Stories are a means of expressing one’s feelings, ambitions, and experiences. They cost absolutely nothing, yet they hold so much value. Since as young as I can remember, stories have been a vital part of my life and the development of the man I am today and—without them—I genuinely think I would not be where I am today. I grew up in Uptown, Chicago: a neighborhood of cultural diversity brimming with stories from around the world. My parents were a part of that melting pot, fleeing from Eritrea as war refugees and arriving in Chicago to begin a new life with my brother and I. Growing up, we were not afforded many physical valuables to occupy our time. Instead, my parents would tell us stories of their lives back home in Eritrea, and their many journeys throughout the world in order to find the best home for us. My mind was always racing when I listened to these stories and, eventually, I was inspired to create my own. My love for storytelling only grew as I got older, and I got to experience the world as my parents before me—from meeting with the township griots in Cape Town to attending leadership conferences in Aspen, Colorado. As my high school career ended—and I moved back to Los Angeles to pursue my education at the University of Southern California—I brought with me my passion for storytelling and desire to learn more about the world around me. Feelings of inspiration and hope garnered from these stories are what I held onto growing up, and they helped me overcome difficult times in my life. That is why I want to become a storyteller, because it is how I express my feelings to the world, and gives me the power to control my life. If my stories can help just one other person, then I truly believe I would have made the world a slightly better place. Attending the University of Southern California has undoubtedly been the best decision of my life so far. Being able to major in Business has allowed me to develop both the hard and soft skills necessary to become a successful leader. Just as important as that decision, however, was the idea of attaining a minor in the Cinematic Arts. Learning about film and the entertainment industry from the greatest film school in the world has utterly changed how I view storytelling mediums. My combined knowledge of both the marketing and entertainment world have led to a business idea that will fuel the rest of my life: creating the next big entertainment conglomerate. Titled NVISION (a play on the word “envision” and highlighting the first letter of my last name “Negash”), this company will dedicate ample space for both misrepresented and underrepresented stories. For far too long have major conglomerates shunned the voices of marginalized people around the world. I created a tagline that I believe truly encompasses the power of storytelling not just in entertainment, but in all aspects of life. “Stories inspire people. People change the world. The world changes people. People inspire stories.” By creating this company, I aim to give a platform to the unheard, the unspoken, and the unprivileged. I want to help tell stories that change the way people view life, and then use that new perspective to change the world for the better. With a new world—then—comes new stories, and the people only get better from it. Through every medium imaginable—whether it be film, television, comic books, video games or any other form—NVISION aims to be a leading narrative platform for voices around the world. Many companies in recent years have made great strides in diversifying their narratives; featuring characters with identities different than ever before. Where NVISION’s uniqueness lies, however, is in its “Activism & Outreach” that is arguably just as important as the creative process itself. Many, if not all, of these stories feature a struggle against oppressive events, systems or regimes. NVISION will also work with the creators of their particular film to create actual change in these communities. Whether it be fundraising for local organizations, rebuilding broken and damaged land, or pushing agendas that serve for the human rights of all; NVISION will stand as a company that puts its “money where its mouth is”. Even after the release of films that highlight struggles against damaging forces, many often find themselves in the same position as they were in before. Through NVISION’s dual goals of both providing a platform for marginalized voices to be heard as well as working to address the root of it and creating actual change, this company serves as a blueprint for how all companies should operate: with the best interest of the people. At this point, my idea for NVISION is just that; an idea. I believe, though, that the steps that I am currently taking—venturing outside my comfort zone to meet new people and learn new things along the way—are helping develop the man I want to lead NVISION. And at the end of the day, I want NVISION to be remembered as a company that puts people before anything else. To the common eye, my parents’ stories of their travels around the world could be seen as miniscule; after all, the only people they told were my brother and I. But to us, they changed our lives in ways that I couldn’t even imagine, let alone explain. My goal may be to change the world, but it doesn’t have to all be through these stories. Sometimes, it takes changing one life to change even more.

I grew up in Uptown, Chicago: a diverse neighborhood brimming with stories from around the world. My parents were a part of that melting pot, fleeing from Eritrea as war refugees and arriving in Chicago to begin a new life with my brother and I. Growing up, my parents would tell us stories of their lives back home in Eritrea, and their many journeys throughout the world in search for a new home. These stories inspired me to work hard in order to become more than a product of my environment, to become someone. A straight A student, I graduated middle school and began to attend Walter Payton College Preparatory: the toughest school in Illinois and ranked top ten nationally. I coasted off my previous reputation of being academically gifted for the first couple of months but, eventually, the tough curriculum finally showed face in the form of D’s and F’s on my report card. For the first time in my life, it felt like I was going to fail. I had felt completely hopeless as the weeks had gone by, and the stress was beginning to affect me deeply both mentally and physically. If my dad hadn’t talked to me that one fateful night, I genuinely don’t know where I would be today. I was sitting down at the kitchen table trying to finish my Physics homework when my dad comes home from work after a long night. “How’s it going, baby boy?” And, instead of my usual response, I burst into tears as he stands there in shock. I explain to him the stress I’ve been under for the past couple of months, and how I didn’t want to disappoint him considering I’ve never performed like this in my life. Grabbing a nearby chair, he sits down and tells me something I have remembered ever since. “As long as you try your best, I will never be disappointed in you. So what if you fail? We all fail sometimes. It’s not about how we fail, but about how we grow from it. So that we don’t make the same mistakes.” My entire life I felt like my legacy would be determined by every decision I make, and that failure would lead to the dishonor of everyone who came before me. But I am human. I make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes in life. Everyone I have looked up to in my life—from superheroes like Static Shock and The Flash to my own parents—have overcome various obstacles in their lives. Ron Marz, a comic book writer and mentor of mine, told me “There are no heroes without villains. Whether it be a person, place, or idea, humans are attracted to the story of people overcoming obstacles and becoming better for it in the process.” I learned that true failure isn’t the lack of success; it is the lack of growth. And if I ever meet failure again; I’ll face it with an open mind and an open heart.