Help Mariah travel with MassArt

Hello, my name is Mariah and I am fundraising for the international travel portion of a travel course on the history of Japanese architecture at MassArt. I was a student at MassArt, studying animation, until I graduated this past spring. I had been granted the MassArt Foundation Scholarship, which funded $3,075 of the required $3,450, to participate in the travel course when I was a student in the same course in the Spring of 2022. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the travel portion was canceled and rescheduled to the summer of 2023—and since I am now no longer a student, the MassArt scholarship funding will not cover my costs.

I am currently participating as an unofficial TA for the course in the Fall 2022 semester, commuting from RI to Boston weekly (at personal expense) in hopes to still participate in the trip. I need to raise $3500 to cover the remaining travel costs. While I recognize this is a lofty goal, I hope between fundraising and my various different employments, that I will be able to reach it. I have worked closely with my professors, Gabriel and Patti, to help facilitate the course for the students this year. From learning more about Japanese history and architecture to being able to help students one-on-one, this course has become a passion project of mine. Being afforded the opportunity to travel as a participant and as a TA/coordinator for the class, rather than on my own as a tourist, would allow me to interact with Japanese architecture, designers, and other local connections that I otherwise would not be able to. Any donation, no matter large or small, is greatly appreciated and helps get me one step closer to fulfilling my dream and professional advancement on this trip!

Professor Gabriel Cira, who taught the Spring 2022 Japan architecture class that I took, requested to add these words:

“Mariah was a top student in the Spring 2022 Japan architecture class, but graduated before the new travel dates—which were postponed due to the pandemic. This untimely twist of covid schedule-scrambling on Mariah’s education created a catch-22 for her travel plans. I invited her to participate in the Fall 2022 class as a teaching assistant in hopes that we could make something work. Mariah will greatly benefit from what will be an eye-opening trip, and will be as helpful to us and her fellow students on the trip as she has been this semester as an expert learner in the subject matter.”