Cloud Hosting

Question: What was your aha moment, when you realized you wanted to study in your field?

Answer: I never had an exact aha moment, but it feels like a passion thats built up in me over the course of my life. Ive always been drawn to film, but growing up, I never considered that it was something I could make a full career out of. No one around me was in the industry, so it was a foreign concept when I was younger. Where do you even start? Because of this, I changed my mind on my major almost daily. It still blows my mind that we are often expected to make some of the biggest decisions for our futures when we are barely 18.

When I went to high school, I was active in sports and student government and not entirely focused on my future, but more focused on next weekends soccer or volleyball tournament. The summer going into my junior year, my family moved to Southern California. I went from a school of 400 students to 2,400 students, and it was a tough adjustment for me. I ended up testing out of my senior year and started taking general college classes right away.

Being so close to LA, I was exposed to the possibility of having an unconventional career compared to where I had grown up. I found myself surrounded by many inspiring creatives, and for the first time, I realized I could seriously pursue acting. While I studied acting and began auditioning, I found college crucial for keeping a sense of stability and discipline. In the acting world, you face a lot of rejection pursuing a degree gave me the purpose I needed to keep trying. I never viewed getting my degree as something to fall back on, but as something to give me more confidence in my abilities. I chose to study film and media since it went hand in hand with my acting goals and allowed me to study film from a different perspective.

Q: Whats something you learned while at ASU in the classroom or otherwise that surprised you or changed your perspective?

A: Adaptability and time management. Going from in-person classes to online was not the easiest adjustment, but it taught me self-discipline. Balancing work and school is doable even though at times it felt overwhelming. I learned the art of managing my priorities and time, and I feel that it gave me a strong work ethic that will forever be useful.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: I saw the list of ASU Online degree options; they were really ahead of their time with offering such a vast selection of virtual areas of study. ASU's reputation is wonderful, and I am so grateful to all of the professors, advisors and other students who made my time at ASU so special.

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: This is hard, since there are quite a few lessons that will stick with me. But Id have to say that the four semesters of American Sign Language I took at ASU have been my favorite. I had taken three years of ASL in high school, but (Teaching Assistant Professor)Hannah Cheloha turned my general understanding of the language into a very deep appreciation for Deaf culture and Deaf identity. I plan to continue studying sign language after graduation.

Q: Whats the best piece of advice youd give to those still in school?

A: Of course once you start school, your goal is to finish. But the times that I took a break from classes, I missed it. If you went to college right after high school, you almost feel like school, homework and classes are an endless cycle and it doesnt always feel voluntary. Those breaks in classes taught me that learning is a blessing. When I started, I was doing it for my parents, but as Ive gotten older, it became for myself.

If you are able to attend school, it is a privilege to learn. Classes can feel tedious at times, but most of us will spend the rest of our careers in one field. Having the chance to take different types of classes is beneficial in every way. My non-degree classes gave me knowledge on subjects Id otherwise never have an understanding of; they sparked new interests of mine. But most of all, taking different classes gave me clarity on what my passions truly are. Pay attention to that, and it should guide you in the right direction.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I am very grateful to be filming a few different things right now, so I am focused on doing the best job I can for those projects. My film classes at ASU made me even more excited to get behind the scenes one day!

See the rest here:

Military service inspires outstanding ASU grad to pursue engineering - ASU News Now