Hey folks, my name is Pauline.

It's official! This week, I got accepted to an acupuncture school called POCA Technical Institute. It is a 3 year Master’s level program focusing on training community acupuncturists. The term starts Sept. 19 and I cannot be more excited. The money raised here will be going toward my tuition, school fees, course materials, between state and national exams, and my licensure. It also helps with my transportation and the 4 hours per week of work I will miss as full time student. I have been working toward this educational goal and career change for about 18 months with Biology and Sociology classes at PCC. I’m quite proud to say I got straight A’s, woo! I’m back to higher education with a vengeance and super excited to succeed.

I invite you to contribute to my education if you feel interested and able to.

Personally, receiving acupuncture treatments has seriously changed the course of my life and well being. I was able to quit 15 years of alcohol and cigarettes dependence, muscle recovery, gradual and sustained healing of 2 tennis injuries, get immense immunity, manage my high + chronic stress levels, continue my healing journey in grief for Kenny, mental and emotional clarity, and more. How can I not share this gift of healing with others?

For those who don’t know, I’ve been working as a chef for 14 years. I’m used to giving and caring for people, however; the industry views the people working in it as disposable. I am taking steps away from institutions that encourage us to break our bodies and giving everything to an industry that doesn’t love us back. The use and abuse is real and many of my peers can attest.

Instead of this current profession, I found something I can put my heart into that calls my spirit alive.

The people I look forward to treating in the near future are my community at the Filipino Bayanihan Center, chef peers, farmer friends, community organizers, caregivers, mutual aid, people failed by western medicine, service industry folk, activists, and those of us who are systematically marginalized by racism. I know my community has my back as I am there for them.

For me, asking for help is the hardest part. When I have this hesitation, I remind myself that “grabbing yourself by your bootstraps” and doing things alone is a symptom of capitalism to keep us from lifting each other up and isolated.

Please donate or share. Every bit is meaningful to me. My journey toward this goal has been synchronistic and unfolding organically. So I thank you fully for reading thus far down and contributing to me. I look so forward to succeed and to give this back to the communities I belong in and beyond.