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Isaiah Mercado

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Bio

My name is Isaiah Mercado and I am 22 years old. I was born in Fresno, California but kept moving from town to town at a young age. I then moved to the East Coast for my first two years of high school and then to Las Vegas for my last two years. I have decided to transfer to UNLV to pursue two bachelor's degrees in Film and Computer Science. I recently graduated from the College of Southern Nevada with my Associate of Arts degree and a 4.0 GPA. I love to use technology in my life and find it to be very rewarding for what I want to do with my career. I aspire to continue my dreams of working in the arts of both film and music production. Throughout all parts of filmmaking, I heavily enjoyed the experience of creating something that I envisioned. I especially like post-production of film-making such as editing. I am very hard-working, self-motivated, and confident in my work. I make videos and music not only to share my creative visions but to inspire others to do the same. I am also going in a different direction with computer science to fulfill a deeper knowledge of technology, as it continues to enhance, involve, and contribute to our daily lives. I love how video games are created and the process it takes to create something so advanced and visually pleasing. I aspire to one day be a part of that community and provide my skills to create a product that can touch the hearts of many. In a world where things can be extremely dark at such an alarming rate, I want to help others save their ambitions and dreams they want to achieve.

Education

University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Bachelor's degree program
2023 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Fine and Studio Arts
    • Film/Video and Photographic Arts

College of Southern Nevada

Associate's degree program
2021 - 2023
  • Majors:
    • Fine and Studio Arts
    • Film/Video and Photographic Arts

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Film/Video and Photographic Arts
    • Computer Science
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Motion Pictures and Film

    • Dream career goals:

      director, editor, videographer, vfx, music engineering and production, post-production, computer science, acting

    • Video Editor

      North Marin Community Services
      2023 – 20241 year
    • Video Editor

      Reach Out
      2023 – 2023

    Sports

    Basketball

    Club
    2017 – 20192 years

    Awards

    • no

    Arts

    • University of Nevada Las Vegas

      Cinematography
      Surprise Sequence
      2024 – 2024
    • University of Nevada Las Vegas

      Film Criticism
      Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - How Sony Made A Satisfying Experience Through Act Structure
      2024 – 2024
    • East Lyme High School

      Videography
      No
      2017 – 2019

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      North Marin Community Services — Video Editor
      2023 – 2024
    • Volunteering

      United Way — Backpack and school supplies distribution. Managing crowd control and ensuring safety.
      2016 – 2017

    Future Interests

    Volunteering

    1989 (Taylor's Version) Fan Scholarship
    2023 was a tidal wave year for me. Whether the water came crashing in with a warm embrace or towering above ready to throw all of its weight at me, it was a memorable and improving journey. At the beginning of the year, I decided to create a bucket list. One of the things I wanted to achieve on my list was to listen to one hundred albums. A difficult task to do, but after one came another. One album a day turned into two, three, sometimes four. Eventually, one of the albums I had yet to listen to was 1989. 1989 was pretty significant in my teenage years thanks to my sister who was raised on Swift since she debuted. It was the first time I would listen to Swift’s music of my own will. Of course, it was only the popular ones like “Blank Space”, “Style”, “Wildest Dreams”, and “Shake It Off”. I definitely didn’t have a deeper understanding or appreciation of music back then, so when I revisited this album for the first time I was completely blown away. I wanted to get a refresher and a little sample of the hype for 1989 (Taylor’s Version), but I would be getting much more than I expected. It sometimes scares me how well an artist is able to depict a situation that relates to something you have experienced. The track, “All You Had To Do Was Stay” was as if Swift wrote the song like she was standing beside me the whole time. Every single lyric is exactly how I felt about this certain situation. Earlier in the year, I had to let some of my best friends go for good. They were heading down different paths of life that completely changed the type of person they were. I was deeply concerned for their mental well-being, so I flew across the country to surprise them. My goal was to not only catch up with them in person but to ensure that I was there if they needed anything. Little did I know that I would be the one to be abandoned like a dog on the side of the road. I’ll never forget how internally shocked I was by how they treated me. It was as if I didn’t even exist. Their whole day was planned to take part in certain activities that basically put my whole presence in the gutter. After being disregarded, manipulated, gaslighted, and endangering my life with no hesitation, I decided to never visit them again. They never apologized or tried to talk to me after that day. It was cruel. A couple of months later, one of their brothers said that his brother (my old friend) wanted to to talk to me. Interested, I agreed. The entire first verse encapsulates exactly how I felt during our conversation, “People like you always want back the love they gave away. And people like me wanna believe you when you say you've changed”. The chorus hits harder, “Hey, now you say you want it back now that it's just too late. Well, it could've been easy, all you had to do was stay”. The bridge is the cherry on top, “Let me remind you, this was what you wanted. You ended it. You were all I wanted, but not like this”. I’m glad to say that I didn’t buy their games because the next week they went back to being themselves. Listening to the song on Taylor’s Version was a great reminder of how I was able to stand up and create healthy boundaries for myself.
    CapCut Meme Master Scholarship
    Spider-Man Showdown Scholarship
    Spider-Man wouldn’t be possible without Tobey Maguire. Stan Lee said it himself. Maguire was a childhood figure in everyone’s lives. The iconic suits, quotes, and funny dances would make him a beloved member of the Spider family. His impact would lead to later renditions of Spider-Man, the most popular being Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. These two Spider-Men both have elements of their story that are referenced within the Spidey community today. Whether it was a certain loss of a love interest or an extravagant comeback after being snapped out of existence, these Spider-Men were able to have a vast impact on fans. Dreams came true when these three starred in the same film fighting some of the beloved antagonists from respective Spidey universes. In the film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Electro, from Garfield’s universe, talked to Garfield about how there has to be a black Spider-Man somewhere. People who enjoy everything Spider-Man will recognize Electro was talking about Miles Morales, a Spider-Man that I have grown to love. There are multiple versions of Miles, but instead of the one you may recognize from his Spider-Verse friends like Spider-Gwen and Peter B. Parker, my Miles comes from your TV screen. PlayStation’s version of Miles has become my favorite version of Spider-Man today. Screen captured and voice acted by Nadji Jeter, this version of Miles is my favorite by far. This Miles is different from the movie because he loses his father, a cop. Martin Lee, also known as Mr. Negative, is responsible for the murder of Miles’ father. Miles cannot act whatsoever because he doesn’t have his Spider powers, he has to live with that grief. This all happens in the first game of the Insomniac franchise, the developers of the Spider-Man games. Miles was fortunate enough to receive his own standalone game called Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which is where my appreciation for Spider-Man took me to new heights. Peter has to leave with MJ to do research overseas, leaving Miles the only Spider-Man for a week. In that one week, Miles goes against the unexpected. From defeating an evil corporation, conquering his uncle trying to stop him from saving New York, and sacrificing his best friend in order to save the city, Miles doesn’t let anyone stop him no matter what the odds. The fact that this was his first week as Spider-Man says a lot about his call to being a superhero, just like his father. His mother is an amazing character who supports Miles and purely loves him for who he is. Their relationship is beautiful to see every time they are on screen together. The diversity is important to me because he is half African American and half Puerto Rican. Miles and his mother both speak Spanish and it makes my Latino self so appreciated and adds another element to connect to this Spider-Man. I brought up Martin Lee because, in the recent installment, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Miles is able to find Martin Lee but lets him live. He understands that he is a changed man, but he doesn’t forgive him and I believe that’s very human of Miles. All he wants to be is a better Spider-Man, and he is. He saves Peter multiple times and is shown that he is incredibly powerful. He is sincere towards others and cares for his loved ones so much. It’s hard to put it into words, but when you hold the controller and play the game you realize that he is just a kid who just wants to help others, Spider-Man or not, which is a true hero.
    Netflix and Scholarships!
    No show has ever come close to having a significant impact on the viewer than The Queen's Gambit. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, this series is very unique from other shows Netflix offers. Her performance is remarkable in all aspects and delivers one of the strongest rooting interests in a character I’ve seen on television. The story consists of a girl who grows up to become the best chess player in the world. The protagonist, Beth Harmon, loses her mother in a car accident and is forced to grow up in an all-girls orphanage. During her time there, she sneaks out of class to play chess with the janitor downstairs. She understands not only how to play the game, but playing with class, intelligence, and respect. She begins to read about the history and legends of chess to improve her skills. On the side, the girls are given daily tranquilizer pills until they are against the law, however, Beth has grown addicted to the pills and abuses them. The pills can help Beth suppress her emotions but also allow her to see hallucinations of a chess board to help her create winning scenarios. One fateful day, she gets adopted. In this fortunate position, she uses her cleverness to convince her parents to buy a chess board and compete in tournaments. We begin to see Beth’s competitiveness and how much better she is than everyone. She becomes a chess prodigy and competes in bigger tournaments. She wins these tournaments and in return gains status and riches. Despite her success, she still hasn’t been able to form deep relationships with anyone, even her new parents. This is why The Queen’s Gambit is an excellent show because even after achieving all of this success, Beth is facing either the same obstacles before her accomplishments or new issues that have come with her success. It’s where the beauty lies within the show because Beth is only getting better at chess and getting famous in return, yet she is still experiencing issues behind the scenes. The show wants you to see her struggle more than she is succeeding. What’s more gracious is that they don’t want to continuously glorify Beth like she’s supposed to disregard all of the trauma and abuse she’s been through. She loses critical games, confidence, and loved ones. Beth abuses more substances to numb the pain. At one point she even quits her career and almost loses her house in the process. Thankfully, her old friend from the orphanage reunites with her and convinces her to compete again. It wasn’t until Beth found out through her friend that the janitor had passed. Beth went back and found out that the janitor was keeping newspapers and posters of her previous tournaments, always keeping a close eye and rooting for her. She experienced heavy amounts of grief and regret. She felt like she owed him, herself, and her close friends to beat her main rival and be crowned the best chess player in the world. In the end, she defeats her main opponent and becomes the best chess player in the world, but more importantly, she has found a healthier and happier version of herself that she’s proud to be. The Queen’s Gambit teaches audiences that even when we quit and are at our lowest, it is never impossible to get back up and become something we never expected to be of ourselves. Throughout the journey, it is important that you are never alone in this world and there will be someone to help you along the way.
    Harry Potter and the Sorting Hat Scholarship
    If I ever happened to randomly transport into the wizarding world (which would be a dream come true) and attend Hogwarts tomorrow, what house would I be sorted in? What would I want to study and do in my free time? Would I follow the rules or break them for personal gain? Who would I befriend and what kind of adventures would I embark on? Well, the magical film was created a year before I was born and when I discovered this, I always wanted to be just like Harry Potter and be in Gryffindor. From getting the Gryffindor robes to Harry Potter's wand, I wanted to be on the heroic side. As the series progressed so did my loyalty to Gryffindor. I would take multiple online quizzes to ensure that I was a Gryffindor at heart and sure enough, got Gryffindor as my house on every single test. For a long time, I thought no house would come close to Gryffindor, but people change from time to time and so did I. Certain events have occurred in my teenage and young adult years that have made me question various aspects of my life. These changes and experiences had a significant impact on how I think, talk, and act. My interests changed over time. I’m not going to enjoy the things I did when I was 10 at 20. 20 was also how old I was when Hogwarts Legacy came out. It brought back my love for the wizarding world. Creating your character and going on a new adventure? Awesome! I wanted to get invested so I decided to participate in making an account and taking the Official Hogwarts House Sorting Quiz, in which my results ended in Hufflepuff. I was very curious as to why I got that house and didn’t want to associate myself with Hufflepuff given how much they are looked down upon. I would make more accounts to hopefully get different answers and would keep getting Hufflepuff again and again. There were moments where I had gotten Gryffindor and on a rare occasion Ravenclaw, but mostly Hufflepuff. I decided to look more into it and read what characteristics truly make up the Hufflepuff house: hard-working, loyal, just, patience, and kindness. From enneagram to MBTI personality types, most of my results from those tests align with the ideal traits of Hufflepuff. I consider the values of patience and kindness very strongly to myself and try my hardest to be a hard-working individual. As of now, I would say that I have more traits of the Hufflepuff, but I would believe I could persuade the Sorting Hat to put me in Gryffindor. Despite having most of these traits and tests aligned with Hufflepuff, something says it’s not the correct house. It’s Gryffindor. I believe it’s the underlying instinct of ultimately doing the right thing and taking action toward whatever righteous cause it may be. I advocate my traits of patience and kindness, but I desire to regain that confidence to be brave whenever I need to be because that’s what I know I want and can be. In conclusion, if I landed in Hufflepuff, I would have a clear explanation as to why and could be proud of it, but I would want to look at certain parts of my life that had led me to obtain these traits positively instead of having these traits because of unfortunate and cruel circumstances. I desire to uplift others instead of just close loved ones, which is why Gryffindor is the right house where I will be my best.
    GUTS- Olivia Rodrigo Fan Scholarship
    Olivia Rodrigo is capturing the essence of the teenage experience so much that she has become a voice for Gen Z. GUTS consists of so many lyrics that bring teenage angst and personality to the listener. In addition to her unapologetic demeanor of laying it all out on every track, she doesn’t fear telling the truth and admitting the humilities of life and its relationships. Accompanied by highly effective pop-punk aesthetics and influences brings the experience in a perfectly wrapped gift box. There’s always something for the listener to communicate with, but specifically, there’s always that one song that stands out from the rest and brings a personal connection. For me, the fifth track, “ballad of a homeschooled girl” is the perfect representation of someone trying their hardest to stick in with the crowd, be socially acceptable, and failing miserably. This song reminds me of my junior year of high school. Moving to a brand new state created hard times of trying to make friends and be “cool” with the people around me. Right in the first verse, Olivia makes it clear where she’s positioned in the song, “I’m on the outside of the greatest inside joke. And I hate all my clothes, feels like my skin doesn’t fit right over my bones, so I guess I should go”. When you are on “the outside” for too long, it can cause some serious doubts and mental health issues which I experienced in junior year. The lyric, “And I hate all my clothes, feels like my skin doesn’t fit right over my bones” is a trick our mind plays to consider every part of ourselves that makes us feel odd, weird, or different negatively. We become something that we don’t want to establish with ourselves, but we are, and we realize that these toxic images and feelings we put in our heads are happening during the present moment. Couldn’t relate to that lyric much more in my teenage years and still sometimes today. The chorus rings true to anyone who is introverted trying to take a chance on obtaining extroverted traits, “I stumbled over all my words, I made it weird, I made it worse. Each time I step outside, it’s social suicide. Wanna curl up and die, it’s social suicide”. Being an introvert myself, these lyrics couldn’t be heard anymore during certain parts of my teenage years. Trying to gain the courage to talk with others when you want to get out of your shell is difficult, but when you mess up everything you say and look like a fool, you consider why you even tried. “Thought your mom was your wife” and “Called you the wrong name twice” are perfect examples of dying from pure embarrassment. You think to yourself, “No way did I just say that?!” or “I can’t BELIEVE I just said that out loud!” It makes everything unbelievably awkward and off-putting. It very much is social suicide and becomes something you loathe. Especially at such a young age when all you think about is how other people look at you and want to sustain a “perfect” social image, it creates a brand new fear and a constant pattern of putting people before yourself. Looking back at it now, it’s something that I can still relate to today and have a good laugh at. As I grow older, I appreciate that those moments happen because they’re all part of living in this world. I commend Olivia for putting out these thoughts and lyrics for people today so that they can have something to connect with growing up.
    Disney Super Fan Scholarship
    My favorite thing about Disney is how it brings me genuine happiness. Some of my favorite memories that I have ever had had to do something with Disney. From the movies to the attraction parks, there's always something to enjoy in the magic of Disney. My family are pretty big fans of Disney, so at a young age, we would always try and watch all of the movies. I grew up in the 2000s so most of my Disney films consisted of Toy Story, Cars, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, WALL-E, The Incredibles, Mulan, Monsters Inc, and Brave. These films are strong because they can appeal to kids while still trying to deliver a valuable message to both older and younger audiences. I wasn’t able to get the beauty of some of the other things that they say in the film. There were moments when my parents would laugh, but I never understood what was so funny. Being able to revisit some of these childhood classics and understand that there is more than what meets the eye is a great demonstration of how timeless these movies are. It’s moments like that that give me a better sense of appreciation for Disney. At some points I found myself relating to some of their struggles. Brave was one of the first films to introduce me to that type of connection and it was able to make me view films differently. I was able to see that films were more than just a story of someone else whether they were human or not, but that they were also having similar problems and tough situations that they were going through. Disney parks have also played a key role in how many joyful memories I made. I could go on and explain every single trip I remember, but as great as those were, nothing personally beats my first trip to Disney World. My first trip to Disney World couldn’t have been more magical. This was my first Disney trip without going with my parents so it was pretty big to go across the country with only me and my sister. The reason for this trip was because we were celebrating my graduation as well as my sister getting a brand new job. After getting off the plane, we got picked up by Disney Transit and headed towards the various hotels. My sister and I just so happened to be the last people to get dropped off at our rooms, however, the hotel we were staying in was unbelievable. Their service was very thoughtful and kind, especially after they had mis-assigned our room. They offered us a brand-new room to stay at and the location was beautiful. Instead of staying in the actual hotel, we pretty much got a little apartment right near a makeshift beach and lake. It was very peaceful and welcoming and was only the start of the treatment we would receive throughout our entire trip at Disney World. Being able to be in an environment where people will exceed your expectations for the better will always create a larger space to develop amazing memories with your closest loved ones. That genuine happiness transcends for future generations and is a reminder that those traits can be something to practice outside of Disney.
    Eras Tour Farewell Fan Scholarship
    Taylor Swift has been a prevalent figure within my childhood thanks to my sister who has been a fan since her first album. Whether it was having her own Taylor concert in her room or playing the CDs in the car on the way to school, my sister would play her music anywhere it was possible. It took some time for me to eventually take a liking to Taylor and recognize her craft. I enjoyed some of her tracks like Love Story, 22, and You Belong With Me. It wasn't until her fifth album, 1989, was released that abnormally changed my listening experience. I began to find myself listening to songs like Blank Space and Style on my terms instead of my sister's. Blank Space would eventually become my favorite song of hers and opened my eyes to how women were treated not only in the music industry but in general. As a young boy in his early teens, having someone that attained a huge voice in the world say, "Boys only want love if it's torture, don't say I didn't warn ya" was something I never heard of before on the radio. Delivering such a bold lyric, made me think about what caused her to say something like that and how other people might think the same way. It was a big experience on how to essentially be emotionally intelligent. Later in my teenage years, my interests changed and started listening to different artists. It wasn't until years later that I randomly decided to watch the 63rd annual Grammy Awards show. While watching the show, I saw that Taylor was nominated for an album called folklore. Taylor would eventually win the Album of the Year award with folklore and perform some of those songs as well. After seeing her performance, I easily hooked into the nature aesthetic and how grounded it seemed to be, something that I never really saw or expected from her. She performed a song that would eventually change the tides of my music taste, "willow". The entrancing finger guitar playing accompanied by her alluring voice attracted something so haunting to me that I would soon desire to listen to more of it. The album, evermore, displays illustrious musical composition and impenetrable songwriting from Taylor herself. I couldn't believe what I was listening to. I say this because, for the first time listening to her, it felt like she was sincerely talking to me. It was like she knew me my whole life. It was at that moment I was able to deeply appreciate and find solace in her music. That particular version of Taylor became so important to me because it had the depths of reaching and acknowledging certain aspects of life that I have felt and will experience in the future. That was the moment I became a "Swiftie". My journey would be fulfilled when my sister was fortunate enough to get Eras tour tickets for both of us. The concert was truly spectacular, but to be able to experience a once-of-a-lifetime opportunity with the person who introduced me to Taylor and allow me to live my relationship with Taylor's music is something I will never take for granted. The Eras tour expanded my emotional intelligence while birthing the realization to not be ashamed of what I enjoy. I didn't feel any pressure to undermine how much I enjoy Taylor's music and I didn't care what people think or say about it because I know how much her music affects how I look at life, the way I think, and the emotions I feel.
    Christian ‘Myles’ Pratt Foundation Fine Arts Scholarship
    The biggest influence in my life is my family. My father, mother, and sister, have provided me with many outlets and opportunities to experience various subjects of media that I wouldn't have learned about without them. Growing up in an age where technology continuously advances with each passing year allowed me to live beside amazing pieces of art. Every person in my family sometimes shared the same interests, but it was great when they wanted to show me what they loved about film, music, or other various forms of art that they had growing up. It would all eventually lead to the birth of what I wanted to do with my life. When I was a child, I was shown the film Jumanji, starring Robin Williams for the first time in my life. For some odd reason, I was heavily attracted to how mysterious yet inviting the film was and I would constantly watch it multiple times a day. I would reenact the film pretending I'm running from a stampede or about to be eaten by a giant flower pod. I would try to make the props that were in the film using random items I would find in my house like an umbrella or a jump rope. During my early years of school, I would take advantage of arts and crafts and would draw the board game to play at home since I didn't have it. Looking back on all of those things I did as a kid and reflecting on what made the movie magical for me, I realized that the film taught me that there are no boundaries when it came to being creative and how you can always keep that creativity alive. Having that perspective changed the way I did filmmaking as well as virtual photography, an amazing hobby that I picked up last year. With that in mind, it made me want to pursue my dreams of sharing my creativity to not only show my artistic visions but to inspire others to continue whatever goals and passions they have. I was fortunate enough to receive an opportunity where I was able to do what I love while supporting a community at the same time. I used my video editing skills to help a non-profit organization to promote its efforts of trying to make their communities a better place for themselves and their children. There have been others that had this same position and that made me want to review what they made for the company. I realized that what makes my artistic skills different is being able to tell a story whether you have or don't have the context of what you're watching. The videos I had watched for the company did not tell what was happening at that event or how they were helping their community, just music in the background. I wanted to take a different direction and provide something that would have a longer-lasting effect on both the organization and the people watching. By taking raw files and changing the dynamics of the audio, I was able to provide the organization with a high-quality video for them to publish. I am very grateful to help them and they opened the door for me to officially start getting work experience in the career I desire to be in. Although the process can be troubling because of technical difficulties, the love of doing the work was stronger than all of those hardships. That experience demonstrated how much of a passion I have for video editing and how I can help others while doing so.
    Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
    Growing up, I would learn and hear about being aware of how your words could affect other people. As a silly and happy child, I'd try my best to be the best version of myself as possible by providing advice for others when they were not mentally in a great place. That goal polished my strive for wanting to help others and eventually became a trait of mine. I would hear very similar problems people had in their life and things I never heard of before. As I became older, I would learn that words were not the only way that made people struggle. Throughout my time as a young teen trying to help my friends’ issues, I never really understood or knew how those people truthfully and sincerely felt. From relationships to suicide, I never experienced those experiences and emotions when I was trying to help them feel better. It wasn’t until I had my mental health issues how drastic this could alter somebody’s life. My first experiences of depression were similar to dominoes falling. One brand new terrible thing had continued entering my life and it felt like it was an infinite cycle of hurt. When I was struggling with my mental health, I kept begging if anyone who knew what I was going through could give me the answers I was searching for. From family, friends, and even strangers online, I kept searching for the help I desperately needed. I would converse with my family for hours and constantly tell them all of the terrible things I was experiencing at the time. Sometimes it felt as if talking about it would be worse or that they wouldn’t want to be annoyed by my problems, so there were moments when I kept silent and bottled all of those feelings. When you are not able to get the answers you want, you try to create some. I tried to create answers for myself like I would when I was a young teenager, but I very seldom followed them. The heaviest answer I considered was suicide. It felt reasonable, right, and honest when there was nothing else that was helping. However, I understood how much that would affect not only me but the people that loved me. Even though I knew that was what my mind wanted, it was not what my heart wanted. At both times it felt right and wrong, but it was my choice. It wasn’t until the recent global pandemic that I was finally able to receive the answers I wanted. The responsibilities of regular outside life dwindled and staying indoors was now the new normal. Staying indoors provided me the time to sit down with myself and reflect on all of the things I went through in the past eight months and how it made me feel. My mental health made me view the world in a deeply negative light. I feel saddened by losing close friends, but I am not ashamed of not keeping in touch with them. I am very grateful to all of the people who tried to help and did help me. I do feel sorry for the random strangers I bothered on the internet, but I never knew how insanely kind-hearted some people can be on social media. Some of them I still talk to today and some left off on good terms. I don’t regret considering suicide, but I am undeniably glad I chose not to. It was very important to validate everything I was feeling and I think that was what I needed to receive validation, but from me. Yes, friends and family members provided a blueprint, I just needed to make the formula for myself and staying indoors provided the time I needed to do so. As life goes on, I am very happy to still be here. I’ve been beginning to see life positively. The more I continued to age, the more I saw how much life had to offer me. Whether it was one week of a great experience or one hour, I would want to cherish that forever. My relationships changed to staying with people that are genuinely nice rather than prioritizing things we both enjoy. I noticed the longest relationships I have kept with a friend are when they are sympathetic to my emotions and feelings rather than having the same favorite artist or sports team. My goals have changed not only to provide for my family but for myself finally. As someone who works hard yet feels undeserving at the same time, it has been a roadblock to validating myself. I am beginning to feel deserving of my success, which only makes me want to complete and continue my further goals. New problems can continue to enter my life, but I can understand that I am capable of surviving, conquering, and living with those experiences. If anyone needs help, I feel confident that I can provide for them more than ever thanks to my past experiences. I am beginning to drastically change my life.
    Your Dream Music Scholarship
    On the night of November 12, 2019, I was sitting with my math tutor doing another homework session, not knowing what would happen at the time of 9:00 p.m. I received a notification saying that a new song was released by Billie Eilish called, "everything i wanted". I was very excited since this was an artist that already had a very big impact on my personal life. When I finished, I was picked up by my father and asked if I could play the new song in his car which he agreed to. I don't think a song could have prepared me for the sole fact of how much I related to it. I wholeheartedly believe it was given to me at the right time. The message behind the song was to explain how a person committed suicide and nobody cared in the slightest. However, even in the darkest times in your life, even if it seems that the entire world does not care, there will always be the one person in your life to say those things are not true. That there is someone there to open your eyes and see all the good things about yourself. They reassure you that you are not alone in this fight. During 2019, I experienced an unbelievable amount of depression and pain throughout my junior year of high school. I did experience suicidal thoughts during that time. This song taught me that I had people who would do anything to help me in any way possible. It was truly a gift I could never pay back. The lyrics I relate the most to are "If I knew it all then, would I do it again? If they knew what they said would go straight to my head what would they say instead?"
    WCEJ Thornton Foundation Music & Art Scholarship
    How do you plan to make a positive impact on the world through your art or music? I plan on making art to not only fulfill my creative ideas and motives but to also inspire myself and others to act on their dreams. It is not easy whatsoever to get where and whatever you want. You have to continue to keep working on your craft and also have fun with whatever you are doing. The impact of both the working process and the result is what is inspiring to me and that is something I want to show others. Being able to demonstrate how ideas come to life I believe can set a huge impact on others to do whatever they want. I am currently majoring in Film because I have a huge passion for videography and video editing. The process of making the film in both pre-production and production is one of the coolest feelings ever. It's an art form that is original to you that can inspire. I am also learning how to construct pieces of music together in production as well as playing instruments like the guitar. Another hobby I have picked up is video game photography, basically taking pictures of the game while you are playing the game. There are a lot of different creative things I have picked up as hobbies just to get creative ideas running and flowing. I am influenced by other creative artists that have been able to achieve their dreams. Through hard work and perseverance, I believe that I will be able to get on that same level and that will inspire others that achieving their dreams is not impossible. On a personal note, it will also cause a positive impact on my family since I can help them with their financial troubles and more. The link is a video submission for an art/video/edit video contest I recently have done. The three images are still images I captured while playing The Last of Us Part II in their Photo Mode.