Art, as a medium for communication, creates opportunities for people to bond in marvelous ways. Film is one such conduit. Using sight and sound, film graphically exposes us, to worlds beyond our communities, our humble life experiences. Thoughtful films connect us to people across the globe and if done right - reminds us of the common threads that make us one as well as man’s inhumanity to man. Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station, one of my favorite movies, sheds light on the realities of police brutality as portrayed in the life and death of Oscar Grant. This film, like countless others, can compel us to have thoughtful conversations about social justice and/or motivate some to fight for it. When I realized the power this artform has, I knew it would become my life. From time immemorial, human beings have been using art to cement their place in history and forge a new future. Everyone has a unique story to tell. Stories only they can tell. As a black male in America, I, along with millions of other African-Americans, have a complex relationship with the world around me. There is a desire in me to forge an individual destiny for myself, but I must constantly fight against the roles and stereotypes society has placed on me. Sometimes it can be hard to articulate these feelings of loneliness, dread, and helplessness, but everyone has the capacity to understand art. I did not see this until I watched Fruitvale Station. The tragedy captured in this film not only reassured me that I'm not alone in the struggles I face in my day-to-day life but also showed me these stories that NEED to be told can be echoed throughout the entire world by hitting the record button on a camera. If one film could inspire me to become more involved in creating a new narrative in my society, I had to imagine what good I could create in the world by contributing to this artform. Art provokes change and awareness. Just as Fruitvale Station awakened me to this, my films will do the same for the countless children - black or white, boy or girl - that need to see a story they can find themselves in. In turn, they can confidently walk this world knowing they are not alone and they have the same power to shape their world through art or any other goal they might have in life. I aspire to convey these messages of hope through the medium of film.

Two summers ago, I made a trek to Almeida, Portugal. At first glance, it may just seem like a fun trip out of the country, but it meant so much more. My mother, J. Almeida, passed away in 2013. She never met her father who was from Portugal and we traced our family's heritage to Almeida. My first intercontinental excursion was a dive into my roots and a way to come closer to my mother. I know she would've wanted to go one day and this bold journey allowed me another sliver of closure. I also dyed my hair!

What are your plans after graduation?!?” This was the most dreadful question someone could ask me during my senior year of high school in 2017; that says a lot considering I was required to take Economics that year as well. It’s a question that defines an entire lifetime for many individuals, but at such a young age, I wasn’t sure how to answer it. In our society, everyone is expected to follow homogenous paths: gain a high school education, go to college, and then get a job. We are taught this is the path of least resistance, and those who don’t follow suit are “doomed to fail.” Coming from a low-income family, with two siblings and a widowed father, the fear of college debt was another factor in my hesitation to apply to college. If I conformed to the traditional college route, I could very well become victim to the very monotonous and droning experience I was trying to avoid; living to pay debts. Making a premature decision that would hold such grave, economic consequences in my future went against everything my family, especially my departed mother, taught me. I grappled with this ideology throughout my last year of high school. I grappled so long that by the year's end, I hadn’t applied to any college anywhere! Had I lost my opportunity to be successful? Although my journey to success is far from over, I believe two things will prove that non-traditional routes like mine can be a blessing in disguise: time and discipline. Senior year of high school was a blur and a flurry of activity; the desire to submit to “senioritis,” extracurricular activities, final exams, and a father with very high expectations left very little time to contemplate and reflect on what I “really” wanted to do with the rest of my life. Rushing to college immediately may have been a waste of time and money for me because I was unsure of the direction I wanted to take. During my gap semester, I was able to come to terms with these questions – for FREE! My desire to pursue a career in filmmaking was cemented during this time. This period of time was used to study, self-evaluate, and grow creatively. I read scripts. I wrote short films; granted, many of them were terrible. I watched dozens upon dozens of films. Some of those were terrible too, but my eyes were also opened to the many beauties of film and the influence we, as filmmakers, can have in our world. I found the realm of cinema is something I can commit to. Using sight and sound, film exposes us to worlds beyond our communities, our humble life experiences. Thoughtful films connect us to people across the globe, and if done right – can remind us of the common threads that unite us. It can also show us what the 18th-century poet Robert Burns refers to in his poem, Man was made to mourn: a Dirge, as “man’s inhumanity to man.” Fruitvale Station, a favorite of mine, sheds light on the realities of police brutality as portrayed in the life and death of Oscar Grant. This film, like countless others, can compel us to think critically about the dehumanizing effects of social injustice and/or motivate some to fight against it. Since fourteen, film production has been my life. I decided my goal is to use film to communicate and tell stories that impact history. As the critically acclaimed director and Columbia University alumna Kathryn Bigelow states, “I recognize film as this extraordinary tool that could reach tremendous numbers of people.” I only discovered this was the tool I need to use to make an impact in the world with time and thoughtful consideration. Highly motivated and ready to assimilate everything I’ve ever learned about cinema; my long-term desire is to contribute to the art and science of cinematic storytelling as a screenwriter/actor. If academic performance is an indicator of dedication and commitment to honing one’s craft in this highly competitive arena… I am driven. Dutchess Community College served as a launchpad where I’ve sharpened academic and professional skills developed in high school. I acquired practical, hands-on experience working with AWSTRUK Studios, a small digital media start-up company, and as an employee for DCC’s Performing, Visual Arts, and Communications (PVAC) department. As an honor student working approximately twenty (20) hours a week, time management became an imperative as I performed the balancing act of my life. Employment in a fast-paced, media equipment room comes with its fair share of issues and troubleshooting that I can honestly say I could not have learned online or from a textbook because of the real-world implications – like project deadlines, equipment shortages, impolite students, equipment scammers, and impertinent professors. I was tasked with managing the equipment inventory database and overseeing the assignment and use of computer labs, edit bays and audio bays. This was quite a challenge. My duties also included a regular schedule of filming in studios/on sets in collaboration with co-workers. Problem-solving and critical thinking led to successful outcomes during the many video shoots we were responsible for. Nursing my grades while keeping a job took superhuman discipline (at least superhuman by my standards). I attribute my academic performance, membership in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and positive, professional relationships to a positive take on life, despite my circumstances and strict discipline. It is my hope that I will continue to find the opportunities necessary to succeed with time and strict discipline. I believe the Impact Scholarship for Black Students is another one of these amazing opportunities for students such as myself, striving for excellence. If I happen to be the recipient of this scholarship, there should be no doubt that I will use it to move further towards my academic goal to use film to create unique, but similar stories to mine. Stories for people around the world who look like me. People who are all too often looked over.