When I was 13, I had the bravery to tell my dad I was moving halfway across the country with my mom to start high school. From a small town in North Carolina to Tampa, Florida, I had no idea what to expect, but I stood up for myself and what was best for me. It turned out to be one of my best decisions. When I was 15 I boldly submitted the first play I'd ever written to a district competition, despite my fear of failure. It ended up getting a perfect score and led me to produce and direct it, bringing it to several other competitions over the course of the following year. Even though I hadn't had much experience in theatre or in directing, I put myself out there and I fell in love with the art of scriptwriting. At 16, I was bold in applying to film schools despite most of my family wanting me to attend university for something in STEM instead. My mom was the only one to support me in going after my dreams as a scriptwriter. Now, at 17, I live with bravery every day as I go on without her, as she passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. I'm still chasing my dreams like she would have wanted, but not without struggle. My enrollment in Chapman University as a Writing for Film and Television major was not met without several talks from my family members encouraging me to do something more academic, more 'stable.' But no matter how risky my career path may be, I know it's where I'll be happiest. So I'll gladly live boldly and bravely; I'll live fearlessly and do what I feel a calling for, as long as it means I'm honoring myself and my mom.

Storytelling is one of the most fundamentally human things to exist. Stories - whether they’re providing a new perspective, demonstrating that we’re not alone, or keeping cultures and traditions alive - have been around since the first cavemen drew on walls. As a Writing for Film and Television major, my artform revolves around story, and it’s through telling powerful, impassioned stories that I hope to leave a positive impact on the world. Grief specifically comes to mind when I think of topics I want to tackle with my work. I lost my mom earlier this year, and I’ve never felt so alone in my life. Connecting with people, even people I was super close with, has been difficult, especially since I don’t personally know anyone who’s experienced what I have, even though I know logically there are plenty out there who have. So, I plan to create films that explore further the way experiences like this affect you, rather than just touching on it at surface level. This way, I’d be making art that would make me feel less alone, and therefore hopefully help others who are going through similar experiences feel less alone as well. I want my stories to connect people through the screen and for my scripts to burst with emotion and experiences and hopefully, that way, the whole world will be just a little bit less lonely. I also think gaining new perspectives is one of the most important benefits of stories, so even those who may not relate to my films will at least learn from them. People can be quite harsh and unsympathetic at times, so I hope my art can spark some compassion for others and help make the world a more empathetic and positive place. Tackling larger issues, particularly homophobia, by telling stories of my own and of fellow LGBTQ+ people, is also part of my plan to make a positive impact and offer new perspectives for people. I believe the best way to gain representation in media is to have the representation be created by those in the community, and so that’s exactly what I plan to do. By telling stories through my scripts, I hope to leave an impact that connects people in times that would otherwise make them feel alone and that makes the world a more empathetic place of understanding and awareness for issues others may be facing.

Midway through my junior year, my theatre teacher assigned a playwriting project. All we had to do was write a thirty-minute, one-act play about anything we wanted. I initially didn’t think much of it, but as it turned out, this small class assignment soon became my greatest accomplishment and introduced me to my passion. I’ve always been a creative child, but had taken on an intensive academic path in school with several AP and honor classes. While I found the core topics like English, math, and science interesting enough to get straight A’s in them, none were my passion. The year prior, I had joined my school’s theatre program, and when this playwriting assignment came along, something changed in me. Playwriting opened up a new way for me to tell stories that I became infatuated with. As I drafted my play, I focused a lot on my characters and how their reactions to the wacky situations they were in could guide the story. I was concerned about how to ground my characters in the midst of overly exaggerated comedic personalities, but I found that focusing on creating regular, simple reactions to irregular circumstances made them real. All of this gave me some insight into myself and others, as I became more aware of how I or others would react to different things in real life. I learned a lot about myself through creating people for my play, and soon I had a fun, comedic script with a crazy plot and yet realistic and relatable characters. Throughout the next year, the play went onto several competitions. The script itself won a perfect score in a district competition for scriptwriting, and over the summer of 2021, I entered it in the Powerstories Voices of Youth Theatre Festival. Without many resources, particularly because of my financial circumstance, that summer was busy and rough, although it was such a rewarding experience in the end. Out of the blue, I had thrown myself into this leadership position in something I only had indirect experience in, but through communication with my teenage cast and my own drive, I grew into it and embraced every moment as an opportunity from which to learn. I was able to establish mutual respect between me and my cast where I was able to be both a friend and a leader through open communication. I put together a schedule, I used my own paychecks to buy props and set pieces, and I followed my heart and imagination to direct it. I never imagined I could be so capable of something; so motivated to see my creation blossom. I’ve always struggled with motivation and procrastination, and while there were many frustrating times over the course of that July, I persevered, determined to see my new creation - my new passion - flourish. By the end of July, we had a showing at the Powerstories Theatre, and I got to see my plot and characters be loved and enjoyed by others. I realized in that moment, when a feeling of brightness opened inside of me by seeing others engrossed in something I had created, that this was what I had been looking for all along. Creating and sharing stories is my passion. When school began again, my teacher encouraged me to bring my show to the Florida Theatre Conference in November, where I won an outstanding playwriting award. Just a month later, we brought it to a district one-act competition where again I won an outstanding playwriting award and a superior rating. At each competition, at each show, I had that feeling of excitement and joy towards sharing something I had made, nearly all on my own. By far, this play, from writing it to directing it and to bringing it to competitions, has been my greatest accomplishment. Through this experience, I learned how to lead and work with people, and that my capabilities are greater than I had ever imagined. I’ve always thought that I’d go to college for something in STEM because that’s what I had set myself up for. But I realized through this experience that I should get to go to college for what I feel a fervor for, not for what everyone else wants me to do. I now know that I’m meant to create and share my stories through scriptwriting, and so I plan to continue practicing and learning how to do just that as a Writing for Film and Television major at Chapman University this fall.

While the movie is more popular, I find the true story of The Shining that's concealed in the book by Stephen King is far scarier, heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. A work of science-fiction where the haunted hotel prays on the gift Danny carries and feeds off of the easily possessed father, Jack, the book portrays an abstract, although twisted, view of both addiction and family, and how they affect each other. It consistently kept me on the edge of my seat, and the love and sympathy the book builds in you for Wendy, Danny, Dick Hallorann, and to his own extent, Jack, emphasizes the odd and complicated tight bonds of family. The moment that resonates with me the most from The Shining book, but is left entirely out of the movie, is when Jack has been completely overtaken by the hotel and his alcoholism, and now has Danny cornered. Weilding a croquet mallet, about to commit an unspeakable act, Jack pulls himself out of the possession just long enough to tell Danny that he loves him, and to now run for dear life. He knows he's too far gone and in one last moment of strength and fatherly love, he's able to spare his son. After Danny reluctantly starts to leave, Jack turns the mallet onto himself, smashing his face in an attempt to kill the monster that has overtaken him. While this wasn't successful, and the hotel still utilized his body to torment the family, his last act of protecting his son demonstrates a side of this troubled family the movie blatantly ignores. The Shining is deeper than the thick layer of horror on its surface level; underneath it all, there's a sorrowfully gripping story about the bonds of parental love fighting the bonds of addiction.