GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Knanyah Derder’s time is running out. The soon-to-be 18-year-old is set to embark on her life’s dream - the world renowned Cours Florent School of Acting in Paris. There is just one last piece that has yet to fall into place and she needs your help.

As a 2020 High School Senior with graduation looming on the horizon, Derder found herself researching summer acting programs and she “stumbled on the school by accident.” What followed was a series of events unfolding, in precise timing, that suggest Derder is destined for the prestigious stages of Cours Florent and some divine forces are at work on her behalf. From the advent of COVID19 stimulus check arriving right when her tuition deposit was due, to snagging an appointment to apply for her student visa the day the San Francisco Visa Center reopened after months of COVID-forced closure, things keep aligning for Derder and prayers keep being answered.

To share all the amazing details of Knanyah’s journey and how she has reached this point would take too long. What you need to know about this incredibly humble, kind, and intelligent young woman is that she has the talent and the passion to become a wild success. The 3-year “Acting in English” course at Cours Florent is an opportunity of a lifetime and a door that would not have opened for her if she did not have what it takes. She has her plane ticket ready, her housing arranged and her heart set – she just needs the rest of the tuition money.

The school requires the full year’s tuition upfront. Derder has been able to cover all other costs but is about $5,000 short of paying the tuition. Due to the school being out of the country, Derder has been unable to secure a school/private loan or scholarship - Cours Florent offers scholarships to 2 nd and 3 rd year students of the program only. She has saved every penny, her loving and supportive family has helped her as much as possible, but in the end, she must rely on others for help. A Gofund me account has been set up for tuition costs. It is Derder’s last prayer to be answered before this dream becomes reality.

In her Statement of Purpose Knanyah tells Cours Florent, “I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an Actor. My mother tells me that when I was a toddler, I used to say, “I’m famous the world just doesn’t know it yet.” Now that I’m older I certainly do not want to be famous. But instead to be a part of, and likewise add to the ever-evolving, phenomenal legacy of storytellers, who have all contributed and built off of each other’s work, to make masterpieces that enliven the human experience.”
Please help make Knanyah’s story a masterpiece and help this truly gifted young woman achieve her destiny. Donate to her college fund at https www.gofundme.com/f/ceskhf-college-fund.