Without a doubt, the biggest act of service I am most proud of is my work at the Mary Washington Healthcare Covid Vaccine Clinic. At the height of Covid when everyone was in fear, I was fortunate enough to help others get their shots when they needed it most. The job was simple. I would stand out in the cold for four-hour shifts and check people in on their phones. It was pretty simple, however, the real challenge was trying to explain the process to people. Because of Covid protocols, only a handful of people could enter the building at a time. So I would help people set up text notifications on their phones so they would know when to enter. This proved rather difficult, because some people did not have the patience, or they did not care to listen. Despite this, I was able to help so many people through the experience. Whether I was pushing someone through the clinic on a wheelchair, or I was giving someone directions to park, I felt like I was helping not only people but the world as well. Helping people was great. So great in fact that I had to cancel on my friends for Spring Break because I would be working at the clinic instead. I felt pretty bad about it until all of my friends ended up joining me at the clinic for the week. That's right, a handful of high schoolers were running the vaccine clinic for a while. All in all, working at the clinic was a fantastic experience that allowed me to help others. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to help people get vaccinated alongside my friends, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I am, without a doubt, prepared for a life where I am not making much money. Especially straight out of college. As an aspiring filmmaker, I recognize that it takes a lot of hard work and grit to get where I want to be, and I am ready for that. Despite the harsh climate that the film industry contains, I am determined to use creativity, and the power of entrepreneurship, to shoot for the moon and hopefully land among the stars. As I continue to make films, it has occurred to me that as the scale of the production increases, the impact that one person has diminishes. For instance, in large-scale feature-length productions, someone like me will only have a small impact on the final product. Not to mention, I would probably not be paid very much for my contributions anyways. This is where creativity and independence can play a huge role. As well as being a production assistant on a large set, it would be great to be able to work on smaller-scale independent works as well. When working on independent films, someone such as myself has all the freedoms I need to make my artistic vision come to life. If I don't like the way a shot looks, I can discuss it with my small tight-knit crew instead of consulting dozens of people for even a small change. I can change different story elements around because it is my story to tell, no one else's. It is the dream of so many, including myself, to work on large projects seen by millions, but I believe it is important to create things that satisfy you as an artist as well. Being creative is a fantastic perk of being an entrepreneur, but innovation may be the greatest perk. If you can work and create with as little red tape as possible, you will inevitably begin to push the boundaries of creativity and make something new. It is seen all the time, filmmakers who no one even knows can create a new technique or a new style that people have never seen before. A movie like the Blair Witch Project was made for only a few thousand dollars by a small crew. That movie went on to make millions in the box office, but why? Because the independent filmmakers had the freedom to do what they felt contributed to their vision. The style of this film ended up being pivotal in cinema and changed the way horrors movies are made, solely because these filmmakers had the freedom to innovate. This is the beauty of being an entrepreneur, you can do what you want, how you want, and you can even change the world along the way. Sure, a life where you may not be making a ton of money may not sound great for everyone. But if you are creative enough, and have entrepreneurial drive, then you can live a life where you are free to express your creative desires while also living a financially comfortable life. Isn't that what everyone wants to do when they grow up? Make money doing what they love?

It can be hard to remember to love yourself sometimes. It is easy to get caught up worrying about others so much that you forget about the most important person in your life, yourself. Personally, one part of me that I love is my grit and perseverance. Throughout my life I have encountered some unfortunate challenges, but I am remaining positive and doing my best to combat them to the best of my ability. One of these challenges has been my first semester college. I ended up at a school that is not what it seemed and could lead to a massive amount of debt. However, I am actively working on transferring, because I know better than to give up. What I love about myself is that I will never just sit around and let bad things happen, I am going to do everything in my power to fix the problem and make sure my life is on the correct trajectory. True self love is doing whatever you need to do in order to be happy.

I may be going through the toughest time of my life right now, but I am committed to staying positive. It can be difficult to do that, but here's how I am making it happen. First off, I am actively looking towards the future and making sure it is better than where I am right now. At the moment I am at a university that has made me unhappy, however, I am doing everything I can to transfer and get scholarships. By staying productive and planning for the future, I can remain optimistic, even if this is not where I want to be at the moment. Another key way that I am remaining optimistic is surrounding myself with supportive friends. I have many friends who are in the same boat as me, so we support each other while we try to improve our own life situations. In order to stay optimistic, you just have to remember that things will get better, and that there are people around you who love and support you.

When I first went to the Andy Warhol museum I was unimpressed. I made fun of one of my friends who loved his work because I didn't understand. Now, one of Warhol's works is easily my all time favorite. The work I appreciate the most is his paintings of flowers. The reason this piece spoke to me was because of the meaning behind it, not just the skilled painting. Andy Warhol painted hundreds of these flowers following the assassination of John F. Kennedy as a tribute, which really spoke to me. So much in fact, that I took it upon myself to try my hand at painting the flowers myself for a friend of mine who recently had a death in the family. Although it was clearly not the same, the flowers serve as a deserving tribute for a lost loved one, and it will always hold a special place in my heart as my favorite piece of art. Attached is my own rendition of that artwork.

When I first went to the Andy Warhol museum I was unimpressed. I made fun of one of my friends who loved his work because I didn't understand. Now, one of Warhol's works is easily my all time favorite. The work I appreciate the most is his paintings of flowers. The reason this piece spoke to me was because of the meaning behind it, not just the skilled painting. Andy Warhol painted hundreds of these flowers following the assassination of John F. Kennedy as a tribute, which really spoke to me. So much in fact, that I took it upon myself to try my hand at painting the flowers myself for a friend of mine who recently had a death in the family. Although it was clearly not the same, the flowers serve as a deserving tribute for a lost loved one, and it will always hold a special place in my heart as my favorite piece of art.

Being an artist can be a risky life decision. However, it is a decision made by someone who values their work and passion more than a stable job, which is extremely admirable. Personally, I have made that decision for myself and it will inevitably lead to thousands of dollars of student loan debt. But it is a decision I am 100% ready for because I am passionate about filmmaking and how it can affect the world. As I continue my education I will continue to make art that I believe in, and hope will inspire others, no matter how much money I am making.