Taylor Swift donates £23, 000 to a London student in UK

Vitoria Mario set up an online fundraising page showing how she has lived in the UK for four years after moving from Portugal. She is not eligible for maintenance loans or grants.

Singer Taylor Swift has donated £23, 000 to Vitoria who was struggling to raise funds to take up a maths course at the University of Warwick.

The American singer whose 16 top  10 British charts include the apt title Wildest Dreams. Wrote a message on Vitoria’s fundraising page as she confirmed her donation. At that stage, Victoria had collected nearly half of her £40, 000 fundraising target and Swift wrote. “Vitoria, I came across your story online and am so inspired by your drive and dedication to turning your dreams into reality.

I want to gift you the rest of your goal amount. Good luck with everything you do! Love, Taylor.”

 

Vitoria said “ I was worrying too much about the money, what I have to do, and if I have to look for a job. She actually made my dream come true”.

Vitoria said her family could not afford to support her and she needed funds to help pay for her accommodation, a laptop, textbooks, and general living costs. She said the approach from Swift had “ come out of the blue”.

The 18-year-old had written on her page, “Though my story is not unique, my dream of becoming a mathematician is not only a  chance at social mobility for my family and I, but to inspire people who have been in similar positions to aspire to be the best version of themselves. Moving away from my mother was a challenge but it was a sacrifice worth being made in my family’s eyes”.

She further said she has always been studious and was unable to speak English when she moved to the UK in 2016. Despite the disadvantage, she left school with two A’s and an A in her A-Levels.

She estimated she would need £24, 000 for accommodation, £3. 000 for equipment and £13, 000 for general living costs including food, transport, gas, and electricity.