From a young age, I was enchanted by cameras. My parents would often wake up early in the morning to find me in the middle of our family room making pretend short films and tv shows on our little point-and-shoot camera. Whether the star of the show was me, my cat, or Lego figures, it really didn't matter as long as I was creating something. One thing is for certain: I am a filmmaker. Of all the waxing and waning interests of my childhood years, the one that has stuck with me is that childlike drive to tell a story, to entertain, and to simply create. I received my first "real" camera as a Christmas present in 8th grade, and I was thrilled. I started making little videos here and there, none of them were all that great, but that wasn't the point. The point was to learn. I remember most of my project files were named "test" because I was doing simply that, just testing. Throughout the rest of high school, I didn't stop creating, and as a result, I became well known for my talents and made a name for myself. I worked on countless projects for the school district, local businesses, and individuals, each project teaching me a new skill or opening a new door for opportunities. Even through the worst of the pandemic, that creative drive never left. I created a pandemic docuseries despite the tough situations, working through the distress to tell a story. I see every project as a step toward my future, and in that future I see film.

From a young age, I was enchanted by cameras. My parents would often wake up early in the morning to find me in the middle of our family room making pretend short films and tv shows on our little point-and-shoot camera. Whether the star of the show was me, my cat, or Lego figures, it really didn't matter as long as I was creating something. One thing is for certain: I am a filmmaker. Of all the waxing and waning interests of my childhood years, the one that has stuck with me is that childlike drive to tell a story, to entertain, and to simply create. I received my first "real" camera as a Christmas present in 8th grade, and I was thrilled. I started making little videos here and there, none of them were all that great, but that wasn't the point. The point was to learn. I remember most of my project files were named "test" because I was doing simply that, just testing. Throughout the rest of high school, I didn't stop creating, and as a result, I became well known for my talents and made a name for myself. I worked on countless projects for the school district, local businesses, and individuals, each project teaching me a new skill or opening a new door for opportunities. Even through the worst of the pandemic, that creative drive never left. I created a pandemic docuseries despite the tough situations, working through the distress to tell a story. I see every project as a step toward my future, and in that future I see film.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. What a misnomer. ADHD must have been named by someone who is not ADHD themselves because it is a terrible description for a complex and multifaceted mental difference. No, I don’t have a deficit in attention, I just have difficulty regulating it. I can sit for long periods of time editing a video, but as soon as a math test is presented to me, I freeze up. Considering the misconceptions about ADHD, to realize why I had so many issues. Executive dysfunction is hard to explain to neurotypical people. When distance learning began, I suddenly found work simply impossible to do. I have always cared about my grades and I was completely aware of every due date and every assignment. However, I simply couldn’t bring myself to do them, and I hated it. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, and the resulting stress sent me into a spiral of depression. For the first time in my entire life, I was failing every class. As time went on, I began to realize this problem had always existed, it just was not as bad as it had now become. I hounded my parents to get me tested, I wanted to know so I could take steps to get my education back on track. When they finally agreed to get me tested, I was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed medication, but that was only part of it. I took initiative and began going to therapy, and researched how to cope with ADHD's complications. I talked to my school counselors and set up a 504 plan to help ease the pressure that was causing executive dysfunction. I am not stupid or lazy, I am just different, and I am okay with that. I will overcome the challenges.