If all goes as planned, St. X graduate Ryan Burch will soon be joining an elite bunch of actors and alumni at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

"Over 5,000 people auditioned from around the world this past year and I was one of the few Americans in a class of 27 who were accepted into the intense acting program," said Burch, 26.

The only hitch is he needs help paying for it.

If he goes, he'll be set up nicely for an acting career. Considered one of the top drama schools in the world, the London Academy boasts graduates like Benedict Cumberbatch ("Sherlock," "The Imitation Game"), John Lithgow ("3rd Rock from the Sun," "Terms of Endearment"), Malcolm McDowell ("A Clockwork Orange," "Halloween"), Kim Cattrall ("Sex and the City," "Big Trouble in Little China"), Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave," "Children of Men"), Tony Goldwyn ("Scandal," "Ghost"), Natascha McElhone ("The Truman Show," "Californication"), Donald Sutherland ("M*A*S*H," "JFK"), Richard Harris ("This Sporting Life," "Harry Potter") and a long list of Academy Award and Tony Award winners.

Despite working full-time as a server at Ruth Chris' Steakhouse, Burch, a 2009 graduate of St. X high school followed by North Carolina's Elon University, is struggling to find the money to head "across the pond" for the two-year program.

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Burch and his mom live in Louisville but she works as a nurse practitioner at the VA hospital in Lexington. This determined mother and son are pulling out all the stops so he can take part in the rare opportunity.

"My mom is amazing. She drives three hours a day to and from Lexington for work and we're trying to figure out loans," said Burch. "No matter what, I am going to find a way to go to this school."

He booked his flight to London for Sept. 14. Here's how you can help this alum of Derby Dinner Playhouse, The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival's Global Players and Music Theater of Louisville turn his dream into reality.

Burch has set up a GoFundMe campaign and hopes to raise a minimum of $7,777.

"I actually need more (money) but I didn't want to seem greedy and I want people to know that I am doing my best to come up with the majority of the tuition and living expenses," said Burch.

Visit Burch's page at https://www.gofundme.com/makethisdreamhappen

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

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