Dear friends and supporters,

I am Robyn Simpson, a student entering my fourth year at Spelman College, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Art History with a minor in Curatorial Studies from Las Vegas, Nevada.

I am seeking assistance raising funds for the 2024-2025 school year tuition expenses. Education has always been crucial to my life as a low-income college student from a single-parent household. Not only is Spelman the #1 HBCU in the country, full of brilliant minds and opportunities, it is also a space where I have found community and support. Attending Spelman is an honor that has changed my life and who I am, giving me a home where my passion and commitment to my career, community, and myself have flourished.

Finding ways to finance my education is a constant uphill battle. Due to financial hardships, I took a leave of absence during the fall 2022 semester. Thanks to the generosity of my community, working full-time, saving, applying for scholarships, and fundraising, I was able to return to Spelman in the spring of 2023. Since my return, I have earned straight As for the past two semesters, making the dean's list twice. Additionally, I have completed paid internships with the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, and I am interning at the G.A.S. Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria, this summer. Outside of internships and school, during the 2023-2024 school year, I had my first art piece featured in a gallery exhibition, was selected to attend The Black Portraitures Conference and the 2024 Venice Biennale in Italy with a cohort of my peers, I will also have my writing featured in Spelman Museum’s spring 2025 exhibition. Through these meaningful experiences, Spelman and the AUC Art Collective have helped me reach new heights I never imagined possible, bringing immense joy and personal growth to my life. I am determined to continue my collegiate journey and graduate from Spelman, but I need help.

Paying to attend a top HBCU continues to be a significant challenge for me and my family. I have been working, saving, and maintaining excellent grades to earn scholarships, but remain unable to gather the full tuition for the upcoming school year. Although I am close. I still need $9,845 for 2024-2025 tuition payments, and I am once again turning to my community for help. All donations will go directly toward my balance for this school year. Every contribution helps and is greatly appreciated. No amount is too small!

They say by choosing to attend Spelman, you are making "A Choice To Change The World,” and by donating to this GoFundMe, you are making a choice to help change mine.

Thank you for investing in me and my future!