're thinking literally, in hopes that I can grow as a student and hopefully uplift stories that have inspired me through a journalism career.
(BTW If you want to check out some stories I've written since becoming a journalism major, check out these links!)
https://viewpointsonline.org/2025/04/riverside-city-college-students-feel-administration-ignored-safety-concerns-after-anti-abortion-group-visited-campus/
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