My Reason/Story:

My love for filmmaking has helped me channel my enthusiasm for using creativity to communicate differently. I recently started tutoring a 10-year-old with special needs, named Marco, and communicating with him was difficult at times in the beginning. However, we have bonded through our shared interest in creating music and coding. I also began to realize quickly that my job was not just to tutor Marco, but to also be an enthusiastic listener for his ideas. His job was to do what he loved, and my job was to be supportive and understanding along the way. I want to continue this type of work for my senior project, specifically for filmmaking.

My Resources/Strengths:

My learning differences are fundamental to who I am and my interests. While some people object to labels like these or speak about them in hushed tones, I embrace mine. Although they do not define me in every way, they have guided me to find my voice through filmmaking.

My Result/Purpose:

My purpose is to positively affect others’ situations, offering hope and support so that people can express themselves creatively and bring new things into existence. I would like to teach a free film class for kids who do not have access to those types of programs because I want to be the person who can support them and encourage them to express themselves creatively. In order for this to be possible, I would need a space to teach this class (if this were in-person).