My goal is to go to college for animation. The journey to finding out what I wanted to do was a complicated one for me, but now that I know what I’m striving for, I know I won’t give up until I get there. I used to be scared of the idea of an art-related job—I had been convinced over and over again that my “potential” would be wasted in that kind of career, not to mention the instability. And I tried, over and over again, to see myself in different fields. I thought I would feel at home in engineering classes or in chemistry or computer science, but I didn’t, and when I took the chance and gave my permission to take my art seriously, it immediately felt right. There’s a career readiness program at my school, ISM, that allows students to research a topic of their choosing and work with a mentor. My time in ISM solidified my confidence in pursuing animation as a career. In our second semester, we were tasked with creating a product to showcase our understanding of our field. With the help of my mentor, I created a demo reel, a minute-long showcase of my own work from that year. I learned by doing: making mistakes along the way, editing my work, and working on my animations in my free time outside of school, while having biweekly check-ins with my mentor. This process helped me both develop my understanding of the field and prove to myself that animation was something I could commit to and find fulfillment in. In interviews with professionals and talks with my mentor, I became more comfortable with the collaborative aspects of animation, which I’m looking forward to exploring more in my college classes. Similarly, my experience juggling such a complex and demanding project with the rest of my schoolwork, including 4 AP classes, has given me confidence that I have the resilience necessary to make it in such a competitive field. In fact, I believe that my ability to devote myself to a variety of subjects through other classes and clubs will help me in my academic and artistic development. Orchestra, engineering club, math club and more have allowed me to learn things that I can use as I delve further into my interest in animation and given me experience in effective time management, decision-making, and self-discipline. Not only have I learned these practical skills, I have plenty of connections and insights that will help me in my goal of making a positive impact on the world through my career. I want to be a part of making something that means something to people. For me, that’s a type of motivation that’ll never fizzle out. I know it’ll be difficult. I also know I’m going to do it. If you choose to support me in my journey, I won’t waste that opportunity. Thank you for considering me.