My name is Brown Rice. Well, no, it’s not; my real name is Bryce Stansberry. But if I had a nickname, it’d probably be that. First, a little more about me: I come from an early college school where our high school classes take place on the college campus in the middle of the city. I like to say I never stopped playing make-believe and that I still keep an element of youthful creativity, albeit a fair bit older and wiser. I intend to step into the field of creative media management, which includes overseeing several creative products, whether that be an article, TV show, or music. I believe those who craft what the people consume have some of the most influence. As far as my future plans go, I would like to work in a project management position, a place where I foresee production and find ways to push our media out. My ultimate goal is to create my own original intellectual property and manage its production. I would decide how it stands out, how we can profit from the brand, and how to sustain it. I have a technical skill set combined with an artistic passion. I believe this is a career path where I can find both success and ambition. I want to promote media that encourages people to think or promotes a healthy culture. I have seen what consuming immoral or degrading content can do to a person’s way of thinking. There are just certain terms that, once I hear them, make me think, ‘yeah, that person has been to the wrong corner of the internet.’ Too often, people might idolize a way of life that is not healthy, leading to a disruption between what they think they should do and what they ought to do for the betterment of their lives. I should know because it has happened to me a few times before—what I thought looked cool, I realized was not when I got older, whether that was cursing, being alone in a corner, or disrespecting my teachers’ and classmates’ time. Now, what I would love to do is promote ways of living that can help anyone’s life or raise questions about society and ask, ‘is this really okay?’ On top of that, it would be nice to have a prominent enough position to help artists and actors in the industry receive ethical hours, pay, and overall treatment. I plan to incorporate many of these ideas into projects I build or help manage, which include integrity, ideas that challenge societal beliefs, and maybe I will even include a serving of Brown Rice as my watermark, just maybe.

I think Mr. Green is exactly the type of person I aspire to be. Everything he stood for I try to have an impact in. Regarding academics, I ensure I understand the material and earn an A in all my classes. Grades are not given; they are earned. I went to Catholic school for elementary and middle school, so I have always been growing spiritually. One such time happened in Confession. While catholics aren't supposed to discuss what is said in confessionals, I can share that before that, I cursed very often. So did everyone in my class at the time; it seemed normal to me at my age. But after I left the confessional, I thought to myself, ‘You know what, I think I’m going to stop cursing.’ And so I did; to this day, I choose to avoid curse words. I like to elevate my community in a variety of ways. My most consistent way is volunteering at my church on Sundays. I lector during Mass and events, and I serve on the altar. Another way I contribute is through Teen Court, a program where high schoolers hear real cases from their peers. With adult supervision, teens take on the roles of Prosecution, Defense, Judge, and Jury, who ultimately decide the punishment that should be executed. I also volunteer with various organizations, such as Jack and Jill Inc. and the All Stars Program of Dallas. I already have a pretty good idea of my educational goals because my high school is a program that takes place in a College. We take college classes for most of our schedule and enjoy other freedoms akin to a college student. I can only imagine the experience being four times greater at a larger institution. I am eager to explore a wealth of diverse classes to broaden my knowledge and thinking. I want to tailor a schedule that works best for me so I can discover my most productive hours. I seek resources that allow me to develop and research my own projects, and I crave student clubs where I can make lifelong friends. As far as my future plans go, I would like to work in a project management position. I want to be able to provide different types of content for people, I want a good mix of simply fun and engaging productions that can help people go through the trials of life. However, I also want to inspire people to think and start conversations by utilizing social commentary and real world parallels. I think it is important that not everything we consume is mind-numbing because then we become complacent. And a complacent society cannot grow. Lastly, I recall a few hard times for me. Of course, there was Covid, but it also didn’t help that our water pipe froze over and burst during that time, so we had to live in Air Bnbs while going back to our home to clean the mess and salvage what we could. Another time was when my Dad could not work for over a year. We had to cut a lot of our extra spending, and I had to do all the heavy lifting around the house. To be honest, I do not believe I am perfect in all of these aspects. But if there is one thing I make sure of, it is that I try to be.

The type of degree I would like to pursue does not entail a simple, more classic option. Most schools do not have it, or if they do, it may fall under different names. But in certain scenarios, I may need to go into an interdisciplinary major. I intend to call it something akin to Digital Media Management. The major entails project management, economics, digital marketing, and accounting in the digital plane. First, a little more about me: I come from an early college school where our high school classes take place on the college campus in the middle of the city. I like to say I never stopped playing make-believe and that I still keep an element of young creativity. Albeit a fair bit older and wiser. One experience that influenced me was when I produced some content independently on the online platform of YouTube. I think one of my favorite videos that I produced was one where I scripted the parts, recorded the necessary visuals, and edited the footage together while adding extra visuals, all on my own. While producing the content was neat, I think one thing I also liked was figuring out how to maximize popularity by promoting the video online where I could. I still enjoy crafting ways to maximize the popularity of Content. For example, I post consistently on a niche social media site, and every time I do, I think of types of content that will get people to interact. Whether it be polls or a controversial list, comment or like, it is engagement. I believe this type of program piqued my interest because it sounded exactly like what I wanted to do. I spent much longer than most looking at different programs, and I was quite selective when deciding on my university as I had a good idea of what I wanted. I think this type of program perfectly details what I want to do and is one of the best ways I can use my talents and aspirations. As far as my future plans go, I would like to work in a project management position. A place where I foresee production and craft ways to push our media out. My ultimate goal is to create my own original Intellectual property and manage the production over it. I would decide how it stands out, how we can profit from the brand, and how to sustain it. I have a technical skill set with an artistic passion. I believe that this is a career path where I can find both success and ambition. I want to be able to provide different types of content for people, I want a good mix of simply fun and engaging productions that can help people go through the trials of life. However, I also want to inspire people to think and start conversations by utilizing social commentary and real world parallels. I think it is important that not everything we consume is mind-numbing because then we become complacent. And a complacent society cannot grow.

I aid and elevate my community in numerous ways. I regularly volunteer at my church, Holy Cross, where I lector during Mass and events, as well as serve on the altar. Another way I contribute is through Teen Court, as well as with various organizations, such as Jack and Jill Inc. and the All Stars Program of Dallas. When I altar serve at Holy Cross, I ensure that the Mass goes smoothly. I also participate in and help with the events they host, whether honoring Juneteenth with a civil rights activist or fundraising for the church. However, my favorite way to contribute is when I am asked to lector or speak at an event. I feel I inspire other young people who attend the church to volunteer for the Mass. Whenever I orate, I often receive comments from people saying how much they enjoyed my performance, which indicates to me that I succeeded in elevating the occasion to another level. Another way I help is through Teen Court, a program where high schoolers hear real cases from their peers. With adult supervision, teens take on the roles of Prosecution, Defense, Judge, and Jury, ultimately deciding the punishment that should be executed. Throughout my time in Teen Court, I have helped many teenagers avoid entering the system. Instead of ruining their permanent record over a minor case that could follow them for years, they simply have to give back to the community. I also volunteer through various organizations, such as Jack and Jill Inc. and the All Stars Program of Dallas. With Jack and Jill, we often help the homeless, struggling families, and single parents. We typically send or make care packages to provide aid. In the All Stars Program, we hold similar events, organizing resources to distribute to those in need. One last way I help my community involves my school and those of us in the Ambassador program. The school Ambassadors hold many events to recruit and promote our brand. One such volunteering event was when we assisted with a fundraising competition where different teams used canned food to build structures. We handled the less-than-exciting task of walking the entire building and picking up the trash and plastics. The tedious bending down was limited to us with young knees, preventing anyone from getting hurt or feeling pain. I have learned several different things from each of my services. During my time in Church, I learned not to take my faith lightly and to inspire others and myself to be better. Teen court is where I may have learned the most; I heard countless stories from kids who made just a few mistakes and ended up on the wrong side of the law. But an equal amount of times, they did not commit any actual wrongs but were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and found with the wrong people. I learned that having leniency is important, but not everyone deserves it. I also learned more about how a typical session in court works and how to navigate the law. However, the most important lesson may have come from the charity events I participated in with organizations. And that is no matter how far you rise, remember to go back to your roots and help others rise. Remember, when you help someone, you help everyone.

I make a positive impact in my community in numerous ways. I regularly volunteer at my church, Holy Cross. I lector during Mass and events, and I serve on the altar. Another way I contribute is through Teen Court, as well as with various organizations, such as Jack and Jill Inc. and the All Stars Program of Dallas. When I altar serve at Holy Cross, I ensure that the Mass goes smoothly. I also participate in and help with the events they host, whether honoring Juneteenth with a civil rights activist or fundraising for the church. However, my favorite way to contribute is when I am asked to lector or speak at an event. I feel I inspire other young people who attend the church to volunteer for the Mass. Whenever I orate, I often receive comments from people saying how much they enjoyed my performance, which indicates to me that I succeeded in elevating the occasion to another level. Another way I contribute is through Teen Court, a program where high schoolers hear real cases from their peers. With adult supervision, teens take on the roles of Prosecution, Defense, Judge, and Jury, ultimately deciding the punishment that should be executed. Throughout my time in Teen Court, I have helped many teenagers avoid entering the system. Instead of ruining their permanent record over a minor case that could follow them for years, they simply have to give back to the community. I also volunteer through various organizations, such as Jack and Jill Inc. and the All Stars Program of Dallas. With Jack and Jill, we often help the homeless, struggling families, and single parents. We typically send or make care packages to provide aid. In the All Stars Program, we hold similar events, organizing resources to distribute to those in need. One last way I help my community involves my school and those of us in the Ambassador program. The school Ambassadors hold many events to recruit and promote our brand. One such volunteering event was when we assisted with a fundraising competition where different teams used canned food to build structures. We handled the less-than-exciting task of walking the entire building and picking up the trash and plastics. The tedious bending down was limited to us with young knees, preventing anyone from getting hurt or feeling pain. Looking back at all my service, I realize that when you help one person, you truly help everyone. Those whom I have helped have come to my aid whenever I needed something, whether it be a recommendation letter or sponsorship. When you contribute to your community, you inspire and enable them to contribute back as well. Therefore, the way you can influence your surroundings is quite akin to that of a coffee bean.

The type of degree I would like to pursue does not entail a simple, more classic option. Most schools do not have it, or if they do, it may fall under different names. But in certain scenarios, I may need to go into an interdisciplinary major. I intend to call it something akin to Digital Media Management. The major entails project management, economics, digital marketing, and accounting in the digital plane. First, a little more about me: I come from an early college school where our high school classes take place on the college campus in the middle of the city. I like to say I never stopped playing make-believe and that I still keep an element of young creativity. Albeit a fair bit older and wiser. One experience that influenced me was when I produced some content independently on the online platform of YouTube. I think one of my favorite videos that I produced was one where I scripted the parts, recorded the necessary visuals, and edited the footage together while adding extra visuals, all on my own. While producing the content was neat, I think one thing I also liked was figuring out how to maximize popularity by promoting the video online where I could. I still enjoy crafting ways to maximize the popularity of Content. For example, I post consistently on a niche social media site, and every time I do, I think of types of content that will get people to interact. Whether it be polls or a controversial list, comment or like, it is engagement. I believe this type of program piqued my interest because it sounded exactly like what I wanted to do. I spent much longer than most looking at different programs, and I was quite selective when deciding on my university as I had a good idea of what I wanted. I think this type of program perfectly details what I want to do and is one of the best ways I can use my talents and aspirations. As far as my future plans go, I would like to work in a project management position. A place where I foresee production and craft ways to push our media out. My ultimate goal is to create my own original Intellectual property and manage the production over it. I would decide how it stands out, how we can profit from the brand, and how to sustain it. I have a technical skill set with an artistic passion. I believe that this is a career path where I can find both success and ambition.

The type of degree I would like to pursue does not entail a simple, more classic option. Most schools do not have it, or if they do, it may fall under different names. But in certain scenarios, I may need to go into an interdisciplinary major. I intend to call it something akin to Digital Media Management. The major entails project management, economics, digital marketing, and accounting in the digital plane. First, a little more about me: I come from an early college school where our high school classes take place on the college campus in the middle of the city. I like to say I never stopped playing make-believe and that I still keep an element of young creativity. Albeit a fair bit older and wiser. One experience that influenced me was when I produced some content independently on the online platform of YouTube. I think one of my favorite videos that I produced was one where I scripted the parts, recorded the necessary visuals, and edited the footage together while adding extra visuals, all on my own. While producing the content was neat, I think one thing I also liked was figuring out how to maximize popularity by promoting the video online where I could. I still enjoy crafting ways to maximize the popularity of Content. For example, I post consistently on a niche social media site, and every time I do, I think of types of content that will get people to interact. Whether it be polls or a controversial list, comment or like, it is engagement. I believe this type of program piqued my interest because it sounded exactly like what I wanted to do. I spent much longer than most looking at different programs, and I was quite selective when deciding on my university as I had a good idea of what I wanted. I think this type of program perfectly details what I want to do and is one of the best ways I can use my talents and aspirations. As far as my future plans go, I would like to work in a project management position. A place where I foresee production and craft ways to push our media out. My ultimate goal is to create my own original Intellectual property and manage the production over it. I would decide how it stands out, how we can profit from the brand, and how to sustain it. I have a technical skill set with an artistic passion. I believe that this is a career path where I can find both success and ambition.

The type of degree I would like to pursue does not entail a simple, more classic option. Most schools do not have it, or if they do, it may fall under different names. But sometimes, I need to go into an interdisciplinary major. I intend to call it something akin to Digital Media Management. The major entails project management, economics, digital marketing, and accounting in the digital plane. One experience that influenced me was when I produced some content independently on the online platform of YouTube. I think one of my favorite videos that I produced was one where I scripted the parts, recorded the necessary visuals, and edited the footage together while adding extra visuals, all on my own. While producing the content was neat, I think one thing I also liked was figuring out how to maximize popularity by promoting the video online where I could. I still enjoy crafting ways to maximize the popularity of Content. For example, I post consistently on a niche social media site, and every time I do, I think of types of content that will get people to interact. Whether it be polls or a controversial list, comment or like, it is engagement.

The best writers oftentimes are those who constantly insist they are terrible writers. One thing I love about writing is constant improvement. I look back at chapters I had written while I was in middle school, and I had the same reaction to everything I did in middle school- I cringed. I also love some improvisation in writing, letting the story happen as it occurs in the mind. But I also like an adequate amount of planning within a written work. I believe in the ever-existence of room for improvement, especially in writing. It may come in the form of re-evaluating characters to avoid stereotypes or badly written archetypes like Mary-sues. I believe in evaluating scenes so that dialogue does not feel mundane, so the story happens due to the characters, not the plot. I believe in plugging your own plot holes before anyone else. I believe in taking criticism, even if it may be the hardest thing to do. The next thing I like about writing goes hand in hand with the first. The reason I find it so important to look back at my work comes from the fact that for first drafts, I improvise a lot. I am a big fan of improvisation, whether it comes in the form of comedy, performing, or writing. I do think characters can jump from the page and practically make their own decisions. Powerful characters are how pieces of media end up with memorable quotes and moments. Now, with that being said, I still think you need a little more than a concept of a plan if you want to make a coherent work. I realized that stringing together overall events, themes, and messages beforehand retains the utmost importance. All good designs need a blueprint of sorts. While I attend college, I plan to publish a book. It may not be easy, but I have a cousin of a similar age who has done the same, so I definitely can. I also may write scripts during my time, I could very well write scripts for online content and events. Other scripts include my own shows that I fully intend to produce someday, whether it be near or far. But I want to avoid rushing my most important works, they need to be pristine and enticing. However, I will produce some smaller projects to get my reps in. One last thing I want to add is that writing can mean many other things than written works. Writing includes music, it includes stage blocking, it includes screenwriting, and most importantly, it includes people. People who may have wisdom they need to convey or awareness they need to spread. I believe the best way to do that includes improvement, improvisation, and planning. Now that I’m done with my actual essay, I'd like to briefly discuss artificial intelligence in the writing world. We cannot ignore it, but the truth is A.I. can do a lot of good. Regardless, companies will inevitably try to replace writers. Yet, I have hope, for as long as accusing a project of being written by A.I. is an insult, I do not believe it'll happen. A.I. can do a lot, but what it cannot do is be truly original; it can only regurgitate what was put into it. So, while I do expect the total number of writing jobs to dissipate, they'll not go extinct. The reason I believe the best way to write includes a master of self-improvement, improvisation, and planning is because, without it, the work is not so different than a throw-away answer from the average chatbot.

The funny thing about my high school is that I am already pursuing a higher education. By that, I mean I go to Lassiter Early College High School. We are based at Dallas College’s El Centro Campus. Every single one of my classes takes place in the college building, and after experiencing it all, I am even more eager to pursue higher education. I have encountered various aspects of college life at my current high school, and they only fuel my desire for more. For instance, we have considerable input regarding our classes. We can choose our courses from a set of about five and select the days they occur. We can even determine their start and end times. Some students load all their classes into just two days and have the other three free. We also have the option to leave school early if we do not have any classes, though only Seniors enjoy that privilege. One final perk I have as a dual-credit student is joining college clubs and accessing college resources. I have taken part in a few college clubs and organizations, and the people I met there are vastly different from the students in my high school. Additionally, the resources are plentiful; the college always seems to host some sort of event every week. Not to mention the library, both physical and online, which gives me access to a wealth of books for my classes, knowledge, or entertainment. After witnessing the selection of classes, the flexibility of our schedules, the student resources offered, and the diverse clubs available, I believe there is no better choice than to pursue an education at a four-year university. If all this exists at a community college, I can only imagine it being four times greater at a larger institution. I am eager to explore a wealth of diverse classes to broaden my knowledge and thinking. I want to tailor a schedule that works best for me so I can discover my most productive hours. I seek resources that allow me to develop and research my own projects, and I crave student clubs where I can make lifelong friends. I make a positive impact in my community in numerous ways. I regularly volunteer at my church, Holy Cross. I lector during Mass and events, and I serve on the altar. Another way I contribute is through Teen Court, a program where high schoolers hear real cases from their peers. With adult supervision, teens take on the roles of Prosecution, Defense, Judge, and Jury, who ultimately decide the punishment that should be executed. I also volunteer with various organizations, such as Jack and Jill Inc. and the All Stars Program of Dallas. After all my time at this early college, I understand why many adults view it as a crucial period. The opportunities and freedoms provided are truly significant for personal growth. I believe I have developed a good habit of giving back to my community, so I will continue to dedicate my time and resources to it in the future. As I continue to grow into myself, I will not forget to look back down.

I believe God has helped make me, for lack of a better term, less of a scumbag. Christ has played a significant role in my life for as long as I can remember, even back during my time in pre-K. I spent all my elementary years and most of my middle school at St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a Catholic school, which meant we were always taught the ways of Christ. When I was very young, I’m fairly certain I was a bit of a bully. One day, however, I had an epiphany when someone called me out, saying, “You know what, you’re kinda mean, Bryce.” On my ride home, I reflected and realized I wasn’t much better than the ‘bully’ in our class. My religion teacher talked about epiphanies, and I believe I had one then. After that point, I began to consider how others felt much more. That wasn’t the only major character change I experienced at that stage of my life. Another epiphany occurred after Confession. Now, Catholics aren't supposed to discuss what is said in confessionals, but I can share that prior to that, I cursed very often. So did everyone in my class at the time; it seemed normal to me at my age. But after I left the confessional, I thought to myself, ‘You know what, I think I’m going to stop cursing.’ And so I did; to this day, I choose to avoid curse words. God has also helped me become a better person by encouraging me to be more compassionate and selfless. Whenever I make decisions, I ensure I account for how others might feel and consider what it would be like if I were in their position. This includes making sure everyone gets a turn in a fun activity or distributing hard work evenly among people. I have had to remain faithful in a world where many people seem to have lost their faith. Worse still, there are those who claim to share the same faith but do not exhibit it. Yet, I believe this has allowed me to see through people and form relationships or follow those who are truly good. Sometimes, I can even change my own relationships through certain conversations, helping both of us. I think my faith will benefit my future career in the media entertainment industry, both as a businessperson and a creator. When making financial decisions, I need to keep my morals in mind and not be blinded by greed. If I oversee content production, I should ask myself if it’s something Jesus wouldn’t mind watching. These are just a few ways I can envision my faith translating into my work. Overall, my faith has helped me improve a decent bit, and I believe it can assist me in the future. Being a perfect person is an endless endeavor, and even though that may be impossible to achieve, I can certainly try.

When I was born the music around me was so underwhelming my mother made sure her children picked up an instrument. At least, that is how I would describe my mother’s reason for getting me and my brother involved with musical instruments. The reason she insisted is that the current popular music used mostly synthetic sounds, and hearing only synth music can change your brain. Even though I think plenty of things can ‘change your brain’, regardless I agree music with mostly synthetic instrumentation does not sound particularly pleasant. I have been playing the Guitar for over half my life now. I took lessons with a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free guitar lessons for kids in our local area. Unfortunately, they lost some big donors and before long had to disband the program. I continued to take private lessons after school with one of the teachers, who held the remaining guitars from the previous program. The following year she started a different non-profit program for free stringed instrument lessons. Even though I was more advanced than most in the program, I still went as a teacher’s assistant and helped out the kids who were struggling. Another program I took part in during my middle school was the mariachi band. I am not the most into mariachi-style music, but I learned something new and it kept me practicing. The high school I attended and currently attend does not have any musical program as it is a smaller school within Dallas College. But it is still within the Dallas school district, and because of this, we can take part in any programs at our homeschools. I joined the jazz band at my home high school Carter. I play guitar at different events and as a representative for the school. During my freshman and sophomore years, I took lessons from the founder of Swan Strings that I worked with before. She taught me how to read music, as in my previous years when I was in a class we would work on songs with the whole group instead. For my Junior year, I took lessons from a College Student through a program courtesy of my home High School. With him, I worked more on music theory and how to better navigate the guitar. I plan to keep playing in college. I will spend part of my time doing smaller gigs or events, but I will also spend some time bettering my songwriting. I intend to make use of my knowledge in the future to help craft and/or evaluate music in any future projects that may require it.