Future Educator in Need of Financial Help for College

About me!

Hello!  My name is Gillianne and I am an aspiring Music Educator and Jazz Performer. I thoroughly enjoy teaching children the joys of music, as well as sharing my talents with those who will listen.  I absolutely adore music and everything it represents.  It has been a major part of my life for as long as I remember.  I currently help at a local secondary school with their marching program during the summer months.  I love those kids and their passion for music.  It wasn't until I worked with them that I knew for certain that I was on the right path.

Short Background Story
I am in my senior year of undergraduate studies and have found that I will need to attend for at least an additional year due to recent changes in the curriculum.  In order to pay for my school, I have had to work several part-time jobs.  With having to take on a full-time course load, it has made it difficult to maintain full-time work.  Last year alone I only made $2,400.  How I survived, I do not know.  Taking on odd jobs performing at weddings, local gigs, and helping local high school kiddos learn how to march for their band during the summer helped me get through tough stints where I had no funds at all.  My car recently died, and I have not been able to take it in to get fixed, nor have I been able to purchase another one.  The cost of this has been grave.  I even had to quit one of my part time jobs because it was too far for me to reach without a vehicle.  All of the money I have used for college was worked for by myself, earned through scholarships, or borrowed from stafford loans.  I promised myself that no matter what, I will finish college.  Even if it takes me longer than I had originally planned.  I refuse to allow myself to fail.  My family, friends, and educators have been a major inspiration to me to pursue my dreams and have not stopped motivating me to do what they know I'm capable of.  I have been in college off and on since 2003 only because I had to keep taking stints off to work for more funds for school.  I am so close to graduating that it hurts!

So, What Is the Purpose of This Fundraiser? 
Basically, I've run out of ideas to help me get through school.  I'm almost out of funding and I'm really feeling the crunch of it all.  I can't work as often as I want to because all of the teaching jobs that are available to me are during my class hours.  My other part time jobs are a) during the summer and/or b) contractual.  I am taking this shot in the dark in hopes that there are kind hearts out there who *do* understand what it means to have the fire to finish something that you've been working on so hard for so long only to come up short when you can see the finish line.