When I was around twelve, I watched a movie called Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and it completely changed the trajectory of my life. That may sound a bit dramatic, but bear with me, I’ll explain. Before this movie, I had always had a fascination with animation. I grew up watching cartoons and loved seeing my favorite characters dance around the screen, but was mystified about the inner workings of animation. I never understood how the artists managed to move their art. As curious as I was, I never gave much more thought into it—that is until I watched Spider-verse. This movie was a marvel to behold. With its groundbreaking use of stylized 3D animation, it literally redefined the future of the Western animation industry. I won’t get into all my nerdy animation jargon, so to put it simply, this movie mesmerized me. But it wasn’t just the incredible animation and art style that had me enraptured. It was the story itself—seeing a young Black kid overcoming his insecurities to become The Hero of the story. Before Spider-verse, I could count on one hand how many animated movies I’d seen starring a Black character. As much as I loved animated media, it was often isolating for me at times. I felt that I never saw myself reflected on the screen, so I didn’t even consider that the people making these movies could have looked like me. But, sitting there watching the credits roll after Spider-verse, I found myself picturing my name right there on the screen, asking myself, could I do this one day too? I held the question in the back of my mind for a long time, still afraid the tentative dream could only ever amount to just that. A dream. Until my sophomore year, when I found out my school offered an Animation course. I immediately enrolled. I was desperate to learn more, to figure out if it was truly possible to succeed in this industry. During my time in Animation, I was given the opportunity to write and direct two original short films. The process was hectic, as we were constantly scrambling to meet deadlines, tweaking scripts to fit dialogue better, reanimating scenes because the frame rate was off, or putting out the dozens of other fires that came with making a film. It was stressful and chaotic, and I loved every moment of it. There was no greater feeling than being able to see the characters and stories I had envisioned spring to life on the screen before me. I knew there was no turning back—this was the field I wanted to enter. I aspire to be a screenwriter in animation, creating films that inspire the next generation of kids to dream bigger, just as Spider-verse did for me. I want these kids to grow up seeing themselves as superheroes, as princesses and astronauts and wizards and whatever else their imaginations can conjure—and I know that all starts with representation. There is no greater reassurance than seeing someone like you who accomplished what you dreamed of doing first. Spider-verse gave me that gift, showing me a Black kid like me as the star of the movie and making me wonder if I could write a film like that one day. It expanded my worldview, made me question what I had always thought was the horizon, and see it as an endless plane of possibility. I want to return that gift tenfold by one day opening my own animation studio that can serve as a platform to produce new narratives starring a diverse cast.

Faith has always been a part of my life. I grew up in a Christian family, so God was introduced to me before I even knew what His name meant. I was taught all the movements of a Christian—attending church every Sunday morning, reciting Grace before every meal, pressing my hands together for bedtime prayers. However, I didn’t really understand the things I was doing—or why, for that matter—only that I had always done them as my parents modeled. That young, I’d mindlessly sing songs about loving Jesus in Sunday school as we learned about His sacrifice for the World, not yet making the personal connection. Jesus seemed more like a character to me, another tale I heard hundreds of times, but missing the understanding and meaning of Him. It was one of these mornings at Sunday school when I finally grasped who Jesus was and realized my relationship with Him. I was sitting on the classroom floor, playing with some toy or another as Veggie Tales blared in the background. The episode was ending, and as the characters remarked about how wonderful it is to be loved by Jesus, I glanced up, my gaze landing on the window. The sky was impossibly blue, so bright with sunlight slicing through huge, fluffy clouds. I remember thinking, the God who made that beautiful sky created me too—and He loves me. Elation I had never felt bubbled through me. I laughed, a pure, joyful sound, and thought I love God too. I went back to playing, smiling, and humming “Yes, Jesus Loves Me,” as I waited for my mom to pick me up after service. When she arrived, I raced to her, grabbing her hand as I exclaimed how much God loved me. She nodded along, probably wondering where my sudden burst of enthusiasm came from. I didn’t have the words to articulate my newfound discovery, my sudden knowledge that the God of the Universe, the God who hung the clouds and stars and parted the seas, cared about me. That He knitted me together and breathed life into my lungs, and all He wanted in exchange was for me to love Him back. That was the day that I finally began to understand who Jesus was beyond the surface, habitual routines, now knowing His love and His sacrifice for me. Although I had long ago recited the words, that was the day my heart unlocked for the Lord, and I accepted him as my Savior. There was no grandeur, no weeping tears of repentance or desperate cries for redemption. I was too young to understand that kind of pain and plea yet. No, my love for the Lord started as childish, the simple understanding that God loved me and I loved him, and that was enough. I aspire to become a screenwriter and bring positive and innovative stories to life. Stories have always been an integral part of my life. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom tucking me in at bedtime and reading a story from my Children’s Bible. My love of reading started back then, leaning against my mom and listening to the tenor of her voice as my eyelids grew heavy. This love morphed into summers spent at the library and wagons filled with EZ readers to shelves over-stuffed with hardcovers and late nights spent getting lost in other worlds. My admiration for stories wasn’t just limited to books. I also adored movies, especially animated ones. I have always been fascinated by the art form. From cartoons to anime to Disney movies, animation captured my heart from a young age and hasn’t let go since. I always thought the medium was a beautiful blend of art and storytelling, giving it a creative freedom that a live-action show couldn’t achieve. No matter its form, I always loved getting to discover new stories, but, as I grew older, I began to notice how often these books and shows never starred people who were like me. For a while, it was isolating. I thought my only role in these stories could only be as a viewer, never a creator. But, when I was in seventh grade, I watched a movie called Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse. It featured a young Black kid as the main character and hero of the story. Before that movie, I could count on one hand how many animated movies I’d seen starring a Black character. For the first time, I felt like I was seeing myself reflected on the screen, and I then envisioned my name scrolling in the credits. I began to wonder if I could write a movie one day. Since then, it has been my dream and goal to become a screenwriter so I can inspire a future generation of diverse kids to dream bigger. I wanted these kids to grow up seeing themselves as superheroes, as princesses and astronauts and wizards and whatever else their imaginations can conjure—and I know that all starts with representation. I know there is no greater reassurance than seeing someone like you who accomplished what you dreamed of doing first. My ultimate goal is to open my own animation studio that can serve as a platform to produce new narratives starring a diverse cast. In America, only about a third of screenwriters are women, while Black screenwriters only make up around six percent of the industry. As a young Black woman, I am already at a significant disadvantage entering a field where I’ll often be the only person who looks like me in a room. I will be denied jobs, told that I’m incapable, and have people who will brand my stories as worthless. But that makes my presence and success all the more important. I will have the opportunity to break down the barriers that have been set against me, carving out a space in the industry for myself and a future generation of Black girl dreamers. Winning this scholarship will help me achieve this goal in so many ways. This fall, I’ll be attending the University of Texas at Austin, which holds the number one public film school program in the nation. I plan to spend my next four years learning from my professors, practicing in the field, and building connections with my peers so when it is time for me to step out into the animation industry, I can take it by storm. Winning this scholarship will eliminate the financial burden on me, eradicating one of the many hurdles that lie ahead of me as I am facing astronomical debt from student loans without the help scholarships will bring. I know the path stretched before me won’t be easy. But, I know that my God is bigger than any situation I might face so I rejoice in the difficulties that may come my way, excited to see how God will lead me and provide for me to achieve my dreams!

Animation has always fascinated me. I spent a large part of my childhood perplexed as to how my favorite characters managed to dance across the screen. Was it magic? Invisible puppet strings? Or perhaps they were alive? It wasn’t until about third grade that I discovered—much to my disappointment— that there wasn’t a wand-wielding wizard living behind my TV moving the characters, but an artist. The idea puzzled me even more than my wizard theory. I was amazed that someone could draw an image and bring it to life! But, l still had a boatload of questions about how this process happened. No matter how much I squinted at the screen or paused the show, I just couldn’t piece together how the artist managed to move the characters. So, I turned to a nine-year-old’s version of an encyclopedia: my parents. I’d badger them with questions about whatever cartoon I was watching, pointing and rewinding, then demanding to know how the artist did this or that. My parents, being a realtor and a firefighter, had no better a clue than I did about the inner-workings animation, but did manage to explain to me that it wasn’t just one image the artist had drawn, but multiple—all layered in a sequence. I was baffled. Multiple drawings?! I couldn’t fathom how long it must have taken for an animator to draw one character let alone several instances of them. Learning this only further fueled my curiosity. How did the animators make the backgrounds move? Did they have to redraw them every time they moved the character? And what about all the objects the characters interacted with? How did the animators move it from the background into the character's hand? It was mystifying, these thoughts never straying far from my mind wherever I watched anything 2-D related. I continued to watch cartoons with a borderline unhealthy obsession until middle school, when I hit that age where I thought I was too old to watch “baby stuff” like cartoons. But thankfully this phase didn’t last long as I soon found a movie that re-ignited my animation addiction in full force. Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse, the movie that is practically a love letter to animators everywhere. I still remember what it felt like watching the first five minutes of the movie, immediately enraptured by the art—everything looked like a living, breathing comic book! And don’t get me started on the camera shots—cutting, spinning, and flipping so smoothly. *Chef’s kiss* Between the mesmerizing graphics, unbeatable cinematography, and incredible storyline, I knew there was no going back. I was officially hooked. I started consuming any animated media I could lay my eyes on, eventually venturing into anime and VFX. The more I saw, the more questions I had, and the more I wanted to understand. My sophomore year of high school, I was granted the perfect opportunity to unlock every inquiry I ever had when I discovered and enrolled in my school’s animation course. I was finally able to answer the questions I’ve had since I was six years old, when I watched cartoons over a bowl of Cheerios before school. Throughout the years, I learned everything from character animation to special effects to motion design and loved every minute of it. Now, I’m in my third year of Animation Practicum, in the midst of producing my second original animated film, and still as curious as ever. Throughout my life, animation has grown from a curiosity to a passion, something that will always hold a section of my heart and mind and forever keep me asking…how?

I’ve always been something of a dreamer. With a healthy addiction to books and a fondness for movies, I’ve been feeding my overactive imagination since I was little. My head was often lost in the clouds, spinning up new tales and stories, but it wasn’t until about seventh grade that I went from daydreaming to wanting to create. My passion in animation was ignited when I watched the movie "Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse" for the first time. 12-year-old me was in awe of the stunning graphics, mesmerizing colors, and incredible storyline. But more than that, I was amazed that the main character was a young Black kid like me. That was a rare sight—one that made me wonder for the first time what it's like to be a moviemaker instead of simply a viewer. That single movie set me on a path to pursuing a career in storytelling, specifically in the animation industry. My goal is to become a Show Creator for animated television and movies, with aspirations to open my own studio and diversify the industry. Like many fields, animation is built not solely on what you know but who. Networking is essential when it comes to finding future jobs and that important connection building starts as early as college. Being awarded this scholarship would be instrumental for my future career because it would allow me to attend a university that has access to a community of peers and professors who will challenge and guide me as I grow in my craft. These bonds will not only give me a boost in my future job search but help me during my college years. Through internships, I’ll be able to gain real-world experience, work with professionals, and be given the chance to soak up all their knowledge. College is the essential first step towards achieving my dreams. It's the place where I’ll learn all the skills I need to take the animation world by storm. 10 years from now, I see myself standing in my studio, directing a brilliant team of artists and animators on our latest feature-length film. At this studio, I want to make films that do what "Spider-verse" did for 12-year-old me: give kids the chance to dream bigger. As much as I love animated media, it's sadly not reflective of all the different and unique people in this world. There aren’t many animated movies that star diverse main characters. The best way to inspire someone into believing they can do something is by showing them someone like them who did it first. Representation for marginalized communities, especially a POC like myself is something I want to not only advocate for but showcase in my work. Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected and I want to show every kid out there that they can be anything from superheroes to pirates to princesses to astronauts. I want them to believe anything they can dream is absolutely possible. I am passionate about storytelling. I know that words not only have the power to entertain but to invoke substantial change. As a Creator, I will use my voice to reach out to my audience and inspire them into believing in their own potential. The greatest reward a storyteller can receive is knowing that their tale sparked something within someone. I aspire to be the kind of storyteller who can leave an imprint on one’s heart.

I’ve always been something of a dreamer. With a healthy addiction to books and a fondness for movies, I’ve fed my overactive imagination since I was little. Because of that, I spend a large part of my days with my head in the clouds, spinning tales and stories. But, it wasn’t until about seventh grade that I went from just dreaming to actually wanting to create. For me, success looks like living out my dreams of making movies, and inspiring a future generation of dreamers. I first became interested in the animation industry when I watched the movie Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse. 12-year-old me was in awe of the flying graphics, mesmerizing colors, and incredible storyline. But more than that, I was amazed that the main character was a young Black kid like me. That was a rare sight, one that made me wonder for the first time what it's like to be a movie-maker instead of simply a viewer. It's crazy to think that one movie led to me finding my passion for storytelling. Since then, it's become my dream to join the film industry and be a Story Creator for animated television and movies. As a future Creator, my biggest goals are to open up my own studio and to diversify the animation industry. Like many fields, animation is built not solely on what you know but who. Networking is essential when it comes to finding future jobs and that important connection building starts as early as college. Being awarded this scholarship would be so beneficial for my future because it would allow me to attend a university that has access to a community of peers and professors who will challenge and guide me as I grow in my craft. These bonds will not only give me a boost in my future job search but help me during my college years. Through internships, I’ll be able to gain real-world experience, work with professionals, and be given the chance to soak up all their knowledge. College is the essential first step towards achieving my dreams. It's the place where I’ll learn all the skills I need to take the animation world by storm. 10 years from now, I see myself standing in my studio, directing a brilliant team of artists and animators on our latest feature-length film. At this studio, I want to make films that do what Spider-verse did for 12-year-old me: give kids the chance to dream bigger. As much as I love animated media, it's sadly not reflective of all the different and unique people in this world. There aren’t many animated movies that star diverse main characters. The best way to inspire someone into believing they can accomplish something is by showing them someone like them who did it first. Representation for marginalized communities, especially a POC like myself is something I want to not only advocate for but showcase in my work. Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected and I want to show every kid out there that they can be anything from superheroes to pirates to princesses to astronauts. I want them to believe anything they can dream is absolutely possible. I am passionate about storytelling. I know that words not only have the power to entertain but to invoke substantial change. As a Creator, I will use my voice to reach out to my audience. The greatest reward a storyteller can receive is knowing that their tale sparked something within someone. I aspire to be the kind of storyteller who can leave an imprint on one’s heart.

I’ve always been something of a dreamer. With a healthy addiction to books and a fondness for movies, I’ve fed my overactive imagination since I was little. Because of that, I spend a large part of my days with my head in the clouds, spinning tales and stories. But, it wasn’t until about seventh grade that I went from just dreaming to actually wanting to create. For me, success looks like living out my dreams making movies, and inspiring a future generation of dreamers. The first time I became interested in the animation industry was when I watched the movie Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse. 12-year-old me was in awe of the flying graphics, mesmerizing colors, and incredible storyline. But more than that, I was amazed that the main character was a young Black kid like me. That was a rare sight, one that made me wonder for the first time what it's like to be a movie-maker instead of simply a viewer. It's crazy to think that one movie led to me finding my passion for storytelling. Since then, it's become my dream to join the film industry and be a Story Creator for animated television and movies. As a future Creator, my biggest goals are to open up my own studio and to diversify the animation industry. Like many fields, the animation one is built not solely on what you know but who. Networking is essential when it comes to finding future jobs and that important connection building starts as early as college. Being awarded this scholarship would be so beneficial for my future because it would allow me to attend a university that has access to a community of peers and professors who will challenge and guide me as I grow in my craft. These bonds will not only give me a boost in my future job search but help me during my college years. Through internships, I’ll be able to gain real-world experience, work with professionals, and be given the chance to soak up all their knowledge. College is the essential first step towards achieving my dreams. It's the place where I’ll learn all the skills I need to take the animation world by storm. 10 years from now, I see myself standing in my studio, directing a brilliant team of artists and animators on our latest feature-length film. At this studio, I want to make films that do what Spider-verse did for 12-year-old me: give kids the chance to dream bigger. As much as I love animated media, it's sadly not reflective of all the different and unique people in this world. There aren’t many animated movies that star diverse main characters. These past few years, I am glad to say that some progress has been made in attempting to diversify the industry but unfortunately, many characters of color are still being reduced to side roles. The best way to inspire someone into believing they can accomplish something is by showing them someone like them who did it first. Representation for marginalized communities, especially a POC like myself is something I want to not only advocate for but showcase in my work. Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected and I want to show every kid out there that they can be anything from superheroes to pirates to princesses to astronauts. I want them to believe anything they can dream is absolutely possible. I am passionate about storytelling. I know that words not only have the power to entertain but to invoke substantial change. When I do become a Creator, I will use my voice to reach out to my audience. The greatest reward a storyteller can receive is knowing that their tale sparked something within someone. That it caused someone to feel and that they’ll remember that feeling years down the line---whether it be joy or hatred or remorse. Above all, I aspire to be the kind of storyteller who can leave an imprint on one’s heart.

The first time I became interested in the animation industry was when I watched the movie Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. 12-year-old me was in awe of the flying graphics, pulsating colors, and incredible storyline. But more than that, I was amazed that the main character was a young Black kid like me. That was a rare sight, one that made me ponder for the first time what it's like to be a movie maker instead of simply a viewer. It's crazy to think that one movie led to me finding my passion. I desire to join the film industry and become a Story Creator for animated television and movies. As a future Story Creator, my two biggest goals are to one day open up my own studio and diversify the animation industry. Like many fields, the animation one is built not solely on what you know but who. Networking is essential for finding future jobs and that important connection building starts as early as college. Attending a university to study animation and film will give me invaluable access to peers and professors who will help guide me as I grow in my craft. Building these outlasting bonds early will help me survive the competitive nature of the industry. Instead of worrying about finding any available job because of a lack of network, I can invest myself into opportunities that I feel will better my skill set, allowing me to fastrack my path to building a strong reputation as a hardworking, innovator and bringing me even closer to my dream of starting my own studio. At this studio, I want to make films that do what Spiderverse did for 12-year-old me: give kids the chance to dream. As much as I love animated media, it's sadly not reflective of all the different and unique people in this world. The best way to inspire someone into believing they can accomplish something is by showing them someone like them who did it first. Representation for marginalized communities, especially a POC like myself is something I want to not only advocate for but showcase in my work. I want to leave a lasting impact by showing every Black and Brown kid out there that they can be anything from superheroes to pirates to princesses to astronauts. I want them to believe anything they can dream can be done. For me, college is the starting line. It's where I’ll learn every tool and every skill I need to take the animation industry by storm. There are already going to be several barriers I’ll face as a young Black woman in this world, and going into an as unrepresentative field as film is only guaranteed to spring up more. But, I’m determined to jump every hurdle in my way to achieve my goals. I refuse to compromise on my dreams.

The first time I became interested in the animation industry was when I watched the movie Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. 12-year-old me was in awe of the flying graphics, pulsating colors, and incredible storyline. But more than that, I was amazed that the main character was a young Black kid like me. That was a rare sight, one that made me ponder for the first time what it's like to be a movie maker instead of simply a viewer. It's crazy to think that one movie led to me finding my passion. I desire to join the film industry and become a Story Creator for animated television and movies. As a future Story Creator, my two biggest goals are to one day open up my own studio and diversify the animation industry. Like many fields, the animation one is built not solely on what you know but who. Networking is essential when it comes to finding future jobs and that important connection building starts as early as college. Winning this scholarship would be instrumental in my future success because it would allow me to attend a university to study animation and film, giving me invaluable access to peers and professors who will help guide me as I grow in my craft. Building these outlasting bonds early will help me survive the competitive nature of the industry. Instead of worrying about finding any available job because of a lack of network, I can invest myself into opportunities that I feel will better my skill set, allowing me to fastrack my path to building a strong reputation as a hardworking, innovator and bringing me even closer to my dream of starting my own studio. At this studio, I want to make films that do what Spiderverse did for 12-year-old me: give kids the chance to dream. As much as I love animated media, it's sadly not reflective of all the different and unique people in this world. The best way to inspire someone into believing they can accomplish something is by showing them someone like them who did it first. Representation for marginalized communities, especially a POC like myself is something I want to not only advocate for but showcase in my work. I want to show every Black and Brown kid out there that they can be anything from superheroes to pirates to princesses to astronauts. I want them to believe anything they can dream can be done. For me, college is the starting line. It's where I’ll learn every tool and every skill I need to take the animation industry by storm. There are already going to be several barriers I’ll face as a young Black woman in this world, and going into an as unrepresentative field as film is only guaranteed to spring up more. But, I’m determined to jump every hurdle in my way to achieve my goals. I refuse to compromise on my dreams.

A Black historical figure who has inspired me is the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I know, I know, it sounds cliche but I have a good reason, trust me. To give a little background about myself, I’m a perfectionist. In all I do, I make it my goal to achieve the golden standard of the situation. Grades. Sports. Extracurriculars. There is an ingrained need in me to aim for perfection so I don’t disappoint people supporting me. But the thing about perfection is that it's never good enough. Straight As didn’t feel good enough so I strove for straight 100’s. Simply winning a gold medal didn’t feel haughty enough, so I trained to break records. Membership in a few clubs didn’t feel important enough, so I took on leadership positions. In all my efforts to become perfect, I only realized how imperfect I was and to compensate, I pushed myself harder. In the end, I created a vicious cycle of stress and self-doubt. I grew terrified that I would never be good enough for anything which translated into anxiety for the future. I felt alone in my striving for perfection—thinking all my peers and role models already had everything figured out and I was the only one staggering along. I felt shackled, seeing no way out until one day, I heard a story about MLK in a documentary during history class. When I tried to be perfect, my best never felt enough. Likewise, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. found himself in a similar boat when delivering the renowned March On Washington speech. The night before his speech, King had stayed up into the late hours trying to craft the perfect speech. This wasn’t going to be just any rally but one broadcasted across the Country. King knew that this speech had the capacity to spread his message of equality to millions of viewers. He could change the sentiment of millions of Americans’ hearts with his speech, which put a lot of pressure to craft the perfect words. It was easy to imagine him writing and then rewriting his speech, trying to get the perfect tone and nail the delivery just right. But, there is no such thing as perfection in this imperfect world. King was awakened to this reality when he was in the middle of delivering his “perfect” speech. The words were stiff and practiced as he tripped over the lines, frustrated he couldn’t convey what he meant. That was until someone urged him to talk about his dream instead. So King looked up from his notes and spoke from his heart, delivering the “I Have A Dream” speech, one of the most recognized and influential pieces of rhetoric to this day. This speech kindled the fire of the Civil Rights Movement, eventually serving as the battle cry helping to achieve social justice. If King hadn’t let go of trying to deliver the perfect speech, we never would have heard his awe-inspiring message. Hearing that someone as well-regarded and revered as The Martin Luther King Jr could suffer from perfectionism reassured me of my own insecurities. Knowing that even he could fall short of perfection made me realize that perfection isn’t worth striving for in the first place because it only burdens our true potential. It anchors us to the idea of what we should be instead of what we can be. King inspired me to let go of chasing perfection so I can embrace my full potential, unleashing myself to a future of new capabilities and possibilities.

I’ve always been something of a dreamer. With a healthy addiction to books and a fondness for movies, I’ve been feeding my overactive imagination since I was little. Because of that, I spend a large part of my days with my head in the clouds, spinning tales and stories. But, it wasn’t until about seventh grade that I went from just dreaming to actually wanting to create. The first time I became interested in the animation industry was when I watched the movie Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. 12-year-old me was in awe of the flying graphics, mesmerizing colors, and incredible storyline. But more than that, I was amazed that the main character was a young Black kid like me. That was a rare sight, one that made me wonder for the first time what it's like to be a movie-maker instead of simply a viewer. It's crazy to think that one movie led to me finding my passion for storytelling. I desire to join the film industry and become a Story Creator for animated television and movies. As a future Creator, my two biggest goals are to open up my own studio and to diversify the animation industry. Like many fields, the animation one is built not solely on what you know but who. Networking is essential when it comes to finding future jobs and that important connection building starts as early as college. Attending a university to study animation will give me invaluable access to peers and professors who will help guide me as I grow in my craft. Building these bounds will help me survive the competitive nature of the industry, allowing me to invest myself in opportunities that will better my skill set. These skills will help me build a strong reputation as a hardworking innovator and bring me even closer to my dream of starting my studio. At this studio, I want to make films that do what Spiderverse did for 12-year-old me: give kids the chance to dream bigger. As much as I love animated media, it's sadly not reflective of all the different and unique people in this world. There aren’t many animated movies that star a Black main character. These past few years, I am glad to say that some progress has been made in attempting to diversify the industry but unfortunately, many characters of color are still being regulated to side roles. The best way to inspire someone into believing they can accomplish something is by showing them someone like them who did it first. Representation for marginalized communities, especially a POC like myself is something I want to not only advocate for but showcase in my work. Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected and I want to show every Black and Brown kid out there that they can be anything from superheroes to pirates to princesses to astronauts. I want them to believe anything they can dream is absolutely possible.

Minecraft has been in my life for the longest time. Being first introduced to the game when I was six, some of my earliest memories are of placing blocks and fighting off mobs. As I grew older, I had the pleasure of seeing Minecraft evolve with me, discovering new biomes, battling it out on the servers, and of course, buying every texture pack I could get my hands on. But, one thing that has never changed was my love of the Creative Mode. As much as I loved the heart-racing, high stakes of Survival Mode (especially on the Hunger Games server), Creative Mode has always been my favorite way to play because it gave me an outlet for my storytelling. Even when I was younger, I used to love to make up stories, writing characters and worlds that I could bring to life in Minecraft. I would spend hours meticulously building the settings of my stories. Whether it be the Fairy kingdom lit up with Glowstones I carved into the side of a mountain, the James Bond-worthy secret spy bunker I dug into the bottom of a swamp, or the underwater mermaid castle I constructed at the bottom of the ocean, Minecraft gave me a way to unleash my imagination and make it into something real. Now, I’m still a writer, my head constantly lost in the clouds as I dream up new tales and sometimes, I still find myself opening Minecraft, building out the world I’m imagining. For me, Minecraft is more than just the game I have endless memories of laughter and rage screaming and victorious high-fives with friends. It's the place where I learned I loved to create.

The first time I became interested in the animation industry was when I watched the movie Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse. 12-year-old me was in awe of the flying graphics, pulsating colors, and incredible storyline. But more than that, I was amazed that the main character was a young Black kid like me. That was a rare sight, one that made me ponder for the first time what it's like to be a movie maker instead of simply a viewer. It's crazy to think that one movie led to me finding my passion. I desire to join the film industry and become a Story Creator for animated television and movies. As a future Story Creator, my two biggest goals are to one day open up my own studio and to diversify the animation industry as a whole. Like many fields, the animation one is built not solely on what you know but who. Networking is essential when it comes to finding future jobs and that important connection building starts as early as college. Attending a university to study animation will give me invaluable access to peers and professors who will help guide me as I grow in my craft. Building these outlasting bounds early will help me survive the competitive nature of the industry. Instead of worrying about finding any available job because of a lack of network, I can invest myself into opportunities that I feel will better my skill set, allowing me to fastrack my path to building a strong reputation as a hardworking, innovator and bringing me even closer to my dream of starting my own studio. At this studio, I want to make films that do what Spider-verse did for 12-year-old me: give kids the chance to dream. As much as I love animated media, it's sadly not reflective of all the different and unique people in this world. The best way to inspire someone into believing they can accomplish something is by showing them someone like them who did it first. Representation for marginalized communities, especially a POC like myself is something I want to not only advocate for but showcase in my work. I want to show every Black and Brown kid out there that they can be anything from superheroes to pirates to princesses to astronauts. I want them to believe anything they can dream can be done. For me, college is the starting line. It's where I’ll learn every tool and every skill I need to take the animation industry by storm. There are already going to be a number of barriers I’ll face as a young Black woman in this world, and going into an as unrepresentative field as film is only guaranteed to spring up more. But, I’m determined to jump every hurdle in my way to achieve my goals. I refuse to compromise on my dreams.

The best way I support those in my life is by being a listener. Maybe it's cliche, but a lot of the time, the best thing I can offer to the people in my life is an non judgmental, open ear. I’m an introvert and on top of that, a homebody. I spend most of my time living in my own little bubble going through my comfortable routine, I don’t have a lot of the same experiences as my friends and peers. I’ve never been in a serious relationship, so I had no idea how to comfort my friend going through a break-up. I could only give her an ear to vent to, reassuring her that I’d be there if she ever needed me. I’ve been blessed enough not to have lost anyone close to me yet, so I had no idea what to say to a classmate who had lost a relative. I could only be a shoulder to lean on when their loss felt especially heavy. While I might not be able to completely understand the hardships of those in my life, I can be an empathic listener who can remind them of all the reasons why they’re amazing. I would want to continue this in my future career as an animator, being able to listen to the wants and needs of my clients and directors so we can work together to accomplish the envisioned end result. I've found that sometimes, when someone's going through something, they don't need a solution-just somebody to listen to them. In all I do, I aim to be a good listener because while I might not always know the right words to make them feel better, I can hold someone's hand and acknowledge that whatever they are feeling is valid.

If I could have every person in the world read one book I would want them to read The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh. I’m sure I’m supposed to respond with a book that is deep and thought provoking and will lead the human race to a better future, but I didn’t. I couldn’t help myself because I absolutely adore this book. I’m a very anxious person and struggle on a daily basis to manage my stress. Normally, my anxiety leaks into every part of my life until it feels like there’s no where left to turn. But, when I read this book, I completely forgot about all of it. I was swept into another world filled with magic and hope, one where I didn’t have grades to worry over or an entire future to figure out. It was wonderful and I would love to give that feeling to someone else. Whether or not they struggle with anxiety, everyone in the world has to deal with stressful situations and these situations sometimes feel like too much to handle. Books have always been there to comfort me when this world felt like too much. They give me the room to breathe and relax when things around me feel like they’re moving to fast. I would have everyone in the world read this book because it not only helped me cope with my stress by giving me an escape from this world but because it’s incredible! A tale of fated love, ancient curses and scorned sea gods, this book is a fantastical adventure with twists that had me reading faster than I could turn pages. I seriously recommend this book to anyone who will listen to me (I even convinced my book club to read it this November) and I truly believe that for the brief time they read it, any person will forget their worries.