A Filipino theater actress has been accepted to New York’s prestigious Juilliard School of performing arts, but she is still millions of pesos away from pursuing her dreams.
Out of an initial pool of about 2,000 applicants, Regina de Vera, a resident actor of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company, was one of the 18 people admitted to Juilliard’s four-year Masters of Fine Arts in Acting program.
In her Instagram post, De Vera said she used her childhood savings to make it to the auditions of Juilliard’s Drama Division.
“This opportunity comes rarely in the lifetime of an artist especially for someone born and raised in the Philippines,” De Vera said. “I am determined to pursue this path and hopefully make my country proud.”
The Ateneo de Manila University graduate said Juilliard granted her a scholarship of $26,000 or around P1.16 million.
However, De Vera said she still needed around P1.5 million to provide a documented proof of funding to qualify for a student visa due before June 15. This is to prove that she can cover the total cost of education worth $61,290 or approximately P2.74 million—half of which is due on Aug. 10. The total cost includes tuition and other fees ($39,720), payment for residence hall ($14,790), books and other supplies ($3,440), transportation ($1,590), supplemental insurance ($1,500) and orientation fee ($250).
De Vera has launched an online campaign “#GoFundRegina” through the fundraising site Indiegogo, asking the public for monetary donations to subsidize her expenses.
“Any amount that you contribute will matter. If you could also help by sharing my story, I would greatly appreciate it,” she said.
As of writing, De Vera has raised an estimate of P350,000, still P825,000 short of her minimum posted goal of P1.175 million.
Notable Juilliard alumni include American actor and comedian Robin Williams and Oscar-nominated actresses Viola Davis and Jessica Chastain. RC
