Please help me attend my Masters in London

Do you know what it’s like to constantly be stuck in the middle?

Not drowning enough to deserve more air, but floating enough to set your sights on dry land still too far for you to ever swim to.

That’s how I’ve felt my entire life.

I wasn’t born to privilege. To send me to school, my great grandparents had to step in while my mom tried her best to raise me as an overseas worker at a cruise ship—all while worrying about bills and food. Because of their sacrifice, I was fortunate enough to be afforded an education, one I’ve used to enter an industry that’s taught me everything I know about creativity and writing, while earning enough to get by.

The 12 years I’ve spent in the advertising industry have opened me up to a genuine love of writing and the value of empathy. I began to gain an interest in my audience, sitting quietly in their heads to understand and listen. And then once the work is produced, I would pray that beyond the client mandatories, people would feel something, anything—whether it comes in the form of nostalgia, from a real story told well, or pride, for having been represented through situation, character, or both.

But learning itself is a middle ground: knowledge reminds you of how little you know, and how much more there is to discover. And there is so much more I want to explore.

I want to get to the crux of my writing, to see how else I can push the bounds of creativity while staying true to the insights that guide my work. I want to learn from and collaborate with different people and understand how to make my audience listen to the important topics they take for granted—mental health, poverty, equal rights—even if it’s presented through a 15-seconder script.

Earlier this year, I decided to take a gamble and applied for my Masters at the University of the Arts in London. I shared my story, and they gave me a chance: I am proud to say that I am an incoming MA Media, Communications, and Critical Practice student.

Today, I share my story with you all, hoping for yet another chance. Being middle class in a country with a low-income economy means that my tuition is far too high for me to ever afford, but I’m hoping that doesn’t stop me from achieving the first dream I’ve ever had the opportunity to aspire for. I wasn’t born into privilege—but I’ve had enough of limiting my future. I can’t change where I was placed in life, but with your help, maybe I can finally start climbing upwards—and do my best to take everyone with me.

The money I’m raising will be to support my full tuition (GBP 19,610.00 or P1,315,553.71) and monthly expenses (GBP 12,006.00 or P805,493.49) as mandated by the UK government. I also understand that money is tight, which is why I would be more than happy to repay all donations once I graduate and start working.