My favorite work that I have done by far is my short film, Juda's Word. It is the story of three siblings who recently moved from a cult-based commune into an unfamiliar suburban landscape. In an attempt to navigate this new world, they attend the release of a local artist's album. I love this film because although it is a comedy short, it sheds light on the polarizing experience of being abruptly taken out of a toxic situation. These children's logical and ethical reasoning is based entirely on a false deity whose sole objective was the gaining of power over compromised minds. Regardless of what is right in this situation, the siblings know nothing but to "spread his word", even though the man they speak of felt no remorse or regard for them. This causes them to (spoiler alert) do the only thing they know how to do, convert others. There is an internal conflict between the siblings, one end pushing for assimilation, and the other for conquest. Many victims of toxic situations find themselves reverting or even passing down negative behaviors as a coping mechanism for the loss of their sense of self. Within the film, the siblings subject the secondary characters to a similar fate. I love that this short can open discussions for such heavy and nuanced topics while still being classified as a comedy. It displays the beauty and mobility of film as an art medium and makes me proud to call myself a filmmaker.

The movie that made me fall in love with film was The Wiz (1978). I have watched it every winter at my grandmother's house since I was four. I remember being half the size I am now, following Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as they pranced down the glimmering yellow brick road, the sound stage around them bathed in vibrant colors and lights. Seeing the collective effort and hidden meanings woven into the seemingly non-complex storytelling has had me in awe since I first watched it. The same woman who introduced me to this film, my grandmother, a southern-made black woman, is one of the largest inspirations in my life due to her fighting spirit and compassion for others. She grew up in an extremely racist state during segregation, navigating through most of her life with all odds pitted against her. She worked as an OBGYN and a caregiver for most of her life, even continuing to do so, for patients who verbally and even physically accosted her due to the color of her skin. Despite these conditions, she has always been able to maintain composure, empathize with the patient’s situation, and educate them on why they were in the wrong. I look up to her because she has always been able to keep an open mind while knowing when to give grace and when to stand up for what is right. She has also been a strong supporter of my journey as an artist. I recently graduated from high school and am starting the newest chapter of my life at Emerson College, majoring in Visual Media Production. Throughout high school, I have written and co-written five short films and one Television pilot, with two of my films winning awards at the district and state SkillsUSA Digital Cinema Production competitions. With the skills and abilities I have learned over the past few years along with the new ones I will foster and refine further along my educational and career journey, my written and visual storytelling will impact audiences to empathize rather than sympathize and learn to discuss all facets of the current human experience, regardless of its closeness to them. Film as an artistic medium is special, as it allows an audience to see what you see and feel foreign experiences rather than merely witnessing them. It humanizes the other, expressing how conditions placed upon humans affect the character's motives and actions toward each other. Within all of my accomplishments, I have made abundantly sure that my message never leaves the art that I produce. From generational racial trauma to mass hysteria caused by repeated toxic upbringings, the stories I craft always have a larger discussion topic within them, opening the floor to different perspectives on global topics. Although entertaining, each film ties into a greater historical context. I connect current events to the ideologies of their predecessors. Instilling these topics into my writing and technical decisions ensures that the viewers can pull more than just a laugh, a fright, or a scare. The simple act of sharing the experience of viewing the same film with another person tethers them forever. It opens the floor for discussion. It forms a togetherness through an unsaid understanding; one that can only be achieved through the art of interpretation. Connecting people through art opens the floor for a healthy conversation between parties who would otherwise never engage. Exposing all aspects of the human experience through art is the first step in a more interconnected world. By understanding each other, we can then do our job to uplift.

The movie that made me fall in love with film was The Wiz (1978). I have watched it every winter at my grandmother's house since I was four. I remember being half the size I am now, following Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as they pranced down the glimmering yellow brick road, the sound stage around them bathed in vibrant colors and lights. Seeing the collective effort and hidden meanings weaved into the seemingly non-complex storytelling has had me in awe since the first time I watched it. Now, graduating from High School and Trade school, I am pursuing my passion for filmmaking in planning to attend Emerson College for Visual Media Production with a concentration in screenwriting to pursue a writing career in the arts. I have written and co-written five short films and one Television pilot in the past year, four of which have been shot and screened to an audience. Two of these films have won awards at district and state SkillsUSA competitions. Within all these accomplishments, I have made abundantly sure that my message never leaves the art that I produce. Although entertaining, each film ties into a greater historical context. From generational racial trauma to mass hysteria caused by repeated toxic upbringings, the stories I craft always have a larger discussion topic within them, providing a space for viewers to voice their different perspectives. I plan to continue to strengthen my writing and filmmaking skills when I enroll at Emerson and continue submitting my short films and writing to competitions. After every screening, I will be sure to host Q and A's to discuss the nuances within the film and hear from other perspectives. I believe that film is one of the most effective and valuable mediums, as upon viewing, it is the closest a viewer will ever feel to a body of work. Film allows an audience to feel foreign experiences rather than merely witnessing them. It humanizes the other, expressing how conditions placed upon humans affect the character motives and actions of others. Take The Wiz, for instance. This movie reworked a classic to encapsulate the Black experience through whimsical symbolism and broke the mold of the Blaxploitation style film within its era. Sidney Lumet, the director, and a mogul in the industry, opened input on set to make the mannerisms truer to the heart of the Black American rather than reflecting the media's stereotypical standards. This, in turn, opened the door for more films starring sophisticated and emotionally complex Black characters and changed many people's perspectives on the behavior of Black people in the seventies and eighties. With the skills and new abilities I have learned over the past few years, I will foster and refine further along my educational and career journey, my written and visual storytelling will impact audiences to empathize rather than sympathize and learn to discuss all facets of the current human experience, regardless of closeness to them. The simple act of sharing the experience of viewing the same film with another person tethers them forever. It opens the floor for discussion. It forms a togetherness through an unsaid understanding, one that can only be achieved through the art of interpretation. Connecting people through art opens the floor for a healthy conversation between parties who would otherwise never engage. Exposing all aspects of the human experience is the first step in a more interconnected world. By understanding each other, we can then do our job to uplift.

I remember being half the size I am now, following Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as they pranced down the glimmering yellow brick road, the sound stage around them bathed in vibrant colors and lights. I was in awe of the complexities, beauty, and collective efforts involved in making a film like The Wiz (1978). Now, I am about to graduate from both High School and Trade school in two weeks. In pursuing my passion and ambitions for becoming a filmmaker, I plan to attend Emerson college for Visual Media Production with a concentration in screenwriting to pursue a writing career in the arts. I will use my writing and film production skills to create safe spaces to discuss underrepresented stories in mass media. I have written, directed, and co-written five short films and one Television pilot in the past 10 months, four of which have been shot and screened to an audience. Two of these films have won awards at both the district and State SkillsUSA competitions. Attending Trade School has allowed me to not only enter these competitions, but delve deeper into the technical side of the film production process, as I am now Premiere Pro certified and have experimented as a Gaffer (lighting) and Camera Operator. The visual aspects of film place a condition on a story without any explanation. I have utilized this power through my works, spending time cultivating set pieces and planning shots. This side of filmmaking has an abundant effect on an audience as it can pull from the emotional angles which traditional artists have taken for millennia. Something as simple as a still from a film can change perspectives. Within my accomplishments, I have made sure that my message never leaves the art I produce. From generational trauma to mass hysteria, the stories I craft always have a larger discussion topic within them, opening the floor to different perspectives of global topics. Although entertaining, each script and film ties into a greater historical context. I connect current events to the ideologies of their predecessors. Instilling these topics into my writing and the technical decisions made to connect verbal and visual storytelling ensures that viewers can pull more than just a laugh, fright, or scare. Film allows an audience to see what you see and feel foreign experiences rather than witnessing them. It humanizes the other, expressing how conditions placed upon humans affect character motives and actions on others. Take The Wiz, for instance. This movie not only reworked a classic to encapsulate the Black experience through whimsical symbolism, but also broke the mold of the Blaxploitation style film within its era. Sidney Lumet, the director, and a mogul in the industry, opened input on set to make the mannerisms truer to the character of the Black American rather than reflecting the media’s stereotypical standards. This, in turn, opened the door for more films starring sophisticated and emotionally complex Black characters and changed many people’s perspectives on the behavior of Black people in the seventies and eighties. With the skills I have learned over the past few years and the new abilities I will foster and refine further along my educational and career journey, my written and visual storytelling will impact audiences to empathize rather than sympathize and learn to discuss all facets of the current human experience, regardless of its closeness to them. Exposing all aspects of the human experience through art is the first step in a more interconnected world. By understanding each other, we can then do our job to uplift.

The movie that made me fall in love with film was The Wiz (1978). I have watched it every winter at my grandmother's house since I was four years old. I remember being half the size I am now, following Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as they pranced down the glimmering yellow brick road, the sound stage around them bathed in vibrant colors and lights. Seeing the collective effort and hidden meanings weaved into the seemingly non-complex storytelling has had me in awe since the first time I watched it. Now, I am about to graduate from both High School and Trade school in two weeks. In pursuing my passion for filmmaking, I plan to attend Emerson college for Visual Media Production with a concentration in screenwriting to pursue a writing career in the arts. I have written and co-written five short films and one Television pilot in the past 10 months, four of which have been shot and screened to an audience. Two of these films have won awards at both the district and State SkillsUSA competitions. Within all these accomplishments, I have made abundantly sure that my message never leaves the art that I produce. From generational racial trauma to mass hysteria caused by repeated toxic upbringings, the stories I craft always have a larger discussion topic within them, opening the floor to different perspectives of global topics. Although entertaining, each script and film ties into a greater historical context. I connect current events to the ideologies of their predecessors. Instilling these topics into my writing, as well as the technical decisions made to connect verbal and visual storytelling, ensures that viewers can pull more than just a laugh, fright, or scare. I believe that film is one of the most effective and valuable mediums, as upon viewing, it is the closest a viewer will ever feel to a body of work. Film allows an audience to see what you see and feel foreign experiences rather than merely witnessing them. It humanizes the other, expressing how conditions placed upon humans affect character motives and actions on others. Take The Wiz, for instance. This movie not only reworked a classic to encapsulate the Black experience through whimsical symbolism, but also broke the mold of the Blaxploitation style film within its era. Sidney Lumet, the director, and a mogul in the industry, opened input on set to make the mannerisms truer to the character of the Black American rather than reflecting the media’s stereotypical standards. This, in turn, opened the door for more films starring sophisticated and emotionally complex Black characters and changed many people’s perspectives on the behavior of Black people in the seventies and eighties. With the skills I have learned over the past few years and the new abilities I will foster and refine further along my educational and career journey, my written and visual storytelling will impact audiences to empathize rather than sympathize and learn to discuss all facets of the current human experience, regardless of its closeness to them. Exposing all aspects of the human experience through art is the first step in a more interconnected world. By understanding each other, we can then do our job to uplift.

I have been in love with film and TV ever since I was a little girl sitting on the floor of my grandmother's house, watching the Wiz (1978) for the very first time. Today, I am set to pursue a Media Arts Production major with a concentration in Screenwriting for Television at Emerson College. I am a strong believer that films rely on the human condition for inspiration to connect with an audience. I have been especially inspired by the history of my surroundings, and the effects that it has on modern life. For example, I have written a screenplay following black High School students navigating Galveston Bay, the last place to abolish slavery on June 19th, 1865. I not only incorporated this setting because of the significance Juneteenth has in black culture, but as a black student myself that visits its muddy beaches every year. Writing for Television would allow me to express myself in my entirety, providing mobility for my experiences to reflect the conditions that surround me. Some of the people that have inspired me to pursue TV Screenwriting as a career is Sterlin Harjo (who I proudly got to witness in person at his panel in the 2024 SXSW Film and TV Track). He tightly follows Native storytelling in his show, Reservation Dogs, through the lens of rebellious teenagers. Neither of these perspectives can be replicated by any other, seeing as these idiosyncrasies must be witnessed firsthand to represent them in art. I also look to Donald Glover and his work in the FX Series, Atlanta, as a reference whilst crafting unique yet relatable stories. He uses Afro-surrealism to convey conscious stories while enriching an audience with mind-bending comedic, and sometimes grotesque, anecdotes. Lastly, the black female Emerson College Alumni herself, Stefani Robinson, is one of my largest inspirations due to her work on What We Do in the Shadows (which shares the Showrunner with Reservation Dogs, Taika Waititi), and Donald Glover's, Atlanta. She bridges the gap between two of my largest inspirations, while showing that girls like me, coming from suffocating public high schools in the Deep South, are more than capable of being young and successful. Lastly, one topic I would love to delve further into apart from my field of study is Media Marketing. As a High School Business Academy student, I would love to further immerse myself in this pathway. Community involvement is the number one supporter of art, and that cannot happen without the strategic distribution of media. I am enrolled in a four-credit Honors level course that provides a mentorship with the Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS). They have a Short Film Competition called CineSpace, a collaboration with NASA that combines both Aerospace education and the Arts. I created flyers for this competition and distributed them at SXSW, which sparked my interest in both STEAM and Marketing Strategy. I realized from this experience how much marketing relies on passion, and I plan to incorporate this craft into my career pathway.

1.) On August 29th, 2017, I woke up to a river running through my living room. Reflections of the water danced on my ceiling. I had just started my first week of middle school and was trapped in the belly of a monster named Harvey. Hurricane season: oh, how she takes and takes. Returning home six months after, I felt like a different person, having gone through the motions of adjusting to a new school in a house other than my own. I came back to see all the furniture replaced, and the walls sitting bare, with most of my childhood washed away by the rain. Although this reunifying was bittersweet, I had my home again. Living through the effects of Hurricane Harvey taught me that hardship builds bridges. After the hurricane, all familiarity was ripped from under me, and I was forced to adapt to new environments. However, my community built a durable foundation that supported me and brought a balance within my life, enabling me to maintain normality and focus on school. Having a support system from others has created a drive within me to be the best student I could be. It opened me up as a communicator in the classroom and caused me to excel academically as I have granted myself more opportunities on and off campus. As a high school student, I have dedicated countless hours to volunteering with various non-profit organizations, like the Houston Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS-HTX), and even enrolled in a four-credit honors level course interning/mentoring at the Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS). I have taken the chance to use this network to find other communities that intrigue me so I can explore all facets of my surroundings. Overall, Harvey has pushed me to insert myself into a greater web of people and has taught me to always find my support systems and remain one for others. 2.) I am a few months away from attending one of the top film schools in the country. In my belief that personhood and art are permanently entertained, I am lucky not only to come from such a rich culture, but to have a family so proud of our heritage. My Tita, Christy Poisot, is the founder of the Houston chapter of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS-HTX). She not only organized the distribution of Filipino American WWII Soldier Recognition project materials and Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act celebrations but has also uplifted countless Filipino artists in the city of Houston. Having such a close relationship with a shining role model like her has exposed me to so many enriching Filipino storytellers throughout my life. This has made me a more observant person, paying closer attention to the little idiosyncrasies that come with being raised by both American and Immigrant family members. Film is the product of the human condition, and my experiences lie within the humid kitchens packed with family, the countless Simbang Gabi’s celebrated in our local church, and the aromatic scents of my Lolo’s cooking in the backyard (which we call our little Philippines, seeing as you have to take a Bolo knife to get through all of the fruit trees). Attending AAPI Film screenings and festivals, I fell in love with the complicated beauty of my culture and its relationship with film. Witnessing and meeting so many talented Filipino American filmmakers and hearing various nuanced discussions on class, colorism, and immigration as well as tradition and religion has deeply inspired me to integrate my life into my art and vise versa.