A violinist whose talent helped to fund her tuition for pre-dental school is in a race against time to rebuild her bursary.

Zavia Doyling, 20, is working to raise $25,000 for her second year at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

The dentistry hopeful said the goal was based on a scholarship that she narrowly missed getting this year, and she was working to make up the difference.

She admitted that with her plans to fly out next Monday, she was pressed for time.

She added: “I don’t have much time, so I can’t say it’s entirely possible, but maybe someone would be willing to help me out.”

Ms Doyling, from Warwick, has taken to the streets of Hamilton since 2023 to raise cash through busking.

Last year, she raised $7,000 through her performances and by playing at weddings, making enough to get her through school with the help of a music scholarship.

Since attending university, Ms Doyling said, she had maintained a 4.0 grade point average — the equivalent of straight A’s.

She added that she kept her violin skills sharp in her school’s orchestra and through private lessons.

She said that she kept up her studies and passions through time management and prioritising her goals.

Ms Doyling added: “It’s been a lot; I’m not going to lie. I was at school from pretty much 9am to 6pm every day.

“I’ve been doing super-intense classes like chemistry, biology and maths. It’s been a very intense ‘go, go, go’ kind of vibe.”

Ms Doyling said that although she has been back home since May, she started busking yesterday because she worked almost daily at Par-la-Ville Dental.

She said that her job gave her plenty of experience and helped towards her school fund.

Ms Doyling added that she performed at “a few weddings and a funeral” over the summer, which boosted her bursary to about $3,000.

She said that her first time back with her violin had been successful, walking away from a two-hour session on Reid Street in Hamilton yesterday with more than $100.

She added: “It’s nice to be back out there, seeing everyone again and seeing familiar faces.”

Besides fundraising, Ms Doyling said that she volunteered at Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy this summer giving percussion lessons to pupils with special needs.

She said she “loved” the work and that it reminded her about the need to be inclusive.

Ms Doyling explained: “Many dental offices don’t even have accessibility to get into the dental office, let alone making accommodations for those with different abilities.

“I think something that’s very important to me is being a dentist that can give health equity and dental equity to not just people of different ethnicities, but people of different abilities as well and making sure that everyone gets equal care.”

Ms Doyling admitted that her time frame was slim and that she did not expect to meet her goal.

She said that falling short would not be “detrimental” and that she planned to apply for scholarships throughout the year as necessary.

Ms Doyling added that, no matter what, she felt “really prepared” to keep up her studies and her skills in the coming school year.

She said: “When I was on my gap year, I had three jobs — violin, working at a different dental practice and working at a spa.

“I was very busy, so time management isn’t something that I’m not used to.”

Ms Doyling will be performing at the Reid Street entrance to the Washington Mall today and tomorrow between noon and 2pm.