As many of you may recall, I have been given the great opportunity to attend Semester at Sea Spring 2013. A while ago I unfortunately got news that I had not received the scholarship I had hoped for – and needed – to make SAS a reality.
So I got moved to an economy cabin, applied for more scholarships, and managed to receive a total $15,500 in scholarships. The remaining $8,000 is a lot less, but still a lot for someone dealing with the South African exchange rates. It is still more than my entire tuition and boarding costs for a year. I have approached so many businesses in the past month that I have lost count. I am still at $8,000.
So I have signed up with GoFundMe, a personal donation website. It is a massive amount, I realise, and I still hope that I will hear from one of the businesses that has not yet responded in the next 20 days. But I can’t sit around and wait, I need to do something. I realise that times are tough the world over, but every cent will help. And if you, like me, can’t afford it, I would really appreciate if you are able to share the link (http://www.gofundme.com/1h2n6k) on any of the platforms you use.
I never intended to ask my readers – friends I have never met but truly appreciate – for this kind of help, and I apologise if doing so offends anybody. I do believe that SAS will be once-in-a-lifetime experience though, and that it is in line with the hopes I have for my future and my profession.
Lastly, I will be posting regularly while on the voyage – so those of you interested will be able to read what is happening during the voyage. I’ll also be liaising with a high school in a program called Vicarious Voyages, which is pretty exciting, as I’ll be able to share with Freshmen what is happening beyond their borders.
MAC Awake 
Well let me start by congratulating you on acceptance to this programme. (I’ve been absent from the blogosphere for a while now and hence missed out on your good news.) I’ve had the privilege of travelling and studying abroad and so know how invaluable this experience will be to your overall education.
That said, after reading your gofundme page, a few thoughts came to mind about funding: a) have you considered talking to companies like Cape Union Mart or another outdoors-y/adventure store? They might be interested in sponsoring an adventurer like yourself 😉 Alternatively, you could also try travel agencies/travel sites like bookings.com or travelstart. Maybe they could help with airfare or at the very least reduced airfare. Also specialist luggage/ camera shops. A friend of mine & her husband (boyfriend who then became fiance en-route) embarked on a round-the-world-trip three years ago. They spent six months in Asia & Latin America before their funding ran out. If I remember correctly, her husband managed to secure them some sponsorship through a luggage & camera shop, although I can’t remember the names off-hand.
I’m not sure whether you’re at all religious, but some faith groups have scholarships for their students. (I know in the Catholic and Anglican church they do. Not sure about the others.)
Lastly, have you given any thought to possibly publishing a book of this adventure? Depending on how you pitch it, a local publisher may be interested and therefore willing to sponsor you in some part towards this goal.
You may have already considered all of these things. They were just ideas that came to mind whilst reading through your gofundme page. Good luck and I hope to continue following your journey.
Thank you for the advice! I have approached a great many shops/businesses, but not the type you mention… good thinking! I’m going to try them TODAY. I’m of faith, but I don’t really belong to a church at the moment, so I would feel bad approaching them – but thanks for mentioning that as well. And as for writing a book – I love writing! So that’s certainly a possibility. I don’t really know how to go about it, but I’m going to research the possibility.
Thanks again for the advise – I really hope I can make it work! And welcome back 🙂
Hi there the link doesn’t seem to work?
Hey! Could it perhaps be something to do with your proxy settings? I’ve just checked from my computer and two other computers and the link works for us…
I think you should write a book! You could be the next Rosamund Kendal 🙂 And Cape Union Mart is a fabulous idea, go for it! (though I am writing this a few days after your post so you may have done it already, any news??)
Hehe, thank you! Things are starting to work out, I think, but I’m still approaching Cape Union Mart. And I’m definitely going to try to write a book about it.
I am with the other commenters that you should write a book. You are so talented. And your writing is so enriching.
I am really glad you made it to semester at sea.
Aw thank you! I do hope to write a book one day. If I can just find the time!