Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Filipino domestic worker gets a scholarship in New York!

This is such a wonderful story. Xyza Cruz Bacani, a Filipino domestic worker in Hong Kong, was awarded a scholarship to New York University!

During her free time, Xyza dabbles in amateur photography. Her well-composed black and white photos that capture everyday life in Hong Kong caught the attention of international photographer Rick Rocamora and led to her photos to be featured in the New York Times and other publications. This in turn led to her being noticed by the Magnum Foundation and the rest is history.

Since 2010, the Magnum Foundation Human Rights Fellowship has been giving a handful of students from all over the world a scholarship to attend their Photography program in New York. This program is co-organized by the Magnum Foundation and by NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. When Xyza received the news, she wrote this on her facebook page: "All dreams are valid! I'm one of the 2015 magnum fellows! I'm going to see new york and finally get a formal education! I'm literally crying when i received the news." Thanks also have to be given to her Chinese-Australian boss in Hong Kong, who actually loaned her the money to buy her first camera and treats her and her mother very well. (Read more about this in the New York Times story.)

Check out Xyza's online portfolio on her website: http://www.xyzacruzbacani.com/.

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