As a child, the mystic world of storytelling, movies, theatre, performances, and arts existed merely as a medium I consumed—a faraway dream. Growing up as a first-generation American instilled the idea that pursuing a career in the arts was impractical and would not secure a future for a Black African girl, let alone provide a voice. As a result, I pushed my dreams to the back of my mind and devoted myself entirely to my academics. I refused to waste the opportunities my family had worked endlessly to provide, but I also refused to sacrifice my dreams. In middle school, I was too afraid to apply to a school of arts and too passive to voice my ridiculed dreams to my parents. I was rejected from every magnet school and had to attend my zoned school, a Military Academy of Leadership devoid of art, where I embarked on demanding coursework and continued to excel academically. I spent my free time writing stories, scripts, and creating short films, as well as frequenting my local library to read books on directing and cinematography. My passion for filmmaking only grew. In high school, I aspired to apply to the renowned High School of Arts in my city but succumbed to the pressure to continue my academic pursuits at a school of Advanced Studies. I took numerous AP courses and college credits while enrolling in every form of art elective available, including sculpture, photography, journalism, theatre, and TV production. I felt my horizons expand and my ambitions of becoming a storyteller and artist solidify. I joined my school’s Drama and TV Production Club and submitted my films and class projects to competitions. My drive to create more was constant, and I began to achieve success in contests. It became evident to me that others could recognize the potential in my ideas that I struggled to see. I became more involved with the acting and filmmaking community by taking classes outside of school, and in doing so, discovered that countless stories were waiting to be told, and many others, like me, felt underrepresented in the art they consumed and adored. When it came time for college, I resolved not to let my fear of inadequacy or rejection hinder me from pursuing my dreams. I applied to FSU’s esteemed College of Motion Picture Arts, a program that seemed like an unattainable dream, and was one of only 19 students accepted. For the first time, my dreams felt tangible and within reach. Throughout my life, I struggled to believe that my stories, my voice, and my ideas were worthy, or that someone like me could be given the opportunity to share them. That someone would care to hear the courageous stories of my immigrant parents or my fictional worlds of magic, where the underrepresented exist. By creating more and writing more, I began to see the value and power in them. My academics promised me a safe route, with presidential scholarships at universities that did not offer Film Majors. Still, I knew that I could not continue pursuing an education in matters that did not invigorate my mind. I decided I would rather work endlessly for my dream than remain complacent living a life that does not inspire me. I knew that if I could overcome the lifelong obstacle of believing myself incapable, of constantly being told art cannot be a career, and feeling discouraged by the lack of faces like my own, that I would choose the harder route toward my dreams and venture it smiling.

War, poverty, instability, and loneliness. Those words frequently are used to describe the stories and journeys of many immigrants, and in this case, those immigrants are my parents. My parents are the most influential figures in my life, and their stories attest to the power of determination and hope, traits I’ve inherited from the many lessons they have taught me throughout my life. My father grew up in Ethiopia homeless, without a family, and was beaten and starved. However, he was moved by the hope of a new life and immigrated to America. My mother was adopted by her godmother at eight years old and moved from Ethiopia to Sweden to escape war and poverty. She was in a new land surrounded by a new language and lost her godmother to terminal cancer in the following years, leaving her alone. My parents both spent their teenage years in state guardianship, yet they remained fueled by the hope of their future and the beauty of their dreams. They never gave up. My parents had goals, and they fought, struggled, and worked endlessly until they achieved them. My parents taught me the power of having a dream and growing up, I had an affinity for the arts. As a child, I was always drawn to film, and although my dreams felt so far away, I looked at my parents as a beacon of reassurance. Everywhere I looked, I saw stories to be told. Back in my homeland, Tigray, Ethiopia, a genocide is occurring on my people. These stories and the stories of so many around the world fall silent due to their lack of coverage. To me, film is capable of doing justice at capturing the pain and suffering that these people face. Film is capable of expressing emotions that, with words alone, fall flat. That with pictures alone, fall silent. My parent's stories inspired me further to pursue a career in filmmaking because so many immigrants have stories of ambition and willpower that contribute so much richness to the world, and yet those voices are rarely heard. The influence and connection of film can allow those globally to feel connected and moved by new voices filled with powerful experiences and lessons. One of the powerful lessons my parents have taught me is that one of the greatest things you can have in this world of hardship and obstacles is family, and they built the family they never had together. They have shown up for every event for me and my siblings and supported us through every adversity in ways they never experienced. They taught me the importance of diligence, independence, and education, and I accredit my academic success to the significance they placed on school, frequently reminding me that “knowledge is power”. Growing up, my parents taught me that we live in an unfair world full of ignorance, discrimination, and bias, and consequentially they instilled indomitable spirits of courage into our backbones. They planted our feet in faith and shaped my hopeful outlook on the world, which although contains so much bad, is capable of so much good. I believe art contributes greatly to that good, and that art creates a community of voices, creativity, and love. Film is a rich medium of storytelling and gives birth to new worlds exploring imagination and reality simultaneously. As a child, I didn’t understand yet the interconnectivity of my dreams and my most influential figures, yet now, as I further my education in college towards film, I see the beauty of my dreams and career in my family and their powerful stories.

I want to tell a story. I want to create the worlds I found solace in as a child, to create the worlds I was inspired by as a teen, and to tell the stories that I have been so strongly impacted by to this day. Growing up, the arts impacted my life more than any other subject. As a child, I woke up earlier than my family so that I could have the TV all to myself, eagerly watching the art programs that taught children how the letter eight can be transformed into a cat or a triangle into a home. I found myself reading constantly to immerse myself in new worlds, an interest strongly fueled by my passionate, Harry Potter-obsessed third-grade teacher, who encouraged delving into new worlds, creating stories, and the endless possibilities of our imaginations. I grew up painting to create the scenes and images I saw in my head, a passion my fifth-grade art teacher encouraged, inspired, and awarded me for amongst the school. Most significantly, I found myself recording everything, editing clips together as a child to tell a story, a passion that ultimately changed my life. Since my youth, I was immensely drawn to film, but as a first-generation American, the arts were never deemed a realistic career or future for my family, who never viewed film in the power that I did. The disappointed look on every adult's face when I shared my love for the arts was disheartening, as many proclaimed I’d waste my intelligence on pursuing what should remain a hobby. Yet even as a child, I knew the best stories were the ones with meaning, that were detailed and intentional, and conversely, I believed my academic success would aid me in my screenwriting. I believe my personal experiences, dedication to my education, and community involvement taught me more about the world and amplified the stories I wanted to tell. I was born with a passion for storytelling, specifically through directing, cinematography, and screenwriting, my greatest interests within my film major. For as long as I can remember, I've watched and analyzed the behind-the-scenes of every film I watched, mesmerized by the work and process that brought to life new worlds and stories. I grew up in awe of art, and I saw art everywhere. As a result, it was ultimately the world that inspired me to pursue my craft, because everywhere I looked, I saw stories to be told. In hardships, I saw powerful messages. To me, film is capable of expressing emotions that, with words alone, fall flat. That with pictures alone, fall silent. Powerful screenwriting and characters allow people to connect, understand, and sympathize. It allows a lens into others’ lives. It makes people feel seen, heard, and understood. Cinematography sets the mood for a scene and has an incredible power to build intensity and character in a story. Above all, I love directing, and the creative vision I am able to carry out when I take up that role. As a filmmaker who loves directing, cinematography, and screenwriting, I love to watch stories come to life and appreciate the combination of each of those different roles on the part of the director. Overall, I am immensely passionate about film as a whole and am incredibly eager to continue pursuing my education in it as a film major at FSU College of Motion Picture Arts.

I want to tell a story. I want to create the worlds I found solace in as a child, to create the worlds I was inspired by as a teen, and to tell the stories I have been so strongly impacted by to this day. Growing up, the arts impacted my life more than any other subject. As a child, I woke up earlier than my family to have the TV all to myself, eagerly watching the art programs that taught children how the letter eight could be transformed into a cat or a triangle into a home. I found myself constantly reading to immerse myself in new worlds, an interest strongly fueled by my passionate, Harry Potter obsessed third-grade teacher, who encouraged delving into new worlds, creating stories, and the endless possibilities of our imaginations. I grew up painting to create the scenes and images I saw in my head, a passion my fifth-grade art teacher encouraged, inspired and awarded me for amongst the school. Most significantly, I found myself recording everything, editing together clips as a child to tell a story, a passion I found guidance for upon entering high school, ultimately changing my life. During my preteen years, my parents gifted me a camera because of this passion, and I spent endless hours creating films and stories. I began studying film and enrolled in my school's four-year TV Production course. Finding courses and classes that catered to my interests and passions felt like a revolutionary discovery. Throughout my four years of high school, I took as many as possible. Alongside four years of TV production, I took visual technology, journalism, and two years of theatre, drama, and film club. It was a community, an outlet, a form of expression, and a medium for communication. It helped me formulate my ideas and stories and made me more open-minded and insightful. Art has allowed me to look at life differently- more powerfully and my teachers made me feel like art was necessary- a future rather than simply a "hobby." My TV Production teacher introduced my class to editing software, providing me with professional resources. He provided us with cameras and equipment and taught us how to use them. He taught us about storytelling and scriptwriting, and I was constantly engaged, learning, and becoming more passionate about film. Looking back after getting accepted into Florida State University's highly competitive film school, I know it would not have been possible without the instructors I had throughout my educational journey, who constantly reinforced the power and beauty of art and unknowingly acted as my predominant artistic support system. As encouraging as these instructors proved to be, it was ultimately the world that inspired me to pursue my craft because everywhere I looked, I saw stories to be told. In hardships, I saw powerful messages. I knew who I wanted to be since I was young, and growing up observing the world only solidified it. Back in my homeland, Tigray, Ethiopia, a genocide is occurring on my people. These stories and the stories of so many around the world fall silent due to their lack of coverage. To me, art is capable of doing justice at capturing the pain and suffering that these people face. Art allows people to connect, understand, and sympathize. By taking art courses growing up, I could accurately express these feelings, ideas, and stories. Art has allowed me to express myself and fueled me to pursue my craft as a filmmaker.

Throughout my life, my parents have been my most influential figures. Their stories testify to the power of determination and hope, being ones of suffering and sacrifice. Back in our homeland Ethiopia, my father was homeless and without education. He was beaten, starving, and lonely. He didn't attend his first school until, at age fifteen, he immigrated to America without family, fueled by the hope of a new life. In America, he was placed in the eighth grade; however, he struggled immensely, not having any prior education, making it significantly harder to integrate into society. He resided in a boy's home where he worked long days, saving for his future. When my mother was eight, her Godmother adopted her and brought her from her home in Ethiopia to a foreign country, Sweden, to give her a better life from poverty and war. Hopes of a new start were erased when her Godmother was diagnosed with terminal cancer years later and passed away. She was in a new country with no family, alone. She was placed in state guardianship until she turned eighteen. My parents shared the intensified feeling of loneliness in times of togetherness, so strong it caused my mother not to attend her graduation. However, my parents were for me what they never had. I am privileged to build off the foundation they provided me to accomplish the things they could not, and I accredit my academic success to the importance they placed on education. They instilled in me their unceasing work ethic. I began working during my sophomore year of high school, volunteering frequently, and participating in eight clubs with four president/ vice-president leadership roles. As I walked the stage, I walked for my family, who fought to allow me to be where I am today.