Over the past eight years in the theatre space, I have explored almost every aspect of the process and know what it takes to create shows on stage. I’ve acted on stage, written scripts that have been produced, worked in theatre technology and construction, and am currently directing my sixth show, which is my regional theatre debut. However, despite all the work I immersed myself in, it wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I realized why I loved theatre so much. This turning point came when I understood how theatre tells human stories, even in sometimes inhumane spaces, in a way that no other art form can match. ​ What gauged this thought for me was the classes that I was taking as an actor, my freshman year at Howard University. Our professor, who was aware that this was a class of black people who were proud and confident in their identities, told me something that has stuck with me to this day: that as black actors, we are responsible for bringing forth the culture with the work we do. That we represent not only ourselves, but all black people in the diaspora. It sounded like a heavyweight to carry at first, but then I watched one of my first plays in the DMV area. The play happened to be about a Nigerian couple in the States in an attempt to get a better education, and there’s a part where the husband is revealed to be skipping school and staying home to drink, which at this point shows his assimilation into the darker sides of Western culture, and the audience was laughing the entire time. This is when I realized the Sunday matinee showing consisted almost entirely of older white people who had no real connection to the piece. With that and what we had been discussing in class, I had made a commitment to myself that not only would I try to tell more stories of our own, but also ensure that those communities have access to those pieces. ​ Our communities are what make us and allow us to grow, and theatre is what has helped me become the human being that I am today. Now that I know I want to pursue this career, it’s important that I always keep myself tied to the community, and I want my work to do the same.

They say when you’re doing the things you love as a career, it feels like you’re never working a day in your life. That is why I love working in the theatre. I’ve been working in theatre for almost a decade now, and one of the most important lessons it’s ever taught me is that you never go through anything alone. When putting up a show, there’s never one individual person who carries all of the weight on their own. This was extremely evident when I had the opportunity to direct my high school’s yearly Black History Month show with my best friend co-directing. Of course, there were troubles in the production, but in that process, I learned how powerful and truly beautiful collaborating with your peers may be, and that when united under a shared vision, you have the power to create stories worth telling. ​ I had been a part of my performing arts high school’s directing cohort, and being one of the three black people there meant that I was going to be working on this show one way or another. For context, there were a few conventions established with the show. 1: This was an all-school production, meaning that even though this was a theatrical show, we had the opportunity to use people from our music, dance, and visual departments. 2: The show we were directing was a hip-hop musical, which meant that on top of the theatrical elements, there were a plethora of elements I had no training in and would have to enlist help with. 3. For every Black History Month show, there were always two directors, which meant that I would be working with of my best friend on this project, which to many sounds either like the easiest or most difficult time, and it was so much more than being black and white. ​ There was a large issue when it came to the collective vision of the show. I was president of my school’s Film Club and was doing a film shoot, and my co-director was in the middle of working on another show, which caused us to flip-flop a lot while working, and with that, so many people were confused. The cast was confused, our stage managers were confused, our musicians were confused, and my other director and I were confused, and we eventually started butting heads, which impeded on the show over everything. ​ Eventually, I had to sit down with my co-director and we decided to lock ourselves in a room with a white board and figure everything out and even though this was a moment of crisis in every sense of the word, it felt really nice to be able to talk about how we wanted the show to go and put our heads together since before we started rehearsals and we really managed to bring everything together. We started working with the band for the show, using live mixes, and incorporated our dancers, which made the show phenomenal. ​ If anyone came up to me and asked if I would do the show again, I would say yes in a heartbeat because, through it all, through the headaches and confusion, there was a show that showed me how incredible working in theatre could be in every aspect. To this day, my co-director and I are like brothers, and any time the show is mentioned in passing, we’re able to laugh and say, " All in all, we did a great job.

As a high school student, I was blessed to be connected with a large advisory board of artists who’d help fund projects, activities, and intensives so that people like me could get the training they needed. Through that collective, I had the opportunity to attend incredible programs, and when the time came, tour colleges that helped me make the decision that has set me on a path that I believed was destined for me. The first time I ever participated in an intensive was the summer of my sophomore year in New York City, and with the help of my high school, I was able to attend without paying anything out of pocket. Before going up to New York, my family wanted to visit my cousin in DC, and while we were there, we took a trip to Howard University. This was the first time I had visited any college besides my parents' alma mater, and I fell in love with the College of Fine Arts, even getting the chance to meet the then-current dean, Phylicia Rashad. I didn’t know it at the time, but everyone else in my family knew as soon as I set foot in that building that I was going to end up there. Over the course of the rest of my high school career, I had the opportunity to attend an intensive in Connecticut my junior year and tour two prospective colleges my senior year, all with the help of my school. Through these experiences, I learned two very distinct things. The first was that no matter how many acting classes I’ve taken, there will always be more to learn about the things I thought I knew everything about. My New York intensive immersed me in the process of working on TV and Film sets, and my time in Connecticut deepened my knowledge of both industries. Both of them had similar curricula, but showed me vastly different aspects of the world I want to enter. The second was the harsh reality that I soon had to face: once I graduated, I wouldn’t have access to the advisory board that supported and financed my access to my dreams.  The advisory board was only available for high school students, and once I walked across that stage at graduation, I would have to pull myself up by my own bootstraps. My senior year, with a large amount of help from my family, I received a substantial amount of scholarships to cover my first semester, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that money would once again become an issue. With that, access to programs outside of school was difficult to attend if they weren’t free, and if I wanted to make sure I could continue my education, I’d have to invest in myself and the work that I do. For the past two years, I have been working on my art and learning at Howard, taking classes in theatre and directing, spending long hours in the library, and interning every year. These experiences have led to excellent opportunities, including enrollment at the British Academy of Dramatic Arts next semester. However, financial challenges remain. This scholarship would relieve tuition worries, allowing me to focus fully on honing my craft and preparing to advance on my path.

In the sixth grade, I performed in my first show and the moment I bowed on that stage I knew I wanted to act. In the tenth grade, now attending a school for acting, I realized that I didn’t just want to act, I wanted to write as well. That same year, watching my words come to life for the first time, I realized I wanted to help make these stories come to life and entered my school’s directing cohort. Even attending Howard University, it took me two years of directing shows and acting in productions, for me to realize why I love the thing I wake up every day in the morning to do. Being at college and maturing has brought forth the question a lot and I only recently figured out why: for the expansion of the culture. As an actor, we’ve been taught about living and portraying under given circumstances but at Howard, we’ve been taught that as actors we are culture bearers. These stories we tell are so much bigger than us and that’s been evidently shown through our alumni and the black performers I look up to. When I was younger, I watched this show called A Different World which, besides convincing me I wanted to go to an HBCU introduced me to Ms. Huxtable, played by Phylicia Rashad, who showed me that it wasn’t just my mom who was a strong black woman and that there is so much we owe to the black women in the world. Now, I’m finally catching up to black media and when watching This is Us, I get filled with so much joy when seeing Sterling K. Brown’s Randall Pearson supports his family and his children because there’s so many stories and stereotypes of black fathers in the real world not doing the same. As a director and a writer, I just enjoyed telling these stories and bringing them to life and I knew that I wanted to prioritize black pieces, but it took until directing a one act play about a fictional moment during the civil rights movement for me to somewhat understand what drives me as a director. After the show, I had a very distinct reaction from the show that did something to me. I had an older black man, who looked like he was old enough to have been alive during the movement, come up to me and tell me how much he enjoyed the show and specifically how important the work was. I don’t remember the exact words, but the essence of what he said is something that resonates in my work to this day: creating work that connects and bridges the diaspora together. When it comes to unity in blackness, it doesn't matter where we come from or how old we are, there is an irrefutable connection amongst all of us and my work aims to bring us together in a world that tries so hard to constantly separate us. There are certain responsibilities I carry as a black man. When certain people see me, they think I not only represent myself, my family, but black people as a whole. In the past decade, I’ve realized the same responsibilities apply in theatre. From the roles I portray to the stories I choose to tell, I have a responsibility to push the culture forward. As I get ready to become a junior in college, studying abroad at the British Academy of Dramatic Art, I carry those values with me as I further expand my knowledge of the cultures I love.

The arts have always been a major part of my life. My mother went to college for dance and was a dance teacher, and while my dad majored in accounting, in our house, he kept a music studio where he rapped on tracks since I was a baby. So when I discovered that I wanted to be an actor in the 6th grade, my family was more than ecstatic. I attended the same performing arts school as her, and while I was there, I discovered a great deal about the craft of acting, and my eyes were opened to the vast possibilities theatre had to offer me. Besides acting, I started writing scripts, which got produced and then came senior year, and I started directing my classmates’ scripts and then directed school productions, and it made me feel so alive. It gave me a sense of purpose that I hadn’t felt before. During one of my playwriting classes, I saw that my teacher had a huge emblem on her shelf for a university I had never heard of. I asked her about it, and the rest was history. From educating me about the playwrights she attended to, even her own classmates, such as Taraji P. Henson, with whom she cultivated her knowledge, and most importantly, how the experience was attending a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The school that I attended didn’t have a lot of black men, let alone black people, in the theatre department at the time and she truly made sure the few of us were being exposed to black art. It was that factor of compassion and community that made me want to apply and eventually attend the illustrious Howard University. ​ My first few weeks at Howard were a little rough, to be honest. I was expecting a lot of things out of the program, and they looked as if they were becoming more and more unattainable by the day. I was doing fine in classes, but just felt as if something was missing. And then I met Professor Salter. Professor Salter was the acting professor we were slated to have before she suffered from health complications and went on leave. We weren’t expecting her for another week or two, but when she came in, she dominated the room and completely revamped the way I viewed theatre. Seeing her, throughout all of the issues she underwent, teach and reintroduce acting through a space that was so uniquely and culturally ours, and it reignited the flame and passion I had for telling stories on stage. It was inspiring and instilled the responsibilities I now carry with myself as a Black Artist of telling truthful stories to the world for the betterment of our people. ​ And with that, I carry on as an artist, an activist, and a leader who strives to create art in the way Professor Salter inspired me, in the way that brings the community together, the way my theatre teacher inspired me to. Since being at Howard, I’m proud to be able to say that I’ve worked on an internship my freshman year, been involved with one of the largest student-led productions we’ve had on campus and directed a full-length play run by student production in my second year, with no plans of stopping the motion I’ve gained throughout the year.

I never experienced theatre outside of my high school because I didn’t feel the need to. We were a performing arts school and I was always doing the shows and rarely was an audience member. Being in DC has allowed me to see thrice the amount of shows in just a month. One of these shows in particular struck me in a way I didn’t expect it to. It was a show about a Nigerian couple managing their lives in the US while pursuing college. The play’s environment was beautiful and as a person who had a connection to Nigerian communities back in Texas, it hit close to home. There was a moment in the play when one of the main characters shows signs of alcoholism by compulsively drinking and hiding his empty bottles. It’s a depressing scene and as I was watching this man depict struggle with his addiction, I hear an eruption of laughter amongst the audience. I looked to see where it was coming from and to my surprise, the audience for the play about the Nigerian couple consisted of 95% older white people. Right there I told myself that in the next four years, I would try my hardest to create a more accessible way for people of color to access theatre because there are so many plays about our culture but we aren't present. There are so many ways I can contribute to this cause such as being an actor that black people and youth can view as inspiration to pursue arts but that comes back to the issue of accessibility. It’s such a common misconception that theatre is only a thing for the upper class when in reality, the middle class controlled theatre for a very long time. There are hundreds, if not thousands of theatre shows that happen across the nation, and an incredible amount of those theatres hold programs that lower the price of tickets for students and youth. From Sesame Street to Sitcoms on television, all of it has theatrical elements and people don’t even realize it. If I can help educate the youth, more specifically inner-city youth, understand what theatre can provide for them, then I think those gates can be opened. Last year, I went to another play by myself. This one was a little more catered to a non-black audience in terms of the plot and experience but was still a fantastic play nonetheless. This time, the major moment came after the play and the talkback. I was leaving when a group of black people pointed at me and said “There he is!”. I found out that they were all family members of one of the lead actresses and mostly alumni of my college. We talked about a lot of things, ranging from her experience in college compared to mine, the current election, they even happened to be familiar with where I went for high school. By the end of the night I had felt like family and when I left, I simply thought to myself “This is what theatre should be”. It doesn’t have to be about us all of the time but just to be able to enter the theatre and for a good four hours, you can connect and enjoy the experience that you can’t get from watching a movie or TV Show. It’s that human connection that allows me to keep going and if so many other people can see how wonderful that is, theatre would be so much more of an inclusive environment.

Art education has been around me my entire life. My mom is a dance teacher and so is my aunt and my godmother, so there's always been some form of art when I was younger. Then, fast-forward to high school when I attend a performing arts school, and there are theater teachers everywhere that have influenced me all so much in so many different aspects that I can't name all in this paper. Unfortunately, I have to choose one, and to me, the most influential theatre teacher, if not teacher in general, I have ever had was my 9th through 12th grade Voice/Diction/playwriting teacher, Miss Price. Like I previously mentioned, I attended a performing arts school. The only performing arts school in the district. Unfortunately, not a lot of people like me were interested in theater the way I thought they were from previous schools I attended, and I felt very small my freshman year. It was the first theatre class I had ever taken, and there were about four other black guys in my class, and even though I had formed excellent bonds with all of them, I still felt small compared to the larger demographics of white people all around the school. That’s where Miss Price came in. Miss Price taught us our freshman year first and second semester, and at the time, she was the only black teacher I had, and that led to me growing really close to her, especially sophomore year when we were transitioning to in-person learning. Sooner or later, she felt like a second mother to me. She exposed me to so much theater that I had never even thought of before I had attended the school and put me on to so many incredible playwrights when I joined the playwriting class that allowed me to create stories that I've been wanting to tell for so long. Fast-forward to second semester of sophomore year, and she's telling me about a homecoming at the school called Howard that she went to. My cousin attended Howard, so I had heard stories about it, but I had never heard it the way my teacher described it as this beautiful celebration of black culture. I toured the school that summer, and I fell in love with it. Then, in junior year, I attended homecoming, and it was everything she was talked about and more. I told her about my interest, and she gave me a lot of solid advice and opportunities to connect with people on campus. She started taking care of me a lot more and even sometimes dropping me off at home when my mother gave birth to my brother and could not drive. My senior year, I applied to Howard, and I got in. When I called Miss Price to tell her the news, she simply said, "I figured you would.” And during my entire college decision process, she knew I belonged at Howard, even when I thought I didn't. So now I aspire to do all that she does: direct, act, write, and maybe even one day create my own Black Repertoire Theater Company like she has in Dallas. I owe so much to her because even now, I feel so much stronger as an artist because of her.

My junior year of high school, I wrote a play called “Just A Normal Saturday Night”. This eventually became my first play to be produced out of many more. When I watched the play, acted out by actual people with an actual set and people laughing, something changed in me. A feeling I had never felt before. So now I keep writing. I keep acting. I keep making films because that's my joy and my luxury. I have a lot of ideas that I think should be heard, whether people are ready for it or not. I have an entire note folder with ideas and storylines for films and plays that I want to write. My vision for the future isn’t just writing; of course, I plan to act as well as direct films and stage productions. It all goes back to when I had to perform a poem annually in elementary school. I used to hate having to memorize poems that I had no interest in, but it came in handy when in the sixth grade, I decided to audition for my first theatrical performance and first musical theatre production: Beauty and the Beast Jr. and now I’ve been doing theatre for seven years. Sometime during high school, I decided to start writing and I became really fascinated with reading plays more than I would books. I would create scenes in my head and would narrate all the characters to myself. This led to me deciding I wanted to direct plays and I directed a variety of plays from student-written 10-minutes to one acts including Dutchman by Amiri Baraka. Then, in October, I was leaving the Q&A of a show when a group of Black people pointed at me and said “There he is!”. I found out that they were all family members of one of the lead actresses and mostly alumni of my college. By the end of the night, I had felt like family, and when I left, I simply told myself, “This is what theatre should be for everyone,” and now I aspire to be an advocate for theatre accessibility for inner-city communities who aren’t aware of how affordable theatre is. So now I continue to do my work: writing, acting, and directing. Learning and advancing my education at Howard University. I have a lot of quotes in my collection, but one that keeps me going is one from Louisiana-based rapper Lil Wayne during the production of Tyler, The Creator’s album Cherry Bomb: “Work hard, be somebody, be something more than what you see in the mirror. Let the world be your mirror, don’t let them judge you, because the mirror can’t judge you. You judge what you see in the mirror.” I continue to want to be somebody, not for fame or money, but because I can. Because everything I do can be the greatest thing someone’s ever seen. Because my imagination is my greatest gift, and that's my gift that can't be wasted.

“Hey Bud, Mommy needs to talk to you…”. While I was still very young, I remember my mom sitting me down and telling me she and my dad were getting a divorce. I didn’t know exactly what divorce meant, but I knew everything around me was changing rapidly. Within a couple of weeks my dad had moved out. After the divorce, my mother, sister, and I had to move around a lot. We lived in three different cities within 18 months. While my mom was doing her best, all the changes and moving took a toll on me. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 different middle schools. All the moving made it extremely difficult to not just make friends but maintain them. It also affected my ability to create an identity for myself. Despite my lack of social success, I forged a new path and focused on my academics and acting. Acting changed my life completely. It allowed me a chance to step away from my current struggles; with acting I could be anybody, anywhere. From there my love for the arts soared to new heights. My talent allowed new opportunities to come my way. Socially, the Theatre community was very inviting. I found people who were just like me. They showed me that it was okay for me to be myself. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. My goal is to major in Theater and minor in film and business. With this I would love to incorporate my love for African American studies and create works that shine the light on my culture, as well as others. After graduation I want to take a deep dive into the entertainment industry. I am hoping to start acting and be a positive representative of what HBCU’s can produce. As a black individual, I feel a strong desire to see more diverse representation in the media. An addition to acting, my dream is to create a BIPOC led production company that allows people to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see true “representation” in media. The goal is to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. While some may view us as middle class, there are several obstacles we encounter. Financial hardship will be a formidable obstacle on my path to higher education. While the pursuit of my academic achievement is promising for my future personal and professional growth, the burden of financial constraints often causes me to doubt my educational aspirations. After my parents divorced my mother was left to be the sole provider for us. Keeping up with household bills left little room for her to establish a college fund. Along with this, she had to endure several medical issues and tragedies, including the death of my baby brother. In the midst of grieving, she is still left to pay medical bills. I was taught that keeping good grades would yield scholarship opportunities.

“Hey Bud, Mommy needs to talk to you…”. While I was still very young, I remember my mom sitting me down and telling me she and my dad were getting a divorce. I didn’t know exactly what divorce meant, but I knew everything around me was changing rapidly. Within a couple of weeks my dad had moved out. After the divorce, my mother, sister, and I had to move around a lot. We lived in three different cities within 18 months. While my mom was doing her best, all the changes and moving took a toll on me. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 different middle schools. All the moving made it extremely difficult to not just make friends but maintain them. It also affected my ability to create an identity for myself. Despite my lack of social success, I forged a new path and focused on my academics and acting. My goal is to major in Theater and minor in film and business. With this I would love to incorporate my love for African American studies and create works that shine the light on my culture, as well as others. After graduation I want to take a deep dive into the entertainment industry. I am hoping to start acting and be a positive representative of what HBCU’s can produce. As a black individual, I feel a strong desire to see more diverse representation in the media. An addition to acting, my dream is to create a BIPOC led production company that allows people to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see true “representation” in media. The goal is to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. From my earliest moments into volunteerism to the present day, the journey of community service has been marked by moments of inspiration, learning, and growth. Through engagements with diverse organizations, ranging from local shelters to global humanitarian initiatives, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of acts of service, both on individuals and communities at large. My favorite community service assignments always revolve around the elderly. They remind me of my grandparents. We are fortunate enough to be able to keep them in their home with assistance, but I recognize everyone is not as blessed. This past holiday season, I was able to volunteer to serve holiday dinner to the elderly from varies retirement homes within our community. It was a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer and ensure that everyone feels included and cared for during the holiday season. I was able to help collect food donations, prepare the food, serve the food, and interact with the residents. While some may view us as middle class, there are several obstacles we encounter. Financial hardship will be a formidable obstacle on my path to higher education. While the pursuit of my academic achievement is promising for my future personal and professional growth, the burden of financial constraints often causes me to doubt my educational aspirations. After my parents divorced my mother was left to be the sole provider for us. Keeping up with household bills left little room for her to establish a college fund. Along with this, she had to endure several medical issues and tragedies, including the death of my baby brother. In the midst of grieving, she is still left to pay medical bills. I was taught that keeping good grades would yield scholarship opportunities.

Trailblazers are described as people who forge a new path amid unknown territory. While aiming for success I have encountered a lot of unknown territory. Overcoming challenges meant I had to create new paths. My greatest achievement thus far is overcoming adversity and learning to find my voice. As an overcomer, I feel I am the perfect candidate for consideration to receive your scholarship. “Hey Bud, Mommy needs to talk to you…”. While I was still very young, I remember my mom sitting me down and telling me she and my dad were getting a divorce. I didn’t know exactly what divorce meant, but I knew everything around me was changing rapidly. Within a couple of weeks of Mom sitting me down, we came home one day, and my dad had moved out. My mom was a homemaker and couldn’t afford to keep and maintain the household without him. After the divorce, my mother, sister, and I had to move around a lot. We lived in three different cities within 18 months. While my mom was doing her best, all the changes and moving took a toll on me. When my parents divorced it was like my dad divorced me too. We were always extremely close, and, in an instant, nothing was the same. In my mind, my dad left because of me, and he was never coming back. This scared me emotionally. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 different middle schools. All the moving made it extremely difficult to not just make friends but maintain them. It also affected my ability to create an identity for myself. I was already struggling emotionally, but now I was failing socially. “Who was I and where did I belong”? This was a challenge I dealt with daily. Despite my lack of social success, I forged a new path and focused on my academics and acting on my newfound passion. Academically, I excelled beyond belief. The hard work paid off and I was allowed to be promoted and skipped a couple of grades. Because of this, I was 2 weeks shy of graduating at the age of 16. My talent allowed new opportunities to come my way. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. My future goal is to major in Theater and minor in film and business at Howard University. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

As I prepare to transition to college, I often sit and wish there was some magic button that would ensure automatic success. Some secret recipe that I could follow to guarantee that life would be perfect post-graduation. However, the reality is that’s not an option, but thankfully I have principles that I adhere to that will help to continue to propel me into excellence. I do realize that success is subjective and multi-faceted, but these are some things that I feel will contribute to ultimate achievement. Despite facing many obstacles, sticking to these principles has helped me overcome them. Defeating these giants has helped to motivate me to strive for more. I am determined to make my higher learning experience a successful one. I subscribe to 5 prerequisites when aiming for success. They include setting clear goals, continuous learning, self-discipline, relationship building, and strategic planning. Success in any form should start with a clear vision or goals of what you want to achieve. While aiming for success I have run into some obstacles that I’ve had to overcome. As a child, we moved around a lot after my parents divorced. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 middle schools. This made it very difficult for me to make friends and affected my ability to create an identity for myself. Despite my lack of social success, I channeled all my energy into academics and acting, my newfound talent. The hard work paid off academically and afforded me the chance to be promoted a couple of grades. I also began to excel in theater. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. My goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

My passion for theater developed in elementary school with the production of Beauty and the Beast. From there my love for the arts soared to new heights. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing & visual arts high school in Dallas, TX. This is where I met a valuable person who taught me an invaluable lesson that changed my life. At my new school, I found myself in a community of people who were like me, sharing the same dreams and aspirations, but there was a very small margin of people who actually looked like me. This is where Mrs. Guinea Bennett Price comes into the picture. Mrs. Price was my Introduction to Acting teacher as well as academic advisor. Price holds a BFA from Howard University and is also the co-founder and Artistic Director of her own black led performing theater company. She was, at the time, the only black theater teacher on staff and made it her mission to ensure her black students received quality training in their craft and culture. In this moment is where my eyes open about the importance of honoring my blackness. I learned about diverse perspectives and gained a cultural understanding in her class. I gained the ability to relate to the experiences and backgrounds of my fellow black students, which helped provide a more inclusive learning environment. Her developed curriculum reflected accurate and comprehensive views of our history and society. Through her guidance, I have been able to navigate the challenges of racial identity and social pressures. Watching Mrs. Price lead her theater company has helped me make life-changing decisions about my future. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. My goals are radical, but because of the influence of my mentor, Mrs. Price, I believe now that they are attainable. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

I consider myself a black creative. While in high school, I managed to act in lead roles, write and develop screenplays, direct student shows, work on professional sets, and even created my own short film. However, as a scholar creative I have faced limitations and been forced to restrict my work to general audiences. I am eager to attend Howard to further explore my passions in a way and elevated way. My goal is to major in Theater and minor is playwriting and film. With this I would love to incorporate my love for African American studies and create works that shine the light on my culture, as well as others. I seek to learn advanced methods of storytelling. To do this, I plan to study abroad and travel to other countries to get a first-hand look at their cultures. All of this coincides with my post-graduation goals. After graduation I want to take a deep dive into the entertainment industry. I am hoping to start acting and be a positive representative of what HBCU’s can produce. As a black individual, I feel a strong desire to see more diverse representation in the media. By becoming a successful actor, I can help to diversify the narratives and characters portrayed on screen, providing positive role models for others who may identify with my background. Being a black actor can provide a platform to address social issues and advocate for change. Through my performances and public platform, I can raise awareness about important issues such as racial inequality, representation in the media, and social justice. I want to fight for financial equity for African American actors. Aside from acting, I want to take what I’ve learned and apply it to creating my ultimate goal. My dream is to create a BIPOC led production company that allows people to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see true “representation” in film and television. With the overwhelming impact of social media, reintegration is becoming more plausible. The idea of real representation is evident in web series like Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl which was successfully adapted into HBO’s Insecure. I anticipate a lot of challenges while trying to reach my goal of creating a BIPOC production company, however I believe in the importance of positive representation. I believe in the importance of collaboration. I believe that I can be the change that the entertainment world needs! While I view myself as creative, I also take pride in being a continuous learner. I want to continue my education through the graduate level and obtain my PhD. By furthering my education, I will be better equipped to help reach my long-term goals.

“Hey Bud, Mommy needs to talk to you…”. While I was still very young, I remember my mom sitting me down and telling me she and my dad were getting a divorce. Within a couple of weeks of Mom sitting me down, we came home one day, and my dad had moved out. After the divorce, my mother, sister, and I had to move around a lot. We lived in three different cities within 18 months. When my parents divorced it was like my dad divorced me too. This scared me emotionally. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 different middle schools. I was already struggling emotionally, but now failing socially. Despite my lack of social success, I forged a new path and focused on my academics and acting on my newfound passion. The hard work paid off and I was allowed to be promoted and skipped a couple of grades. I was 2 weeks shy of graduating at the age of 16. My goal is to major in Theater at Howard University. My dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. As I am preparing to graduate high school and go to college, I can’t help but be grateful. I was equipped to overcome obstacles. I never gave up on myself and I won’t give up on my dreams. I learned how to create new paths. I survived being a statistic and I overcame the odds!

“Hey Bud, Mommy needs to talk to you…”. While I was still very young, I remember my mom sitting me down and telling me she and my dad were getting a divorce. I didn’t know exactly what divorce meant, but I knew everything around me was changing rapidly. Within a couple of weeks of Mom sitting me down, we came home one day, and my dad had moved out. My mom was a homemaker and couldn’t afford to keep and maintain the household without him. After the divorce, my mother, sister, and I had to move around a lot. We lived in three different cities within 18 months. While my mom was doing her best, all the changes and moving took a toll on me. When my parents divorced it was like my dad divorced me too. We were always extremely close, and, in an instant, nothing was the same. In my mind, my dad left because of me, and he was never coming back. This scared me emotionally. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 different middle schools. All the moving made it extremely difficult to not just make friends but maintain them. It also affected my ability to create an identity for myself. I was already struggling emotionally, but now I was failing socially. Despite my lack of social success, I forged a new path and focused on my academics and acting on my newfound passion. Academically, I excelled beyond belief. The hard work paid off and I was allowed to be promoted and skipped a couple of grades. Because of this, I was 2 weeks shy of graduating at the age of 16. My future goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film at Howard University. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. As I am preparing to graduate high school and go to college, I can’t help but be grateful. I am grateful that I was equipped to overcome obstacles. I never gave up on myself and I won’t give up on my dreams. I learned how to create new paths amid chaos. I survived being a statistic and I overcame the odds. I am blazing my own path!!

I consider myself a black creative. While in high school, I managed to act in lead roles, write and develop screenplays, direct student shows, work on professional sets, and even created my own short film. However, as a scholar creative I have faced limitations and been forced to restrict my work to general audiences. I am eager to attend Howard to further explore my passions in a way and elevated way. My goal is to major in Theater and minor is playwriting and film. With this I would love to incorporate my love for African American studies and create works that shine the light on my culture, as well as others. I seek to learn advanced methods of storytelling. To do this, I plan to study abroad and travel to other countries to get a first-hand look at their cultures. All of this coincides with my post-graduation goals. After graduation I want to take a deep dive into the entertainment industry. I am hoping to start acting and be a positive representative of what HBCU’s can produce. As a black individual, I feel a strong desire to see more diverse representation in the media. By becoming a successful actor, I can help to diversify the narratives and characters portrayed on screen, providing positive role models for others who may identify with my background. Being a black actor can provide a platform to address social issues and advocate for change. Through my performances and public platform, I can raise awareness about important issues such as racial inequality, representation in the media, and social justice. Aside from acting, I want to take what I’ve learned and apply it to creating my ultimate goal. My dream is to create a BIPOC led production company that allows people to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see true “representation” in film and television. With the overwhelming impact of social media, reintegration is becoming more plausible. The idea of real representation is evident in web series like Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl which was successfully adapted into HBO’s Insecure. I anticipate a lot of challenges while trying to reach my goal of creating a BIPOC production company, however I believe in the importance of positive representation. I believe in the importance of collaboration. I believe that I can be the change that the entertainment world needs! While I view myself as creative, I also take pride in being a continuous learner. I want to continue my education through the graduate level and obtain my PhD. By furthering my education, I will be better equipped to help reach my long-term goals.

As I prepare to transition to college, I often sit and wish there was some magic button that would ensure automatic success. Some secret recipe that I could follow to guarantee that life would be perfect post-graduation. However, the reality is that’s not an option, but thankfully I have principles that I adhere to that will help to continue to propel me into excellence. I do realize that success is subjective and multi-faceted, but these are some things that I feel will contribute to ultimate achievement. Despite facing many obstacles, sticking to these principles has helped me overcome them. Defeating these giants has helped to motivate me to strive for more. I am determined to make my higher learning experience a successful one. I subscribe to 5 prerequisites when aiming for success. They include setting clear goals, continuous learning, self-discipline, relationship building, and strategic planning. Success in any form should start with a clear vision or goals of what you want to achieve. These goals should provide direction and purpose, guide your actions, and direct your decisions toward desired outcomes. Setting goals helps me prioritize tasks and forces me to stay focused and not get deterred by distractions. Creating specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART) goals, ensures that my efforts are targeted and intentional. In our ever-changing society, the desire to be successful should be mirrored by the desire to be a continuous and lifelong learner. This mindset allows for adaptability, the welcoming of new ideas, learning new skills and remaining flexible during change. Success means embracing a growth mindset. Success also demands self-discipline. I have to make a conscious decision to block out distractions and prioritize to achieve maximum productivity. The prerequisite that I excel in the most is relationship building. Excellence can’t be achieved in isolation but instead with collaboration. With networking, I am provided the opportunity for support, mentorship, and access to valuable resources. Lastly, but most importantly, is strategic planning. Creating a strategic plan helps you anticipate challenges, make informed decisions, and seize a chance at growth. My philosophy is that the pursuit of success is a journey and not a destination. It’s about continuously striving to be the best version of myself. While aiming for success I have run into some obstacles that I’ve had to overcome. As a child, we moved around a lot after my parents divorced. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 middle schools. This made it very difficult for me to make friends and affected my ability to create an identity for myself. Despite my lack of social success, I channeled all my energy into academics and acting, my newfound talent. The hard work paid off academically and afforded me the chance to be promoted a couple of grades. I also began to excel in theater. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. My goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. Presenting our past helps us to create a better future. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange worldwide. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. Presenting our past helps us to create a better future. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange worldwide. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

“Hey Bud, Mommy needs to talk to you…”. While I was still very young, I remember my mom sitting me down and telling me she and my dad were getting a divorce. I didn’t know exactly what divorce meant, but I knew everything around me was changing rapidly. Within a couple of weeks of Mom sitting me down, we came home one day, and my dad had moved out. My mom was a homemaker and couldn’t afford to keep and maintain the household without him. After the divorce, my mother, sister, and I had to move around a lot. We lived in three different cities within 18 months. While my mom was doing her best, all the changes and moving took a toll on me. When my parents divorced it was like my dad divorced me too. We were always extremely close, and, in an instant, nothing was the same. In my mind, my dad left because of me, and he was never coming back. This scared me emotionally. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 different middle schools. All the moving made it extremely difficult to not just make friends but maintain them. It also affected my ability to create an identity for myself. I was already struggling emotionally, but now I was failing socially. Despite my lack of social success, I forged a new path and focused on my academics and acting on my newfound passion. Academically, I excelled beyond belief. The hard work paid off and I was allowed to be promoted and skipped a couple of grades. Because of this, I was 2 weeks shy of graduating at the age of 16. My future goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film at Howard University. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. As I am preparing to graduate high school and go to college, I can’t help but be grateful. I am grateful that I was equipped to overcome obstacles. I never gave up on myself and I won’t give up on my dreams. I learned how to create new paths amid chaos. I survived being a statistic and I overcame the odds. I am blazing my own path!!

“Hey Bud, Mommy needs to talk to you…”. While I was still very young, I remember my mom sitting me down and telling me she and my dad were getting a divorce. I didn’t know exactly what divorce meant, but I knew everything around me was changing rapidly. Within a couple of weeks of Mom sitting me down, we came home one day, and my dad had moved out. My mom was a homemaker and couldn’t afford to keep and maintain the household without him. After the divorce, my mother, sister, and I had to move around a lot. We lived in three different cities within 18 months. While my mom was doing her best, all the changes and moving took a toll on me. When my parents divorced it was like my dad divorced me too. We were always extremely close, and, in an instant, nothing was the same. In my mind, my dad left because of me, and he was never coming back. This scared me emotionally. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 different middle schools. All the moving made it extremely difficult to not just make friends but maintain them. It also affected my ability to create an identity for myself. I was already struggling emotionally, but now I was failing socially. Despite my lack of social success, I forged a new path and focused on my academics and acting on my newfound passion. Academically, I excelled beyond belief. The hard work paid off and I was allowed to be promoted and skipped a couple of grades. Because of this, I was 2 weeks shy of graduating at the age of 16. My future goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film at Howard University. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. As I am preparing to graduate high school and go to college, I can’t help but be grateful. I am grateful that I was equipped to overcome obstacles. I never gave up on myself and I won’t give up on my dreams. I learned how to create new paths amid chaos. I survived being a statistic and I overcame the odds. I am blazing my own path!!

As I prepare to transition to college, I often sit and wish there was some magic button that would ensure automatic success. Some secret recipe that I could follow to guarantee that life would be perfect post-graduation. However, the reality is that’s not an option, but thankfully I have principles that I adhere to that will help to continue to propel me into excellence. I do realize that success is subjective and multi-faceted, but these are some things that I feel will contribute to ultimate achievement. Despite facing many obstacles, sticking to these principles has helped me overcome them. Defeating these giants has helped to motivate me to strive for more. I am determined to make my higher learning experience a successful one. I subscribe to 5 prerequisites when aiming for success. They include setting clear goals, continuous learning, self-discipline, relationship building, and strategic planning. Success in any form should start with a clear vision or goals of what you want to achieve. These goals should provide direction and purpose, guide your actions, and direct your decisions toward desired outcomes. Setting goals helps me prioritize tasks and forces me to stay focused and not get deterred by distractions. Creating specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART) goals, ensures that my efforts are targeted and intentional. In our ever-changing society, the desire to be successful should be mirrored by the desire to be a continuous and lifelong learner. This mindset allows for adaptability, the welcoming of new ideas, learning new skills and remaining flexible during change. Success means embracing a growth mindset. Success also demands self-discipline. I have to make a conscious decision to block out distractions and prioritize to achieve maximum productivity. The prerequisite that I excel in the most is relationship building. Excellence can’t be achieved in isolation but instead with collaboration. With networking, I am provided the opportunity for support, mentorship, and access to valuable resources. Lastly, but most importantly, is strategic planning. Creating a strategic plan helps you anticipate challenges, make informed decisions, and seize a chance at growth. My philosophy is that the pursuit of success is a journey and not a destination. It’s about continuously striving to be the best version of myself. While aiming for success I have run into some obstacles that I’ve had to overcome. As a child, we moved around a lot after my parents divorced. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 middle schools. This made it very difficult for me to make friends and affected my ability to create an identity for myself. Despite my lack of social success, I channeled all my energy into academics and acting, my newfound talent. The hard work paid off academically and afforded me the chance to be promoted a couple of grades. I also began to excel in theater. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. My goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

“Hey Bud, Mommy needs to talk to you…”. While I was still very young, I remember my mom sitting me down and telling me she and my dad were getting a divorce. I didn’t know exactly what divorce meant, but I knew everything around me was changing rapidly. Within a couple of weeks of Mom sitting me down, we came home one day, and my dad had moved out. My mom was a homemaker and couldn’t afford to keep and maintain the household without him. After the divorce, my mother, sister, and I had to move around a lot. We lived in three different cities within 18 months. While my mom was doing her best, all the changes and moving took a toll on me. When my parents divorced it was like my dad divorced me too. We were always extremely close, and, in an instant, nothing was the same. In my mind, my dad left because of me, and he was never coming back. This scared me emotionally. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 different middle schools. All the moving made it extremely difficult to not just make friends but maintain them. It also affected my ability to create an identity for myself. I was already struggling emotionally, but now I was failing socially. Despite my lack of social success, I forged a new path and focused on my academics and acting on my newfound passion. Academically, I excelled beyond belief. The hard work paid off and I was allowed to be promoted and skipped a couple of grades. Because of this, I was 2 weeks shy of graduating at the age of 16. My future goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film at Howard University. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. As I am preparing to graduate high school and go to college, I can’t help but be grateful. I am grateful that I was equipped to overcome obstacles. I never gave up on myself and I won’t give up on my dreams. I learned how to create new paths amid chaos. I survived being a statistic and I overcame the odds. I am blazing my own path!!

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. Presenting our past helps us to create a better future. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange worldwide. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. Unfortunately, due to my mother raising us on her own she couldn’t create a college fund for me. I have strived for academic excellence throughout my school career in hopes of acquiring scholarships. I have been active in my community and a participant in several service projects. There’s going to be a lot of challenges get to school but I am determined. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

“Hey Bud, Mommy needs to talk to you…”. While I was still very young, I remember my mom sitting me down and telling me she and my dad were getting a divorce. I didn’t know exactly what divorce meant, but I knew everything around me was changing rapidly. Within a couple of weeks of Mom sitting me down, we came home one day, and my dad had moved out. My mom was a homemaker and couldn’t afford to keep and maintain the household without him. After the divorce, my mother, sister, and I had to move around a lot. We lived in three different cities within 18 months. While my mom was doing her best, all the changes and moving took a toll on me. When my parents divorced it was like my dad divorced me too. We were always extremely close, and, in an instant, nothing was the same. In my mind, my dad left because of me, and he was never coming back. This scared me emotionally. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 different middle schools. All the moving made it extremely difficult to not just make friends but maintain them. It also affected my ability to create an identity for myself. I was already struggling emotionally, but now I was failing socially. Despite my lack of social success, I forged a new path and focused on my academics and acting on my newfound passion. Academically, I excelled beyond belief. The hard work paid off and I was allowed to be promoted and skipped a couple of grades. Because of this, I was 2 weeks shy of graduating at the age of 16. My future goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film at Howard University. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. As I am preparing to graduate high school and go to college, I can’t help but be grateful. I am grateful that I was equipped to overcome obstacles. I never gave up on myself and I won’t give up on my dreams. I learned how to create new paths amid chaos. I survived being a statistic and I overcame the odds. I am blazing my own path!!

I consider myself a black creative. While in high school, I managed to act in lead roles, write and develop screenplays, direct student shows, work on professional sets, and even created my own short film. However, as a scholar creative I have faced limitations and been forced to restrict my work to general audiences. I am eager to attend Howard to further explore my passions in a way and elevated way. My goal is to major in Theater and minor is playwriting and film. With this I would love to incorporate my love for African American studies and create works that shine the light on my culture, as well as others. I seek to learn advanced methods of storytelling. To do this, I plan to study abroad and travel to other countries to get a first-hand look at their cultures. All of this coincides with my post-graduation goals. After graduation I want to take a deep dive into the entertainment industry. I am hoping to start acting and be a positive representative of what HBCU’s can produce. As a black individual, I feel a strong desire to see more diverse representation in the media. By becoming a successful actor, I can help to diversify the narratives and characters portrayed on screen, providing positive role models for others who may identify with my background. Being a black actor can provide a platform to address social issues and advocate for change. Through my performances and public platform, I can raise awareness about important issues such as racial inequality, representation in the media, and social justice. Aside from acting, I want to take what I’ve learned and apply it to creating my ultimate goal. My dream is to create a BIPOC led production company that allows people to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see true “representation” in film and television. With the overwhelming impact of social media, reintegration is becoming more plausible. The idea of real representation is evident in web series like Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl which was successfully adapted into HBO’s Insecure. I anticipate a lot of challenges while trying to reach my goal of creating a BIPOC production company, however I believe in the importance of positive representation. I believe in the importance of collaboration. I believe that I can be the change that the entertainment world needs! While I view myself as creative, I also take pride in being a continuous learner. I want to continue my education through the graduate level and obtain my PhD. By furthering my education, I will be better equipped to help reach my long-term goals. Performance video: https://youtu.be/n3YCRYZ79XE

I consider myself a black creative. While in high school, I managed to act in lead roles, write and develop screenplays, direct student shows, work on professional sets, and even created my own short film. However, as a scholar creative I have faced limitations and been forced to restrict my work to general audiences. I am eager to attend Howard to further explore my passions in a way and elevated way. My goal is to major in Theater and minor is playwriting and film. With this I would love to incorporate my love for African American studies and create works that shine the light on my culture, as well as others. I seek to learn advanced methods of storytelling. To do this, I plan to study abroad and travel to other countries to get a first-hand look at their cultures. All of this coincides with my post-graduation goals. After graduation I want to take a deep dive into the entertainment industry. I am hoping to start acting and be a positive representative of what HBCU’s can produce. As a black individual, I feel a strong desire to see more diverse representation in the media. By becoming a successful actor, I can help to diversify the narratives and characters portrayed on screen, providing positive role models for others who may identify with my background. Being a black actor can provide a platform to address social issues and advocate for change. Through my performances and public platform, I can raise awareness about important issues such as racial inequality, representation in the media, and social justice. Aside from acting, I want to take what I’ve learned and apply it to creating my ultimate goal. My dream is to create a BIPOC led production company that allows people to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see true “representation” in film and television. With the overwhelming impact of social media, reintegration is becoming more plausible. The idea of real representation is evident in web series like Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl which was successfully adapted into HBO’s Insecure. I anticipate a lot of challenges while trying to reach my goal of creating a BIPOC production company, however I believe in the importance of positive representation. I believe in the importance of collaboration. I believe that I can be the change that the entertainment world needs! While I view myself as creative, I also take pride in being a continuous learner. I want to continue my education through the graduate level and obtain my PhD. By furthering my education, I will be better equipped to help reach my long-term goals.

I consider myself a black creative. While in high school, I managed to act in lead roles, write and develop screenplays, direct student shows, work on professional sets, and even created my own short film. However, as a scholar creative I have faced limitations and been forced to restrict my work to general audiences. I am eager to attend Howard to further explore my passions in a way and elevated way. My goal is to major in Acting and minor in playwriting and film. With this I would love to incorporate my love for African American studies and create works that shine the light on my culture, as well as others. I seek to learn advanced methods of storytelling. To do this, I plan to study abroad and travel to other countries to get a first-hand look at their cultures. I am hoping to start acting and be a positive representative of what HBCU’s can produce. By becoming a successful actor, I can help to diversify the narratives and characters portrayed on screen, providing positive role models for others who may identify with my background. Being a black actor can provide a platform to address social issues and advocate for change. Through my performances and public platform, I can raise awareness about important issues such as racial inequality, representation in the media, and social justice.My dream is to create a BIPOC led production company that allows people to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see true “representation” in film and television. With the overwhelming impact of social media, reintegration is becoming more plausible. The idea of real representation is evident in web series like Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl which was successfully adapted into HBO’s Insecure. I anticipate a lot of challenges while trying to reach my goal of creating a BIPOC production company, however I believe in the importance of positive representation. I believe in the importance of collaboration. I believe that I can be the change that the entertainment world needs! While I view myself as creative, I also take pride in being a continuous learner. I want to continue my education through the graduate level and obtain my PhD. By furthering my education, I will be better equipped to help reach my long-term goals.

My greatest achievement to date, is overcoming obstacles that life threw at me. I was predisposed to failure due to my upbringing, but I was destined to achieve greatness. Growing up, it took me a while to find my place of community. Due to divorce, we moved around quite a bit, which meant I was constantly changing schools. I attended 4 elementary and 2 middle schools. This made it very difficult for me to make friends and affected my ability to create an identity for myself. Despite my lack of social success, I channeled all my energy into academics and acting, my newfound talent. The hard work paid off academically and afforded me the chance to be promoted a couple of grades. I also began to excel in theater. In 2020, I was accepted into Booker T. Washington HSPVA, the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. I spent my freshman year at my dream high school isolated behind a computer screen. Like the rest of the world, I was forced to deal with the “new normal”. 10th grade year, I walked the halls of my new fine arts high school for the very first time and instantly everything for me changed. It was like breathing fresh air again for the first time. The students looked like me, talked like me, and had a passion for the arts like me. I was no longer the weird theater kid, instead I was now a part of a fine arts community. Our energy and drive were similar, which helped me to rediscover who I really was and take ownership of my confidence. I no longer felt out of place. My instructors made it their personal mission to make us successful. I have learned so much from them that I will be able to carry with me for the rest of my life. In my new space, I was a creative, I gained the confidence to speak my mind, and I became an advocate for the arts. This paved the way for some wonderful opportunities for me. Because of being a scholar artist at this great school, my skill and talents have soared. For the first time in life, I had a true community! Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. I would tell others going through adversity, that it's ok to lean on your community. It's ok to be different and to not fit in a box. Continue to push for greatness and never allow a temporary situation to force you to make permanent decisions. There is greatness in everyone. My future goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

My passion for theater developed in elementary school with the production of Beauty and the Beast. From there my love for the arts soared to new heights. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing & visual arts high school in Dallas, TX. This is where I met a valuable person who taught me an invaluable lesson that changed my life. At my new school, I found myself in a community of people who were like me, sharing the same dreams and aspirations, but there was an exceedingly small margin of people who actually looked like me. This is where Mrs. Guinea Bennett Price comes into the picture. Mrs. Price was my Introduction to Acting teacher as well as academic advisor. She was, at the time, the only Black theater teacher on staff and made it her mission to ensure her Black students received quality training in their craft and culture. In this moment is where my eyes open about the importance of honoring my Blackness. Through my art I learned the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I learned about diverse perspectives and gained a cultural understanding in class. I gained the ability to relate to the experiences and backgrounds of my fellow Black students, which helped provide a more inclusive learning environment. The highlight of my high school career was starring in a production entitled, 10 Seconds. It gave a firsthand look at police brutality against a young Black man on the way to school. I have also devoted time to creating works that shed light on societal issues and injustices. As a student director, I have created films about social injustices that are currently affecting our community. Through my organizations, I also do a lot of community service projects that are geared toward inner-city outreach. Watching Mrs. Price lead her theater company has helped me make life-changing decisions about my future. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. This is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It is an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color.

From my earliest moments into volunteerism to the present day, the journey of community service has been marked by moments of inspiration, learning, and growth. Through engagements with diverse organizations and causes, ranging from local shelters to global humanitarian initiatives, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of acts of service, both on individuals and communities at large. My favorite community service assignments always revolve around the elderly. They remind me of my grandparents. We are fortunate enough to be able to keep them in their home with assistance, but I recognize everyone is not as blessed. This past holiday season, I was able to volunteer to serve holiday dinner to the elderly from varies retirement homes within our community. It was a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer and ensure that everyone feels included and cared for during the holiday season. I was able to help collect food donations, prepare the food, serve the food, and interact with the residents. Community service also provided a rich environment for me to help cultivate my leadership skills. It provided skill, qualities, and experiences, that I could easily transfer to my extracurricular activities and leadership roles. In the future I would love to combine my love for Theatre with my passion for serving. I would love to host free masterclasses for local community kids. I want to be able to provide opportunities for them to perfect their craft. There are several talented kids who can’t afford private performing arts lessons. By volunteering and giving back to my community, I not only make a positive impact but also experience personal growth. From my earliest moments into volunteerism to the present day, the journey of community service has been marked by moments of inspiration, learning, and growth. Through engagements with diverse organizations and causes, ranging from local shelters to global humanitarian initiatives, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of acts of service, both on individuals and communities at large. My favorite community service assignments always revolve around the elderly. They remind me of my grandparents. We are fortunate enough to be able to keep them in their home with assistance, but I recognize everyone is not as blessed. This past holiday season, I was able to volunteer to serve holiday dinner to the elderly from varies retirement homes within our community. It was a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer and ensure that everyone feels included and cared for during the holiday season. I was able to help collect food donations, prepare the food, serve the food, and interact with the residents. Community service also provided a rich environment for me to help cultivate my leadership skills. It provided skill, qualities, and experiences, that I could easily transfer to my extracurricular activities and leadership roles. In the future I would love to combine my love for Theatre with my passion for serving. I would love to host free masterclasses for local community kids. I want to be able to provide opportunities for them to perfect their craft. There are several talented kids who can’t afford private performing arts lessons. By volunteering and giving back to my community, I not only make a positive impact but also experience personal growth.

As I prepare to transition to college, I often sit and wish there was some magic button that would ensure automatic success. Some secret recipe that I could follow to guarantee that life would be perfect post-graduation. However, the reality is that’s not an option, but thankfully I have principles that I adhere to that will help to continue to propel me into excellence. I do realize that success is subjective and multi-faceted, but these are some things that I feel will contribute to ultimate achievement. Despite facing many obstacles, sticking to these principles has helped me overcome them. Defeating these giants has helped to motivate me to strive for more. I am determined to make my higher learning experience a successful one. I subscribe to 5 prerequisites when aiming for success. They include setting clear goals, continuous learning, self-discipline, relationship building, and strategic planning. Success in any form should start with a clear vision or goals of what you want to achieve. These goals should provide direction and purpose, guide your actions, and direct your decisions toward desired outcomes. Setting goals helps me prioritize tasks and forces me to stay focused and not get deterred by distractions. Creating specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART) goals, ensures that my efforts are targeted and intentional. In our ever-changing society, the desire to be successful should be mirrored by the desire to be a continuous and lifelong learner. This mindset allows for adaptability, the welcoming of new ideas, learning new skills and remaining flexible during change. Success means embracing a growth mindset. Success also demands self-discipline. I have to make a conscious decision to block out distractions and prioritize to achieve maximum productivity. The prerequisite that I excel in the most is relationship building. Excellence can’t be achieved in isolation but instead with collaboration. With networking, I am provided the opportunity for support, mentorship, and access to valuable resources. Lastly, but most importantly, is strategic planning. Creating a strategic plan helps you anticipate challenges, make informed decisions, and seize a chance at growth. My philosophy is that the pursuit of success is a journey and not a destination. It’s about continuously striving to be the best version of myself. While aiming for success I have run into some obstacles that I’ve had to overcome. As a child, we moved around a lot after my parents divorced. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 middle schools. This made it very difficult for me to make friends and affected my ability to create an identity for myself. Despite my lack of social success, I channeled all my energy into academics and acting, my newfound talent. The hard work paid off academically and afforded me the chance to be promoted a couple of grades. I also began to excel in theater. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. My goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

My greatest achievement to date, is overcoming obstacles that life threw at me. I was predisposed to failure due to my upbringing, but I was destined to achieve greatness. Growing up, it took me a while to find my place of community. Due to divorce, we moved around quite a bit, which meant I was constantly changing schools. I attended 4 elementary and 2 middle schools. This made it very difficult for me to make friends and affected my ability to create an identity for myself. Despite my lack of social success, I channeled all my energy into academics and acting, my newfound talent. The hard work paid off academically and afforded me the chance to be promoted a couple of grades. I also began to excel in theater. In 2020, I was accepted into Booker T. Washington HSPVA, the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. I spent my freshman year at my dream high school isolated behind a computer screen. Like the rest of the world, I was forced to deal with the “new normal”. 10th grade year, I walked the halls of my new fine arts high school for the very first time and instantly everything for me changed. It was like breathing fresh air again for the first time. The students looked like me, talked like me, and had a passion for the arts like me. I was no longer the weird theater kid, instead I was now a part of a fine arts community. Our energy and drive were similar, which helped me to rediscover who I really was and take ownership of my confidence. I no longer felt out of place. In my new space, I was a creative, I gained the confidence to speak my mind, and I became an advocate for the arts. This paved the way for some wonderful opportunities for me. Because of being a scholar artist at this great school, my skill and talents have soared. For the first time in life, I had a true community! Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. I would tell others going through adversity, that it's ok to lean on your community. It's ok to be different and to not fit in a box. Continue to push for greatness and never allow a temporary situation to force you to make permanent decisions. There is greatness in everyone. My future goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film at Howard University. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

While aiming for success I have run into some obstacles that I’ve had to overcome. For a very long time, I felt like I didn’t have a place where I considered myself to be at home. As a child, we moved around a lot after my parents divorced. I attended 5 different elementary schools and 2 middle schools. This made it very difficult for me to make friends and affected my ability to create an identity for myself. I lacked the confidence to embrace who I was. Along the way my mother kept me involved in church, Top Teens, Alpha Merit, and other organizations. They provided a sense of belonging, but something was still missing. Despite my lack of social success, I channeled all my energy into academics and acting, my newfound talent. The hard work paid off academically and afforded me the chance to be promoted a couple of grades. I also began to excel in theater. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. I spent my freshman year at my dream high school isolated behind a computer screen. Like the rest of the world, I was forced to deal with the “new normal”. 10th grade year, I walked the halls of my new fine arts high school for the very first time and instantly everything for me changed. The students looked like me, talked like me, and had a passion for the arts like me. I was no longer the weird theater kid, instead I was now a part of a fine arts community. Our energy and drive were similar, which helped me to rediscover who I really was and take ownership of my confidence. I no longer felt out of place. I was a creative who wasn’t afraid to speak my mind and be an advocate. This paved the way for some wonderful opportunities for my friends and me. For the first time in life, I had a true community! Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. My goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. Presenting our past helps us to create a better future. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange worldwide. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

From my earliest moments into volunteerism to the present day, the journey of community service has been marked by moments of inspiration, learning, and growth. Through engagements with diverse organizations and causes, ranging from local shelters to global humanitarian initiatives, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of acts of service, both on individuals and communities at large. My favorite community service assignments always revolve around the elderly. They remind me of my grandparents. We are fortunate enough to be able to keep them in their home with assistance, but I recognize everyone is not as blessed. This past holiday season, I was able to volunteer to serve holiday dinner to the elderly from varies retirement homes within our community. It was a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer and ensure that everyone feels included and cared for during the holiday season. I was able to help collect food donations, prepare the food, serve the food, and interact with the residents. Community service also provided a rich environment for me to help cultivate my leadership skills. It provided skill, qualities, and experiences, that I could easily transfer to my extracurricular activities and leadership roles. In the future I would love to combine my love for Theatre with my passion for serving. I would love to host free masterclasses for local community kids. I want to be able to provide opportunities for them to perfect their craft. There are several talented kids who can’t afford private performing arts lessons. My passion for theater developed in elementary school with the production of Beauty and the Beast. From there my love for the arts soared to new heights. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing & visual arts high school in Dallas, TX. I found myself in a community of people who were like me, shared the same dreams and aspirations, but there was a small margin of people who looked like me. Not due to lack of talent, but lack of exposure. That’s why I want to give back to my community. By volunteering and giving back to my community, I not only make a positive impact but also experience personal growth. My goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. Lastly, aspects of the company will be geared towards educational development with free master classes.

From my earliest moments into volunteerism to the present day, the journey of community service has been marked by moments of inspiration, learning, and growth. Through engagements with diverse organizations and causes, ranging from local shelters to global humanitarian initiatives, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of acts of service, both on individuals and communities at large. My favorite community service assignments always revolve around the elderly. They remind me of my grandparents. We are fortunate enough to be able to keep them in their home with assistance, but I recognize everyone is not as blessed. This past holiday season, I was able to volunteer to serve holiday dinner to the elderly from varies retirement homes within our community. It was a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer and ensure that everyone feels included and cared for during the holiday season. I was able to help collect food donations, prepare the food, serve the food, and interact with the residents. Community service also provided a rich environment for me to help cultivate my leadership skills. It provided skill, qualities, and experiences, that I could easily transfer to my extracurricular activities and leadership roles. In the future I would love to combine my love for Theatre with my passion for serving. I would love to host free masterclasses for local community kids. I want to be able to provide opportunities for them to perfect their craft. There are several talented kids who can’t afford private performing arts lessons. My passion for theater developed in elementary school with the production of Beauty and the Beast. From there my love for the arts soared to new heights. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing & visual arts high school in Dallas, TX. I found myself in a community of people who were like me, shared the same dreams and aspirations, but there was a small margin of people who looked like me. Not due to lack of talent, but lack of exposure. That’s why I want to give back to my community. By volunteering and giving back to my community, I not only make a positive impact but also experience personal growth. My goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

From my earliest moments into volunteerism to the present day, the journey of community service has been one of inspiration, learning, and growth. Through engagements with diverse organizations, ranging from local shelters to global humanitarian initiatives, I have witnessed the transformative impact of acts of service. My favorite assignments revolve around the elderly. They remind me of my grandparents. We are fortunate to be able to keep them in their home with assistance, but I recognize everyone can't. This past holiday, I was able to serve holiday dinner to the elderly from varies retirement homes within our community. It was a wonderful way to spread cheer and ensure that everyone feels included and cared for during the holiday season. Community service also provided a rich environment for me to help cultivate my leadership skills. It provided skill, qualities, and experiences, that I could easily transfer to my extracurricular activities and leadership roles. In the future I would love to combine my love for Theatre with my passion for serving. I would love to host free masterclasses for local community kids. By volunteering and giving back to my community, I not only make a positive impact but also experience personal growth.

Growing up, it took me a while to find my place of community. Due to divorce, we moved around quite a bit, which meant I was constantly changing schools. I attended 4 elementary and 2 middle schools. This made it very difficult for me to make friends and affected my ability to create an identity for myself. Despite my lack of social success, I channeled all my energy into academics and acting, my newfound talent. The hard work paid off academically and afforded me the chance to be promoted a couple of grades. I also began to excel in theater. In 2020, I was accepted into Booker T. Washington HSPVA, the most prestigious performing arts school in Dallas. I spent my freshman year at my dream high school isolated behind a computer screen. Like the rest of the world, I was forced to deal with the “new normal”. 10th grade year, I walked the halls of my new fine arts high school for the very first time and instantly everything for me changed. It was like breathing fresh air again for the first time. The students looked like me, talked like me, and had a passion for the arts like me. I was no longer the weird theater kid, instead I was now a part of a fine arts community. Our energy and drive were similar, which helped me to rediscover who I really was and take ownership of my confidence. I no longer felt out of place. My instructors made it their personal mission to make us successful. I have learned so much from them that I will be able to carry with me for the rest of my life. In my new space, I was a creative, I gained the confidence to speak my mind, and I became an advocate for the arts. This paved the way for some wonderful opportunities for me. Because of being a scholar artist at this great school, my skill and talents have soared. For the first time in life, I had a true community! Attending this school gave me a sense of stability and self-assurance. It is an honor to carry on the family tradition, of being a Booker T Washington HSPVA graduate! My future goal is to major in Theater and minor in playwriting and film. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities.

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. Presenting our past helps us to create a better future. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange worldwide. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

My passion for theater developed in elementary school with the production of Beauty and the Beast. From there my love for the arts soared to new heights. In 2020, I was accepted into the most prestigious performing & visual arts high school in Dallas, TX. I found myself in a community of people who were similar to me, shared the same dreams and aspirations, but there was a small margin of people who actually looked like me. This is where Mrs. Guinea Bennett Price comes into the picture. Mrs. Price was my Introduction to Acting teacher as well as academic advisor. She was, at the time, the only black theater teacher on staff and made it her mission to look out for her African American students like family. She embraced us like her own. Mrs. Price did more than educate me on improving my craft, she changed my entire perspective of life. She truly led by example. Price holds a BFA from Howard University and is also the co-founder and Artistic Director of her own black led performing theater company. Since middle school I have desired to attend Howard due to their robust acting program and the creative greats they produce. Due to her success within the program she was able to help navigate me through the audition process, which ultimately led to my acceptance. Watching Mrs. Price lead her theater company has helped me make life changing decisions about my future. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can really see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I would love to explore more humanities courses as well to help reach this goal. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. My desire is to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theater programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared towards people of color. My goals are radical, but because of the influence of my mentor, Mrs. Price, I believe now that they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

Growing up, it took me a while to find my place in the community. Due to divorce, we moved around quite a bit, which meant I was constantly changing schools. I attended 4 elementary and 2 middle schools, making connecting with my classmates very difficult. Because of my academic excellence, I was promoted to 2 grades and much younger than my classmates. Aside from always being the “new kid”, I was also developing a love of theater, which instantly put me into the “weird kid” box. I discovered that with Theatre I could instantly become anyone I wanted to be. I didn't have to be lonely "weird" me. I finally found friends in the 6th grade. They showed me that it was ok to be myself, however, I lacked the confidence to embrace who I was. Unfortunately, after finally finding my village, I had to change schools again. The new campus offered new opportunities; however, it was in the inner city and the students weren’t that inviting. I was new, a theater geek, and a nerd, three strikes I was out! This is when I began to throw myself into my passion for the arts. By the 8th grade, things started to fall in place and I began to find the confidence to be myself and I had friends who supported me. I was cast in several productions and truly expanded my knowledge of the performing arts. Aside from acting, I also began my musical journey. I started with piano and eventually picked up the saxophone. I finally started to feel like I belonged somewhere. Then COVID hit and once again I was thrown into the unknown. I spent my freshman year at my dream performing arts high school isolated behind a computer screen. Like the rest of the world, I was forced to deal with the “new normal”. 10th-grade year, I walked the halls of my new fine arts high school for the very first time and instantly everything for me changed. The students looked like me, talked like me, and had a passion for the arts like me. I was no longer the weird theater kid, instead I was now a part of a fine arts community. Our energy and drive were similar, which helped me to rediscover who I was and take ownership of my confidence. I no longer felt out of place. I was a performing arts creative who wasn’t afraid to speak my mind and be an advocate. This paved the way for some wonderful opportunities for my friends and me. For the first time in my life, I had a true community! I AM AN ARTIST!!

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television, and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared toward people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.

In the Fall of 2024, I will be a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Theatre with a minor in Film. Theatre is a true expression of human culture and thoughts, and for me, it serves as a means of cultural expression, storytelling, and exploration of human experiences. I would consider myself knowledgeable in a lot of things, particularly television, and film, and let me tell you, it’s very pale and whitewashed. Until recently, people of color were not featured on mainstream television. We were minimized and forced to rely on channels such as BET and Bounce. When we were put on primetime TV, it would be in supporting stereotypical roles like Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover. In the show Community, he was portrayed as a dumb black jock who was only beneficial in the world of sports. The good news is that we are slowly gaining more representation; however, it doesn’t always equate to good representation. After graduation, my dream is to create a BIPOC-led production company that allows people of color to create media that positively depicts and uplifts their culture. I believe this is a way we can see the true definition of representation. The goal is also to create productions that address social issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. I want to create a safe space to choose scripts or create original works that highlight and challenge social injustices. This will allow us to control the narrative of how people of color are portrayed in the media. It’s an avenue to explore identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of being a minority. I desire to expand beyond our communities and promote cultural exchange. I want to participate in international festivals and programs that promote cultural understanding. Lastly, I would love to have aspects of the company geared towards educational development. I want to create educational theatre programs for schools and communities. For the past few years, I have participated in summer intensives across the US, but none have ever been geared toward people of color. My goals are radical, but I believe they are attainable. There’s going to be a lot of challenges; creating a production company is not going to be easy. I believe that collaboration is going to be the most important aspect. With a strong community and a solid educational foundation, I will be able to overcome anything that comes my way, just like I always have.