Chase Dean College Tuition Assistance Fund!
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My name is Chase Dean, and I am a 19-year-old College Student, Singer, Actor, and Musical Theatre Major from Louisville, Ky. I was recently accepted as a transfer student into my dream school, The University of the Arts, in Philadelphia, PA as a Musical Theatre Major; however the tuition is very steep, and I am seeking support to continue to train and master my craft in order to use my voice, in powerful and meaningful ways that gives back to my community and the world. The total tuition for the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 school year is $66,000 (including meal plan and housing). I was awarded the Dean's Artistic Merit Scholarship in the amount of $14,000, which brought my tuition down to $52,000. There is an estimated cost of School Supplies, which is $2,000, Housing utilities for Apartment Style Living, which is $1,200, and transportation, which is $1,000. This ultimately brings my total tuition costs to $56,200. To cover the GoFundMe Fees and taxes, and still be able to cover the tuition costs, I have a set goal of $64,000. Although it would be AMAZING if I reach my goal of $64,000, it would be a complete blessing if the total tuition for the remaining years of my degree program were covered, which amounts to $192,000.
I started singing in church when I was four-years-old. Experiencing how my voice moved members of my church community, it made me realize how I could use my voice as a powerful tool, and encouraged me to pursue my passion as a professional singer/performer. On June 2, 2020 I used my voice to honor Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and the many more slain African Americans in the United States by leading a peaceful protest singing “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. As I began singing, the crowd around me grew silent and followed the melody as we marched through downtown Louisville. Sadiqa Renoylds, the President and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, captured a video of the moment and posted it on Facebook. Her video went viral and has since had over two million views, demonstrating the importance of that song to the Black and Brown communities, and the power of the voice of my generation as a change agent. Since that day, I went on to record a music video of the song accompanied by Jecorey "1200" Arthur (percussion), Ben Sollee (cello), and Cheyenne Mize (keys) to honor Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and also sang it on the steps of The Louisville Metro Hall prior to the unanimous city council vote to ban no knock warrants in our city.
Throughout my life, I have been actively involved in supporting my community, as a member of the student government and President of the Black Student Union at Doss High School, in addition to work as a student representative of the Jefferson County Public School Racial Equity Committee. I was elected President of the Kentucky Division of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), was voted JAG Student of the Week for the entire state of Kentucky, and have devoted over 150 hours of community service including feeding our cities elderly community with the Louisville Metro Police Dept. (LMPD), and performing for seniors in local nursing homes. All of this while maintaining honor roll status academically and receiving my EOP Career Certifications for both Management and Marketing.
In addition to community and academic service, I have been humbled to perform as a featured guest soloist with the Louisville Master Choral; featured performer for The Keepers of the Dream program at The Kentucky Center for the Arts in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; featured performer for Louisville’s annual Festival of Faiths program; and a soloist at the International Day of Peace Program. Some may even recognize me from the numerous roles I have played in musicals at the Louisville Central Community Center under the direction of Erica Denise. Some of these roles include Tin Man, in the Wiz, Gaston, in Beauty and the Beast, and Daniel, in Once on this Island.
I was also appointed "Captain of the Young Voices" in the Humanity Passport Project Greater Community Choir, under the direction of Ambassador Attalah Shabaaz (The eldest daughter of Dr. Betty Shabaaz, and Malcolm X), and featured performer to tribute Harry Belafonte, Geena Davis, Cheryl Lee Ralph, Sidney Poitier, Louis Gossett Jr, Muhammad Ali, and Ambassador Attalah Shabaaz at the annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards (2015-2018).
Just as I held that megaphone to my lips on June 2nd, and led protesters with the powerful words of Sam Cooke, I am committed to using my voice as a tool to uplift my generation, and those to come, because I believe “A Change IS Going to Come”, and with your help, I am committed to doing my part. Your donations are greatly appreciated, and will be used specifically for my college tuition. Thank you for your support, and to everyone that has helped me in my journey thus far.
https://youtu.be/VoMT2F-YVNU
I started singing in church when I was four-years-old. Experiencing how my voice moved members of my church community, it made me realize how I could use my voice as a powerful tool, and encouraged me to pursue my passion as a professional singer/performer. On June 2, 2020 I used my voice to honor Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and the many more slain African Americans in the United States by leading a peaceful protest singing “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. As I began singing, the crowd around me grew silent and followed the melody as we marched through downtown Louisville. Sadiqa Renoylds, the President and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, captured a video of the moment and posted it on Facebook. Her video went viral and has since had over two million views, demonstrating the importance of that song to the Black and Brown communities, and the power of the voice of my generation as a change agent. Since that day, I went on to record a music video of the song accompanied by Jecorey "1200" Arthur (percussion), Ben Sollee (cello), and Cheyenne Mize (keys) to honor Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and also sang it on the steps of The Louisville Metro Hall prior to the unanimous city council vote to ban no knock warrants in our city.
Throughout my life, I have been actively involved in supporting my community, as a member of the student government and President of the Black Student Union at Doss High School, in addition to work as a student representative of the Jefferson County Public School Racial Equity Committee. I was elected President of the Kentucky Division of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), was voted JAG Student of the Week for the entire state of Kentucky, and have devoted over 150 hours of community service including feeding our cities elderly community with the Louisville Metro Police Dept. (LMPD), and performing for seniors in local nursing homes. All of this while maintaining honor roll status academically and receiving my EOP Career Certifications for both Management and Marketing.
In addition to community and academic service, I have been humbled to perform as a featured guest soloist with the Louisville Master Choral; featured performer for The Keepers of the Dream program at The Kentucky Center for the Arts in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; featured performer for Louisville’s annual Festival of Faiths program; and a soloist at the International Day of Peace Program. Some may even recognize me from the numerous roles I have played in musicals at the Louisville Central Community Center under the direction of Erica Denise. Some of these roles include Tin Man, in the Wiz, Gaston, in Beauty and the Beast, and Daniel, in Once on this Island.
I was also appointed "Captain of the Young Voices" in the Humanity Passport Project Greater Community Choir, under the direction of Ambassador Attalah Shabaaz (The eldest daughter of Dr. Betty Shabaaz, and Malcolm X), and featured performer to tribute Harry Belafonte, Geena Davis, Cheryl Lee Ralph, Sidney Poitier, Louis Gossett Jr, Muhammad Ali, and Ambassador Attalah Shabaaz at the annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards (2015-2018).
Just as I held that megaphone to my lips on June 2nd, and led protesters with the powerful words of Sam Cooke, I am committed to using my voice as a tool to uplift my generation, and those to come, because I believe “A Change IS Going to Come”, and with your help, I am committed to doing my part. Your donations are greatly appreciated, and will be used specifically for my college tuition. Thank you for your support, and to everyone that has helped me in my journey thus far.
https://youtu.be/VoMT2F-YVNU
Organizer
Chase Dean
Organizer
Louisville, KY