Help Dionne Stay Afloat!

Hi y'all! If you don't personally know me, my name is Dionne and I recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with my BA in Communication Studies. Finishing college was always a goal of mine, and as a first-generation student, it wasn't an easy one to accomplish. My parents could not financially support me, nor were they able to guide me with the finer details such as figuring out scholarships and loans. It required me to develop a strong work ethic as I juggled a part-time job to support myself with 15-17 credit loads.

Needing to work unfortunately denied me any opportunities I may have had to take on an internship and network in the Comm field. Despite this being frustrating (and emblematic of bigger issues in the collegiate institution), I've accepted it as part of my reality, and am now focused on what my next steps are.

I've decided to go back to school by taking a semester-long User Experience (UX) Design program (https://primeacademy.io/courses/ux#intro). The 18-week intensive program includes access to the Minneapolis design/dev community, mentorships, portfolio-building, and help with job placement after completion. This decision has come after much research, and many talks, discussions, and advice from friends, individuals in the UX/design community, and peers who have taken the course and were placed in fulfilling jobs soon after.

I'm both nervous and EXCITED to focus my Communications degree in this way, and I believe UX design is a field I will thrive in. This GoFundMe will help me cover the costs of tuition for this program. The coursework commitment is estimated at 60+ hours a week, and even someone with a solid work ethic like mine knows I can't hold a job and make it through this program, so any extra funds should this campaign reach its goal will go towards living expenses.

Please support me as I take this leap into a new program and, hopefully, a new field of work! Thank you so much y'all. <3