When I think of art, I always relate to movies and the world of movies and there is one in particular that stands out: “2001: A Space Odyssey”, directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is a great movie because it is about the journey of humanity from those remote days where we barely had any technology and were vulnerable to stronger animals. But it also deals with one transcendental quest: Are we alone in the Universe? When these primitive creatures came in contact with a monolith placed there by a more advanced civilization, some radical changes: They discovered rudimentary tools that helped them in the fight against nature and competitors. Fast forward, in 2001, travels to the moon and moon colonies are normal. Scientists have discovered a monolith there like the ones our ancestors found. The great mystery: It's not human made and that it has sent a signal to Jupiter. A mission equipped with Artificial Intelligence (HAL) is sent. There was a Mission with scientific purposes, and HAL was programed to reach that object, and a hidden mission: to investigate the signal sent. These contradictions between what was told and what was secretly the object of the mission created a conflict in HAL that was programmed to achieve its mission so she decided to eliminate all humans that became an obstacle. Here we can see another discussion for humans: Will technology turn against us and destroy us, or will it be a tool for our future? Only one astronaut, Dave Bowman manages to survive, disconnects HAL and finds out the real mission to be accomplished. From there he travels to one giant monolith that takes him to another dimension. He arrives at a scene with hand made objects. And there, Kubrick leaves us to make our own interpretations.

When I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with almost anyone. But from that experience, I’ve learned lessons about people and giving. I don’t remember much of those days, but my mother told me that some people, even strangers that knew that I needed a transfusion, donated blood without expecting anything in return. From my mother I have learned to help others the same way. She always does it and I try to follow her example. I have donated blood the same way others did it when I was sick. I am also doing service hours at a church assisting with the distribution of food for people in need. I also regularly donate blood. It’s a way to give back what I received when. Whenever I see a dear person sad or in distress, my first action is to try to comfort them, or just be near to send the message that I am there whenever he or she needs me. I think that helping others is crucial for our well-being. This is a good way of having a spiritual satisfaction that is significant for a better world.

Nowadays, to thank any person for their help or service it’s almost an empty formula to say “please” and “Thank you”. We use those expressions just as a formality without thinking much about their importance or meaning. I am very aware that good actions must be recognized and be appreciated by others, even if they are paid for that. I remember one of my first teachers at school. Because I was hyperactive, other teachers pointed me out as the trouble maker. However, Waleska (that’s her name) did a lot of research on how to deal with kids like me. She found the way to funnel all that energy in me in a creative way, which was beneficial for me, because I learned a language and became interested in music and arts, especially movies. Even though she was paid just to be a teacher, she went a little further to learn new abilities and apply them with me. She always says that she is grateful that she knew me and I am grateful that she did all that effort for me. Thanks to social media I am still in contact with her. I consider her one of my dearest friend.

It is difficult to choose just one sentence to share with the world that represents you and it captures all the good things that anyone is pursuing in life. Socrates said that wisdom starts when we realize that we know nothing. That assertion can be interpreted in two ways. One, that it is impossible to know everything. Another way to see it is that there is something new to learn each day, especially in those things that motivates us to go further. In my case, everything related to movies and movie production is my passion and my goal in life. Everyday I try to learn something new about this business, reading something, watching a movie or a video by the people who have knowledge about it. With this in mind, the one sentence that I would like to share is “Follow your passions and share your knowledge”. If we follow our passion, we will always be motivated to achieve something that can help others. When we share knowledge, we transmit information that might have value to someone else.

The word “patience” encompasses different ideas and yet it deals with the idea of not rushing or becoming desperate. In our life, we have to face difficulties and challenges in which the outcome can be in favor or against us depending on our ability to not become annoyed or upset. When you see the great minds, most of the accomplishments are the result of their patience. If we see the works of Galileo or Pasteur, their legacy was to patiently make all their observations over and over. This attitude helped them to develop theories that have been beneficial for all humans. For our personal growth, patience is a key part of success. Before reaching any level in any discipline, we have to give attention to many things, the majority of them probably very tedious. With patience, we learn more self control and how to deal with frustration or adversity because it gives us time to think better and respond rationally and not with emotions.

Generally, bravery is related to a heroic act. In real life not all the time we are in the position to solve something by being a hero. Bravery is also accomplished by mental strength. Keeping away from an unnecessary fight or remaining calm in a desperate situation are also signs of bravery. But in our daily lives we have to show bravery by bringing about our goals or not giving up. I remember one time in my karate class that we were doing a special kind of combat. At first I was defeated, but instead of desist, I went for another opportunity and did it much better. But It wasn’t about revenge or anger, but an opportunity to correct some mistakes I made the first time. This also applies to our academic duties. If any subject is difficult, the best path is to insist and not be afraid to ask for help. Once we accomplish our goal, we know we are made to overcome obstacles, learn from our mistakes and act with bravery when the circumstances demand it.

The memories from my travels are my most precious moments. Since I was very little, before my family and I established in this country, I came to the U.S. on many different occasions. From each travel I have kept different memories that in many ways have shaped me into the person I am today. I remember when we went to New York. I was impressed with the architecture, the different cultures, times square, and the crowded streets. Many of those places I knew from movies and seeing them in person was a great experience that I felt like I was in a different world. We also went to Niagara Falls, and it was something completely different from New York. The city has beautiful features created by civilization, but Niagara is nature reminding humans that there are places on earth created for millions of years that are also beautiful and towering. Similar feelings I had when more recently we visited the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam. An engineer marvel and nature marvel.

The modern world has become very stressful. In an ideal situation, technology should be a tool to make life and work easy. It is in a way an asset but right now there is a hyper communication that has slowly erased the frontier between our daily duties and our private life and time. The best way to deal with the pressure is to find activities that help us relax. Sometimes a week of vacation to Orlando to visit the theme parks is nice for relaxing. However, not always do we have the money or the time for a week away, so that is when we can use some other ways to unwind from the severities of life. Exercise is a great way to do something that brings benefits for us. After a good hour or so of exercising, the sensation of well being is comforting. Also a hot bath is a simple way to find relaxation. We can combine it with moments of meditation, to try to stay away from those thoughts that are stressing us. On occasions, just shutting down the electronic devices is also an easy way to relax. What really matters is that we find during the day moments to relax, so we can have a better disposition for out daily tasks.

A hobby is a pursuit of our ordinary activities such as work, to do something more for relaxation. Some people like puzzles, others crossword puzzles, others listen to music, others go jogging. In my case I like to build LEGO sets (the harder the better), watching movies, drawing and making movies myself. Each of these activities have defined me and what I want to pursue in life. Building LEGO sets gave me a sense of patience and to see objects in an abstract way and improved my memory. Sometimes, when I disassemble a set, I could build it again with almost no use for the instructions. Watching movies always takes me to another reality. I really get into the story and enjoy it from beginning to end, because I try to be selective with what I watch. In my case, those hobbies are closely related to the career I am in the process of pursuing. My ambition is to work in the movie and film industry. My advice from my modest point of view is that we try to find a hobby related to our passion in life because that is what we like to do the most.

I believe that everyone has a talent. Some people are luckier, and they have an innate talent for music, sports or math. In my case I have talent in Karate and languages. But in each of them everything came after practicing a lot and being consistent in each one. I went to a bilingual institution in preschool. Being Spanish my mother tongue, I learned English very quickly, and since then, most of the material I watch or read is in English. In addition, after school I had some additional English classes. Soon I want to learn a new language. One day I was watching other kids in a class, and I told my mom that I was curious about what they were doing. It was a Karate class. I soon joined the class, and I went all the way up to blue belt. I have to say that our teacher (or Sensei as we called him) is a great person and always helped me to get the best out of me. After I moved from my country to the US, I started a different Karate discipline called Kajukenbo, and at this moment I am a blue belt and hoping to get another promotion soon.

Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia at 5 years old and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. The difficulties taught me and from there I made short films using my iPad and cellular phone. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. I believed that since then I wanted to study in an area related to films and film production. In my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer more advantages in this regard. I was optimistic again and now being in the USA has been not only a great experience by learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. Being a leukemia survivor, life has taught me that we always must chase our dreams with consistency and perseverance. I want to transmit this message to other people with similar experiences, because while there may be trouble in our lives, there is always a chance to see the light.

When I think of art, I always related to movies and the world of movies and there is one in particular that stands out: “2001: A Space Odyssey”, directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is a great movie because it is about the journey of humanity from those remote days where we barely had any technology and were vulnerable to stronger animals. But it also deals with one transcendental quest: Are we alone in the Universe? When these primitive creatures came in contact with a monolith placed there by a more advanced civilization, some radical changes: They discovered rudimentary tools that helped them in the fight against nature and competitors. Fast forward, in 2001, travels to the moon and moon colonies are normal. Scientists have discovered a monolith there like the ones our ancestors found. The great mystery: It's not human made and that it has sent a signal to Jupiter. A mission equipped with Artificial Intelligence (HAL) is sent. There was a Mission with scientific purposes, and HAL was programed to reach that object, and a hidden mission: to investigate the signal sent. These contradictions between what was told and what was secretly the object of the mission created a conflict in HAL that was programmed to achieve its mission so she decided to eliminate all humans that became an obstacle. Here we can see another discussion for humans: Will technology turn against us and destroy us, or will it be a tool for our future? Only one astronaut, Dave Bowman manages to survive, disconnects HAL and finds out the real mission to be accomplished. From there he travels to one giant monolith that takes him to another dimension. He arrives at a scene with hand made objects. And there, Kubrick leaves us to make our own interpretations.

Believing in yourself is the first step to achieve your dreams. Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with anyone. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. From there, I made short films using my iPad and cellular phone. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. With time I started developing a passion for films and since then I 've been watching and analyzing movies, especially the classics, such as Casablanca or Citizen Kane, along with Superheroes movies. I believe that since then I wanted to study film production. In my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer more advantages in this regard. Being in the USA has been not only a great experience by learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. My professional aspirations are still to pursue a career in Film Production and a scholarship will surely be very helpful, because I can focus on learning the tools and knowledge that will be useful as a professional in that field. Being a leukemia survivor, life has taught me that we always must chase our dreams with consistency and perseverance. I want to transmit this message to other people with similar experiences, because while there may be trouble in our lives, there is always a chance to see the light.

When we think about motivation, it comes to our mind those forces that drive us to accomplish our dreams. Each person has different factors that pushes them for to achieve a goal. Some need a recognition, like a prize. Others are just satisfied with the achievement, because the motivation comes from within. When I was a kid I had an English teacher that helped me learn and behave in class with positive motivations. I believe that each person must find what triggers them to find success. In my case, I challenge myself. I’ve been practicing Karate since I was a child, and for every belt I have reached, I have studied and practiced hard. For my professional life, I envision myself working in movie production. Every time I watch a great movie, It gives me a lot to think about, to analyze all the factors that were put together to have that result. And that also gives me an impulse to keep learning and find my path.

There are many ways to find joy in life. One of them is identifying your goals and looking for a way to achieve them. My dream life is making movies and the work put into it. When I was very young, I created short films using the action figures and devices that I had at my disposal. That has always been my passion from the very start, and it is still my passion to this day. Now I see my life where I would be working in the production of a film, no matter the size and length, while at the same time trying to communicate with people who have the same passion as me. Another joy for me is spending time with my family. I enjoy holidays like Christmas or going to different places on School vacations. Not long ago we went to Key West and among other things we visited Ernest Hemingway’s home there. We all enjoyed such a beautiful place with so much history about this author. Moments like these are very valuable for me. There are always moments of stress in our life, but we have to learn that happiness is made of those moments of joy and the best learning in life is to appreciate them.

Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with anyone. But from that experience, I’ve learned lessons that are very useful for self-care. One thing I do is to keep hydrated. Even though any liquid (soda, juices) could help, I try to drink a lot of water. When I am working on a project or doing exercises, I always have water near me. Food is also an important issue. I always try to eat healthy food and eating at regular times. Occasionally I indulge myself with a piece of cake French fries, but not going extreme. Just a little bit, so I can appreciate it. I do a lot of exercise. I am a blue belt in a Karate style called Kajukenbo. And I take this activity very seriously, because I want to keep advancing in the promotions and the physical activity helps your body stay healthy. I also have activities to relax. I love going to the movies, going out for a run, drawing, building LEGO sets. They keep my mind busy but in a way that helps develop my imagination, skills and positive thoughts. Finally, but also important, I think that helping others is crucial for our well-being. In my case, I am doing service hours at a church assisting with the distribution of food for people in need. This is a good way of having a spiritual satisfaction that is significant for our self-care.

Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia at 5 years old and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. The difficulties taught me and from there I made short films using my iPad and cellular phone. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. I believed that since then I wanted to study in an area related to films and film production. In my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer more advantages in this regard. I was optimistic again and now being in the USA has been not only a great experience by learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. Being a leukemia survivor, life has taught me that we always must chase our dreams with consistency and perseverance. I want to transmit this message to other people with similar experiences, because while there may be trouble in our lives, there is always a chance to see the light.

When I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with anyone except my close family. But from that experience, I’ve learned lessons about people and selflessness. I don’t remember much of those days when I was in medical treatment, but my mother told me that some people, even strangers that knew that I needed several transfusions, donated blood without expecting anything in return. Two of them even did it because they heard a public announcement on the radio that a boy in xx hospital needed it. From my mother I have learned to help others the same way, that is, doing it for the good of others. She always does it and I try to follow her example. I have donated blood the same way others did it when I was sick. I am also doing service hours at a church assisting with the distribution of food for people in need. I think that helping others is part of what each one can do. This is a good way of having a spiritual satisfaction that is significant for a better world and understanding that we are part of a whole.

The small things in life are always a pleasure no matter how small they appear. When I was a child, my favorite hobby was to draw. I drew from animals to superheroes. Each figure with all the little details I could find. And then make stories with them, their place, town or streets where each character belonged. I spend hours of joy making these. When I grew older, and started using some technology, such as a cellphone and a tablet, I used the drawings and Lego figures to make short movies, in which I set different stages for them. Probably from these experiences I ended up being a movie lover. Not just those for kids, but also those of artistic value. Casablanca, The Godfather, Citizen Kane became part of my inner world. As a movie lover, I also enjoy doing research on those that I like. I love to read and watch videos about everything there is about the movie. With time I find that all those simple pleasures are now part of the good memories of my childhood. I also intend to make a career in the movie production, which means in a way thanks to those memories, I am building my future.

Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with anyone. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. From there, I made short films using my iPad and cellular phone. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. With time I started developing a passion for films and since then I 've been watching and analyzing movies, especially the classics, such as Casablanca or Citizen Kane, along with Superheroes movies. I believe that since then I wanted to study film production. In my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer more advantages in this regard. Being in the USA has been not only a great experience by learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. My professional aspirations are still to pursue a career in Film Production and a scholarship will surely be very helpful, because I can focus on learning the tools and knowledge that will be useful as a professional in that field. Being a leukemia survivor, life has taught me that we always must chase our dreams with consistency and perseverance. I want to transmit this message to other people with similar experiences, because while there may be trouble in our lives, there is always a chance to see the light.

Since I was very young, I had some health issues when I was just a child. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. From there I made short films using my iPad and cellular phone. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. With time, I started developing a passion for films and since then I've been watching and analyzing movies, and because of that, I wanted to study and work in an aera related to films and film production. Being in the U.S. has been not only a great experience by learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. My professional aspirations are still to pursue a career in Film Production and a scholarship will surely be very helpful, because I can focus on learning the tools and knowledge that will be useful as a professional in that field.

Being yourself is the best way of showing others the real thing. Since I was very young, I was convinced that I needed to leave my country. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. From there I made short films using my iPad and cellular phones. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. With time I started developing a passion for films and since I been watching and analyzing movies, especially the classics, such as Casablanca or Citizen Kane. I believe that since then I wanted to study and work in an area related to films and production. In some way, I felt happy in my country. But with time, things changed drastically in my country. We felt insecure when we were out of our home, there was political violence on the streets and classes at school were frequently suspended for these reasons. On one occasion, our house was robbed, and the thieves kept my brother tied up. Short after that, my parent’s car was stolen. In addition to these, I realized that in my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer the advantages that no longer exist on my own. Being in the USA has been not only a great experience learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area.

If we think about the impact that one person has to change the world, probably the first answer that comes to our mind is that such a thing is impossible. One person is useless in front of the many obstacles and challenges out there. The world is very complex and there are too many interests involved. We might feel overwhelmed. But we can start looking at ourselves, how we are made. Every atom of our body came from a distant star that exploded millions of years ago. The Universe has billions of stars. We can see that process in two ways: we are insignificant in front of all the vastness of the Universe, or we can see ourselves as something wonderful, the result of millions of millions of years of changes and transformations. We are here and we are conscious about it. The positive impact that I or anyone can have starts recognizing that every action may have consequences. If we use our actions for a good cause, that will eventually help someone in need. Participating in activities to help others will eventually render benefits for society.

I am not afraid of speaking my mind, especially in an educational environment such as in school or wherever someone asks about my own opinion about a subject. I think the freedom of expression and freedom of speech is fundamental for society, because it helps everyone discuss any topics of interest. I believe we must be true to ourselves, but we also must be willing to change our views if they turn out to be wrong, without merit, or not what people believe in. From our side, we always have to look for the best and most reliable source of information. It’s not enough to have an opinion, we must try to have a better knowledge of the topics we are looking for. On the other side, if we are free to express our opinion, we also have to be tolerant with the point of view of others. Freedom works both ways.

Nowadays it’s easy to evade yourself from what is happening outside. Tablets, social media, and the internet are tools to help us, but generally isolate us. We tend to construct a different reality based on our preferences. In the real world, the tangible world, there are people with different problems. From homelessness to hunger, drug addiction or even loneliness. It’s difficult for one person to address all these problems. But we can join other people or institutions that help people in need. For more than a year, I’ve been participating in a program hosted by a church in the city I live, that distributes food. For me it’s a personal satisfaction to help people, because the more we participate and try to improve other people's lives, we are also making a better world and we become better people. Thanks to the information we can find on the internet, we can search for programs in our community that dedicate their efforts helping others, so my recommendation for other students is to participate and feel for themselves the satisfaction of helping people.

To keep a growth mindset is a lifetime project. The first thing is to reflect on what you want to do with your life. To find what moves you, what is your passion, what you want to do every time you wake up and try to orientate your efforts in that direction. As we grow up, everything starts turning more complicated and with more responsibilities. We have to go to school and learn about subjects that can be sometimes difficult. But we have to face these challenges by putting our efforts, because some of that information will be helpful for our goals. There will always be obstacles in the way, each one is different and we have to find ways to sort them out. In some cases, it is a good option to seek advice from our parents or people that have more experience or information. Knowledge is one of the most important keys in growing. Nowadays there are more tools to find information thanks to the internet. But there are also very good books that can be helpful. I think that an important key in a growth mindset is to be always grateful with the opportunities and the people around you that have helped you achieving your goals.

Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with anyone. But from that experience, I’ve learned lessons that are very useful for self-care. One thing I do to practice self-care is to keep hydrated. Even though any liquid (soda, juices) could help, I try to drink a lot of water. When I am working on a project or doing exercises, I always have water near me. Food is also an important issue. I always try to eat healthy food and eating at regular times. Occasionally, I indulge myself with a piece of cake or some French fries, but not going extreme. Just a little bit, so I can appreciate it. I do a lot of exercise. I am a blue belt in a Karate style called Kajukenbo. And I take this activity very serious, because I want to keep advancing in the promotions and the physical activity helps your body staying healthy. I also have activities to relax. I love going to the movies, going out for a run, drawing, building LEGO sets. They keep my mind busy but in a way that helps develop my imagination, skills and positive thoughts. Finally, but also important, I think that helping others is crucial for our well-being. In my case, I am doing service hours at a church assisting with the distribution of food for people in need. This is a good way of having a spiritual satisfaction that is significant for our self-care.

I see creativity as a force that drives us humans to go and reach new boundaries we never had before. We all have the potentiality to be creative, because we are born with the right tools to make it flourish: curiosity and imagination. When we make our first drawings as kids, it is a form of expression that makes us realize how we see the world in our eyes. In my case, I not only loved to make drawings, but my parents gave me a lot of support with the implements to make them better: pencils, markers, pens, papers and also complementing those that had some merit as me. Even though creativity most of the time is close to intuition, I think that learning new techniques, researching, studying the work and life of those that have made important contributions in their art. But the most important factor is to always keep practicing and open up to new ideas.

Since I was just a small kid, somehow I knew that the career I want to follow is related to the movie industry. I started making very naïve movies just imitating others I have watched, but with more knowledge and experience I have made some projects that even though are not perfect, I see an improvement. I also watched many movies, first the ones made for children but then I started to discover the classic ones, such as The Godfather and Casablanca and this gave me a new perspective about movies and their messages. In the next 5 years I want to learn as much as I can, I want to study and gather as much information as I can so I can apply them in more important and meaningful projects. As part of my future, in ten years and more I also see myself learning, researching and helping young talents in their pursuit of a career in filmmaking.

Investing money deals with decisions we must take in our lives. Do we want to live beyond our possibilities or do we want to use the money wisely? If someone spends more money than their income, that will affect their interests and future if they use it wrongly. A bank will likely require a more significant guarantee than a person with healthier finance. It could also imply that that person will pay a higher interest, so in the long run, everything will cost much more for the insolvent person. Maybe not all of us will be experts in the financial world, but it is always important to have at least basic information about how banks, the stock market, and interest rates work, so we can take decisions in a more rational manner.

“Mens Sana in corpore sano” is a Latin phrase meaning a healthy mind in a healthy body. Regardless of its origin or true intentions when it was first written, we can make a new interpretation of it and understand it as an equation. To keep a healthy body and a healthy mind, we should exercise both. For the body it’s crucial having a balanced diet, doing exercises regularly, sleeping well and avoiding excesses that could cause harm, like consuming harmful substances such as drugs. For the mind, we need to be intellectually active, trying to read and learn new things, meditating and having positive thoughts. We also need some leisure time, so our mind can rest. We also need to manage stress in our life. Sometimes meditation can be helpful. If we practice this in our daily life, our mind and body will have the tools to live a happier and healthy life.

My dream life is making movies and the work put into it. When I was very young, I created short films using the action figures and devices that I had at my disposal. As a child, I started watching movies for young audiences, but as I grew up, I also watched other kinds of films, those that are considered of artistic value. I not only enjoyed them, something in me changed because I realized that a movie can transmit emotions that any human can relate with. That has always been my passion from the very start and it is still my passion to this day. Now I see my life where I would be working in the production of a film, no matter the size and length, while at the same time trying to communicate with people who have the same passion as me. I want to make movie making my way of life so I can have independence from my parents, I can live by myself in my own house, but always keeping in touch with my family physically.

When we are children, we tend to be selfish. With our toys, with our parents or dear ones. But the act of giving, I believe, is something we learn as we grow up. In my case, when I was very young, I was diagnosed with Leukemia. I don’t have much recollection about those days but my mother told me that I needed blood transfusion and for her (and my) surprise, people we knew and others we didn’t, donated not only blood but also some medicines that were hard to find. Those acts of unselfishness taught me that giving is an important part of our life. In my case, I have donated blood and helped in the distribution of food in a church as a regular activity, so I can give back and be thankful for what I once received. Those moments are ones to remember because they define who you are and how others will look at you.

I believe that everyone has a talent. Some people are luckier, and they have an innate talent for music, sports or math. In my case I have talent in Karate and languages. But in each of them everything came after practicing a lot and being consistent in each one. I went to a bilingual institution in preschool. Being Spanish my mother tongue, I learned English very quickly, and since then, most of the material I watch or read is in English. In addition, after school I had some additional English classes. Soon I want to learn a new language. One day I was watching other kids in a class, and I told my mom that I was curious about what they were doing. It was a Karate class. I soon joined the class, and I went all the way up to blue belt. I have to say that our teacher (or Sensei as we called him) is a great person and always helped me to get the best out of me. After I moved from my country to the US, I started a different Karate discipline called Kajukenbo, and at this moment I am a blue belt and hoping to get another promotion soon.

When I think of “confidence” in relation to us, it means that we internally have the conviction that we can succeed at a task, no matter how big or complex it might be. However, there is a fine line here, because that conviction must be based on reality, that is on knowing our true capabilities and not on wishful thinking. So, the first step is to practice what the great Greek philosopher Socrates once said: “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” To have confidence in ourselves we must start seeking for our strengths and weaknesses. Then we have to work on our weaknesses, looking for means to overcome them. No matter the task, either easy or hard, knowledge is the definitive tool to increase our confidence. The more we study, the more we have to look at a problem from different perspectives and come with the best solution possible.

Listening is very underrated. It's clear that our vision is our primary source to understand the world, but in my view, sounds require an additional intellectual effort. If we hear the voice of a dear one, we know who he is without seeing the person. If we hear a barf, we know it's a dog, and we even can tell if it´s a big or a small one. Listening to music can transport us to places, it can go along with our feeling if we are happy or sad. The sound of the sea or a river can calm us. Or the sounds of traffic and car horns can upset us. But from each of them we start to know something about ourselves. Listening is a way to learn a skill. In my case, I learned another language by the conscious effort of paying attention to videos and audios of themes of my personal interest. And it is also part of the process of communication with others. In the interaction with others, we can discover about their interests and experiences.

When I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with anyone except my close family. But from that experience, I’ve learned lessons about people and selflessness. I don’t remember much of those days when I was in medical treatment, but my mother told me that some people, even strangers that knew that I needed several transfusions, donated blood without expecting anything in return. Two of them even did it because they heard a public announcement on the radio that a boy in xx hospital needed it. From my mother I have learned to help others the same way, that is, doing it for the good of others. She always does it and I try to follow her example. I have donated blood the same way others did it when I was sick. I am also doing service hours at a church assisting with the distribution of food for people in need. I think that helping others is part of what each one can do. This is a good way of having a spiritual satisfaction that is significant for a better world and understanding that we are part of a whole.

You can always find a passion no matter where you come from. I had some health issues when I was just a child. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. From there I made short films using my iPad and cellular phone. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. With time I started developing a passion for films and since then I've been watching and analyzing movies, and because of that, I wanted to study and work in an area related to films and film production. Being in the U.S. has been not only a great experience learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me with some new perspective of this area. My professional passion is still to pursue a career in Film Production and these techniques will surely be very helpful, because I can focus on learning the tools and knowledge that will be useful as a professional in that field.

Since I was very young, I was convinced that I needed to leave my country. I had some health issues when I was just a child. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. From there I made short films using my iPad and cellular phones. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. With time I started developing a passion for films and since I been watching and analyzing movies. I believed since then I wanted to study and work in an area related to films and production. In some way, I felt happy in my country. But with times, things changed drastically in my country. We felt insecure when we were out of our home, there was political violence on the streets and classes at school were frequently suspended for these reasons. On one occasion, our house was robbed, and the thieves kept my brother tied up. Shortly after that, my parents' car was stolen. In addition to these, I realized that in my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer the advantages that no longer exist on my own. Being in the USA has been not only a great experience learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area.

When I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with anyone. But from that experience, I’ve learned lessons about people and giving. I don’t remember much of those days, but my mother told me that some people, even strangers that knew that I needed a transfusion, donated blood without expecting anything in return. From my mother I have learned to help others the same way. She always does it and I try to follow her example. I have donated blood the same way others did it when I was sick. I am also doing service hours at a church assisting with the distribution of food for people in need. Helping others is crucial for our well-being. This is a good way of having a spiritual satisfaction that is significant for a better world.

There are many ways to find joy in life. One of them is identifying your goals and looking for a way to achieve them. My dream life is making movies and the work put into it. When I was very young, I created short films using the action figures and devices that I had at my disposal. That has always been my passion from the very start, and it is still my passion to this day. Now I see my life where I would be working in the production of a film, no matter the size and length, while at the same time trying to communicate with people who have the same passion as me. Another joy for me is spending time with my family. I enjoy holidays like Christmas or going to different places on School vacations. Not long ago we went to Key West and among other things we visited Ernest Hemingway’s home there. We all enjoyed such a beautiful place with so much history about this author. Moments like these are very valuable for me. There are always moments of stress in our life, but we have to learn that happiness is made of those moments of joy and the best learning in life is to appreciate them.

Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with anyone. But from that experience, I’ve learned lessons that are very useful for self-care. One thing I do is to keep hydrated. Even though any liquid (soda, juices) could help, I try to drink a lot of water. When I am working on a project or doing exercises, I always have water near me. Food is also an important issue. I always try to eat healthy food and eating at regular times. Occasionally, I indulge myself with a piece of cake or some French fries, but not going extreme. Just a little bit, so I can appreciate it. I do a lot of exercise. I am a blue belt in a Karate style called Kajukenbo. And I take this activity very serious, because I want to keep advancing in the promotions and the physical activity helps your body staying healthy. I also have activities to relax. I love going to the movies, going out for a run, drawing, building LEGO sets. They keep my mind busy but in a way that helps develop my imagination, skills and positive thoughts. Finally, but also important, I think that helping others is crucial for our well-being. In my case, I am doing service hours at a church assisting with the distribution of food for people in need. This is a good way of having a spiritual satisfaction that is significant for our self-care.

Happiness is made of simple things in life. I love going to the movies. Once I spot a film I want to go, I make a simple plan, I look the calendar to see which would be the best day to go and buy the best seat available. Once I go to the theater, I enjoy every step. Buying pop corn and soda, sitting in the place, watching the coming attractions, and when the movie starts, I am submerged in the story passing in front of my eyes, as I eat and drink. I also enjoy going out to run, especially with our friends’ dog “Lola”. Our friends travel a lot, and when that happens, I take care of Lola. I take her out in the morning for a short walk and in the afternoon, we go to run. Lola is very curious and smells everything, but she also likes to run. I feel Lola and I have a connection and we love our time together. Other activity that relaxes me is to built LEGO sets. I have plenty of them, some of which are very complex. So, when I feel like it, I take one unopen set and built it. Hours would pass and I go piece by piece until it is all done. Then I look for a right spot to place it. These little moments open my mind and make me think better afterwards. If I have a school project or any difficult task, these simple activities inspire me to find the solutions I looked for.

Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia at 5 years old and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. The difficulties taught me and from there I made short films using my iPad and cellular phone. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. I believed that since then I wanted to study in an area related to films and film production. In my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer more advantages in this regard. I was optimistic again and now being in the USA has been not only a great experience by learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. Being a leukemia survivor, life has taught me that we always must chase our dreams with consistency and perseverance. I want to transmit this message to other people with similar experiences, because while there may be trouble in our lives, there is always a chance to see the light.

The word "patience" encompasses different ideas and yet it deals with the idea of not rushing or becoming desperate. In our life, we have to face difficulties and challenges in which the outcome can be in favor or against us depending on our ability to not become annoyed or upset. When you see the great minds, most of the accomplishments are the result of their patience. If we see the works of Galileo or Pasteur, their legacy was to patiently make all their observations over and over. This attitude helped them to develop theories that have been beneficial for all humans. For our personal growth, patience is a key part of success. Before reaching any level in any discipline, we have to give attention to many things, the majority of them probably very tedious. With patience, we learn more self control and how to deal with frustration or adversity because it gives us time to think better and respond rationally and not with emotions.

To keep a growth mindset is a lifetime project. The first thing is to reflect on what you want to do with your life. To find what moves you, what is your passion, what you want to do every time you wake up and try to orientate your efforts in that direction. As we grow up, everything starts turning more complicated and with more responsibilities. We have to go to school and learn about subjects that can be sometimes difficult. But we have to face these challenges by putting our efforts, because some of that information will be helpful for our goals. There will always be obstacles in the way, each one is different and we have to find ways to sort them out. In some cases, it is a good option to seek advice from our parents or people that have more experience or information. Knowledge is one of the most important keys in growing. Nowadays there are more tools to find information thanks to the internet. But there are also very good books that can be helpful. I think that an important key in a growth mindset is to be always grateful with the opportunities and the people around you that have helped you achieving your goals.

I came to know the famous physicist Stephen Hawking thanks to the movie "The Theory of Everything" directed by James Marsh. Hawking was by far one of the brightest men that ever existed. He probably did the most important research about one of the most intriguing objects in the universe: Black Holes. Even though he suffered a debilitating disease, he always kept a fine sense of humor. He never stopped writing and doing research about the universe and how it works. He also made important contributions to science literacy and education, keeping himself very visible in the media to teach and transmit information about scientific knowledge.

Tough times are also moments to learn. Difficulties taught me that imagination and creativity are powerful tools to carry on. Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia at 5 years old and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, I always stayed optimistic and being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. I also made short films using my iPad and cellular phone. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal, using LEGO figures. I believed that since then I wanted to study in an area related to films and film production. In my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer more advantages in this regard. I was optimistic again and now being in the USA has been not only a great experience by learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. My professional aspirations are still to pursue a career in Film Production and a scholarship will surely be very helpful, because I can focus on learning the tools and knowledge that will be useful as a professional in that field. Being a leukemia survivor, life has taught me that we always must chase our dreams with consistency and perseverance. I want to transmit this message to other people with similar experiences, because while there may be trouble in our lives, there is always a chance to see the light.

My dream life is making movies and the work put into it. When I was very young, I created short films using the action figures and devices that I had at my disposal. As a child, I started watching movies for young audiences, but as I grew up, I also watched other kinds of films, those that are considered of artistic value. I not only enjoyed them, something in me changed because I realized that a movie can transmit emotions that any human can relate with. That has always been my passion from the very start and it is still my passion to this day. Now I see my life where I would be working in the production of a film, no matter the size and length, while at the same time trying to communicate with people who have the same passion as me. I would get to talk to my parents and see them every know and then. I would go on until I get to live free in a house that I would probably afford.

Believing in yourself is the first step to achieve your dreams. Since I was very young, I had some health issues. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with anyone. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. From there, I made short films using my iPad and cellular phone. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. With time I started developing a passion for films and since then I've been watching and analyzing movies, especially the classics, such as Casablanca or Citizen Kane, along with Superheroes movies. I believe that since then I wanted to study film production. In my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer more advantages in this regard. Being in the USA has been not only a great experience by learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. My professional aspirations are still to pursue a career in Film Production and a scholarship will surely be very helpful, because I can focus on learning the tools and knowledge that will be useful as a professional in that field. Being a leukemia survivor, life has taught me that we always must chase our dreams with consistency and perseverance. I want to transmit this message to other people with similar experiences, because while there may be trouble in our lives, there is always a chance to see the light.

When I think of art, I always related to movies and the world of movies and there is one in particular that stands out: “2001: A Space Odyssey”, directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is a great movie because it is about the journey of humanity from those remote days where we barely had any technology and were vulnerable to stronger animals. But it also deals with one transcendental quest: Are we alone in the Universe? When these primitive creatures came in contact with a monolith placed there by a more advanced civilization, some radical changes: They discovered rudimentary tools that helped them in the fight against nature and competitors. Fast forward, in 2001, travels to the moon and moon colonies are normal. Scientists have discovered a monolith there like the ones our ancestors found. The great mystery: It's not human made and that it has sent a signal to Jupiter. A mission equipped with Artificial Intelligence (HAL) is sent. There was a Mission with scientific purposes, and HAL was programed to reach that object, and a hidden mission: to investigate the signal sent. These contradictions between what was told and what was secretly the object of the mission created a conflict in HAL that was programmed to achieve its mission so she decided to eliminate all humans that became an obstacle. Here we can see another discussion for humans: Will technology turn against us and destroy us, or will it be a tool for our future? Only one astronaut, Dave Bowman manages to survive, disconnects HAL and finds out the real mission to be accomplished. From there he travels to one giant monolith that takes him to another dimension. He arrives at a scene with hand made objects. And there, Kubrick leaves us to make our own interpretations.

Since I was very young, I was convinced that I needed to leave my country. I had some health issues when I was just a child. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. Unfortunately for me, those drawings are back in my country, and there’s little chance I can have them back. From there I made short films using my iPad and cellular phones. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. With time I started developing a passion for films and since I been watching and analyzing movies, especially the classics, such as Casablanca or Citizen Kane, along with Superheroes movies, which I also love. I believe that since then I wanted to study and work in an area related to films and film production. In some way, I felt happy in my country. We had our vacations at least once a year, I had my room with a TV, a DVD player, and my LEGO sets. But with times, things changed drastically in my country. We felt insecure when we were out of our home, there was political violence on the streets and classes at school were frequently suspended for these reasons. On one occasion, our house was robbed, and the thieves kept my brother tied up. Short after that, my parent’s car was stolen. In addition to these, I realized that in my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer the advantages that no longer exist on my own. Being in the USA has been not only a great experience learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. My future professional aspirations are still to pursue a career in Film Production and a scholarship will surely be very helpful, because I can focus on learning the tools and knowledge that will be useful as a professional in that field. Being a leukemia survivor, life has taught me that we always have to chase our dreams with consistency and perseverance. I want to transmit this message to other people with similar experiences, because while there may be trouble in our lives, there is always a chance to see the light.

Since I was very young, I was convinced that I needed to leave my country. I had some health issues when I was just a child. I was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was isolated for almost two years without going to school or contact with my friends. However, being by myself gave me time to develop stories with drawings that many people found creative. Unfortunately for me, those drawings are back in my country, and there’s little chance I can have them back. From there I made short films using my iPad and cellular phones. At times, I just recreated movies I’ve seen, but I also developed others more personal using LEGO figures. With time I started developing a passion for films and since I been watching and analyzing movies, especially the classics, such as Casablanca or Citizen Kane, along with Superheroes movies, which I also love. I believe that since then I wanted to study and work in an area related to films and film production. In some way, I felt happy in my country. We had our vacations at least once a year, I had my room with a TV, a DVD player, and my LEGO sets. But with times, things changed drastically in my country. We felt insecure when we were out of our home, there was political violence on the streets and classes at school were frequently suspended for these reasons. On one occasion, our house was robbed, and the thieves kept my brother tied up. Short after that, my parent’s car was stolen. In addition to these, I realized that in my country there were few options to study any career related to film production and I told my parents that. With time we matured the idea of going to another country that could offer the advantages that no longer exist on my own. Being in the USA has been not only a great experience learning from another culture, but also for the last two years I’ve been attending film production classes that have provided me some new perspective of this area. My professional aspirations are still to pursue a career in Film Production and a scholarship will surely be very helpful, because I can focus on learning the tools and knowledge that will be useful as a professional in that field. Being a leukemia survivor, life has taught me that we always have to chase our dreams with consistency and perseverance. I want to transmit this message to other people with similar experiences, because while there may be trouble in our lives, there is always a chance to see the light.