At age three, I became an addict. I fed my obsession every single day until I was deep into kindergarten. Not only did I watch Walt Disney’s 1950 classic Cinderella, I dressed up in a costume, waved a plastic wand and made my family act it out with me. When “So This Is Love” started playing, I made my dad play the part of the prince so I could be twirled around in the ballroom of my imagination. I knew the entire movie script by heart, and I knew all the lyrics to every song. Ever since I watched Cinderella, my dream has always been to become a Disney animator. From an early age, I started animating mini cartoons on my tablet and submitting them to competitions. I hung my three 1st place medals that I won from competitions along the wall of my room, hanging over my favorite Cinderella doll and other Disney memorabilia. Once, I also won second place in the entire state of California for my short film, “Lollipop Girls.” It was a film about two best friends whose lives are thrown in disarray after one is diagnosed with cancer. Over the years, animation and working on short films has taught me the importance of details and how a strong work ethic should be tied to every creative project. For example, in my short film, “Within Reach,” I hand-drew popcorn buckets and kernels so that the background would be realistic as a koala flew by on his make-shift airplane. I have learned to take pride in the work that I do, whether for a video background or a pivotal point in the story. My earliest besties Ilene Woods, Verna Felton, and Walt’s Nine Old Men have already passed on but their work still lives on today through the impact that they’ve had on those who watch their films. I want to become an animator to make a similar impact so that the stories I create become an important part of people’s lives. I want to make films that bring smiles to people’s faces. I want to create something so compelling, that somewhere a little girl is going to pull her daddy by the hand and say, “You have to be the prince. Dance with me.”

During the pandemic, when my thirteen-year-old brain was fried from online learning and social isolation, Disney Channel shows from the 2010s were my comfort food. From Good Luck Charlie to Girl Meets World, I watched them all. But my absolute favorite was K.C. Undercover. In K.C. Undercover, Zendaya played K.C. Cooper, teenage spy. She took down bad guys twice her size, had the coolest gadgets, and always had a witty quip after every fight. She had an endless amount of swagger and I aspired to have her level of confidence. While K.C. was confident and in control when she was on a mission, she was lost when it came to boys. How could such a bad-to-the-bone hero like Zendaya have such a disastrously awkward kiss with Darien? This has to be one of my favorite things about K.C. Undercover. Her awkward moments only made me love her more. The show didn’t linger on this point, either. Unlike other Disney shows that kept a laser focus on teen romance, K.C. Cooper was not defined by her romantic relationships or lack thereof. She was allowed to be someone that didn’t have all the answers. Her future was so much more than just finding someone. Like everyone else my age, I have my share of teen angst. Boys are just as mysterious to me as The Other Side. However, watching K.C. Undercover let me know that I have time to figure that out. The world won’t come to an end just because I don’t always know what I’m doing and the plot of my story doesn’t revolve around a boy. I can be my own superhero, and figure the rest out later. I have a family who loves me. I have friends who I enjoy laughing with. I have an education and grades that I’m proud of. I have a growing portfolio of my art that represents potential and possibility. I have goals for my future. Zendaya helped me see how I could be my own person. There are so many sides to her I can relate to; so many Zendayas that I feel empowered by: the dry, wisecracking MJ from Spiderman: Homecoming, the fun-loving dancer Rocky Blue from Shake It Up, the death-defying acrobat Anne Wheeler from The Greatest Showman. I can be whoever I want.