Creating characters is my passion. When creating, I often think about myself, and what I want to be, which leads me to explore deeper into the characters that I develop. To create a character, I first establish their role in the world, then what they need, and lastly, what they think they need. Their role sets the story in a place and time and what they need acts as their motivation. As the author, I keep in mind what the character thinks they need because this allows them to make mistakes and every character needs their flaws. I then let these aspects guide how I create their appearance. For example, my latest character is Xyr Ixundi, a teenage dragon who gets banished from his home. In his world, he’s a high schooler who struggles with his identity. A core value he’s lacking is confidence, and he thinks he needs redemption to return home when what he needs is experience so that he can figure out who he is. His entire journey is centered on finding himself and becoming stronger through that. One of my goals in life is to bring Xyr and my other characters to life through an online graphic novel or an animated series. I also hope to write other series that embody diversity and focus on people of color. My true passion, though, is performance. I have loved performance since I was in middle school and I hope to have the opportunity to perform at a professional level. To achieve these goals, I am attending a four-year university to earn my Bachelor’s degree in Arts in Theatre, then I’m going to another university to get my Master’s degree, whether it be in Musical Theatre or Fine Arts. I also plan on minoring in Creative Writing and taking writing courses so I can improve my literary skills. I’ve overcome adversity in many ways. The American school system is disproportionally unfair to people of color, and I’ve had to work twice as hard to become the Valedictorian of my class. I’ve also overcome adversity in acting. The casts of the shows of the theatre companies that I worked with were primarily White, but I didn’t let that stop me from getting the main role in every play I’ve been in. These experiences have taught me that working hard is only part of the equation. Anyone can work hard, but not everyone knows what to work hard at. Going through these obstacles has taught me the true meaning of work ethic, and helped me outline a clear path for my goals in life.

In May of 2022, Kendrick Lamar released a single after four years of inactivity: The Heart Part 5, one of my favorite songs to date. The song took the media by storm, functioning as a social commentary on the toxic culture bred by underserved neighborhoods and the fractured perspective of all people. Every conceivable part of the song contributes to its purpose. As the song starts Lamar speaks “As I get a little older, I realize…my perspective may differ from yours…” Kendrick Lamar reflects on his maturity and shows appreciation to listeners while simultaneously contrasting the collective nature of the song. He then moves into the verse, exhibiting riveting lyrics such as “I come from a generation of pain, where murder is minor,” “No protection is risky; Desensitized, I vandalized pain,” and “A brand-new victim'll shatter those dreams, the culture”. This is Kendrick’s first mention of what becomes the overarching theme of the song. He speaks about how the environment in American ghettos is a plague upon itself, specifically Black men. Throughout the song, he uses the umbrella term “the culture” to represent the negative culture perpetuated through poverty in hoods like his hometown of Compton, California. He then moves to the chorus, which outlines the other message of the song, which is that “the culture” extends beyond the hood and into wealth and fame. Kendrick uses the lyrics to personify some of the most famous Black men on the planet, such as Will Smith, Kanye West, and Nipsey Hussle, to depict how they each suffered from the culture. In the chorus, he personifies them all, saying “Look what I done for you (look what I done for you)” as a message to the hood yearning for recognition and an immunity that doesn’t exist for Black men in America.

I’ve always valued my ability to create more than any other characteristic I have. I consider myself a creator in multiple forms, including writing, illustrating, and performing. Whenever I’m assigned a task or a project, I get this surge of ideas. As if my brain is kicked into high gear, I immediately become flooded with possible ideas; because of this ability, I never find myself at a loss for things to create. I’ve cultivated my ability to create and develop my ideas so much that inspiration strikes at the most random times. For example, as I was working in my dorm one day, I looked at a deck of cards sitting on my desk, and that one insignificant action turned into an entire modern science-fiction action series. I ended up writing more than two thousand words in thirty minutes because of how fast my mind was working and developing the series idea. First, I thought of fictional powers that a character could have with cards, such as being able to detonate cards at will like Gambit from the X-Men or having a power boost that is directly correlated to the value of a card drawn. I then thought of what kind of character would need that power or even be able to put it to good use, and I immediately thought of assassins, but I didn’t want the idea to correspond to pop culture’s established definition of an assassin. Instead, I thought of how complex and unique it would be to have assassins be a race of superhumans with unique abilities, called Marks, such as being able to detonate cards at will. I had formed a basis for a series idea, and I used that to create characters with varying Marks and complex backstories, specify different types of Marks, create different Marks for every type, and fashion a rudimentary storyline. I named the series Assassin’s Doctrine because it surrounds different assassin factions and their eternal hunt for the Doctrine, a legendary document capable of increasing an assassin’s power by a hundredfold. I developed this idea in a night, and now I have another series that could be produced professionally in the future, but I have other ideas that I’ve been developing from middle school that I’m currently taking steps towards making a living, breathing piece of art. Having this characteristic has also been helpful in my primary profession, acting. When given a role and a script, it’s up to me to expand on that character and combine my acting choices with their story to form a complex character that the audience can relate to. I actively use my creativity every time I rehearse or perform, which creates gateways for a future career. In my life journey, I hope to use my rampant imagination to create new opportunities for myself in my industry, whether it be selling my art or producing my ideas, I hope to explore new avenues to cement my legacy in society, and to improve the quality of life for me and the people I love.

My grandmother was a very influential force in my upbringing. She was like my best friend. The day I lost her was the most tragic day of my life. After her passing, it was difficult for me to focus on school. It became a struggle to maintain my grades, and they started to decline. This was hard for me because my grandmother had always been very proud of my grades, often calling me her genius. To find ways to deal with my grief, I went to my school counselor. I’m grateful that I did because, together, we were able to formulate a system for completing my assignments to get me back on track academically. I stayed after school to get extra help, and started using a planner so I wouldn’t fall further behind. I also shared my feelings with my counselor and she let me know that they were normal and that everyone has a hard time dealing with death. Learning this allowed me to open up to my parents more and to my surprise, they were experiencing the same feelings. I found that opening up to my family and spending more time with them helped me to share my load. I realized that we would have to be there for each other to get through the loss. I took time to myself whenever I felt sad and I would use the time to be more artistic. Soon, I learned how to think about the good times my grandmother and I shared rather than only thinking of her passing. I’m much stronger than I was before. I’m even able to laugh about the funny things she would always do, like how she would smile when she read my report card. Death can be a challenge, especially when it hits this close to home, but I now understand that this is a positive challenge in my life and I believe that my grandmother would be proud of my recovery, and pleased at how I decided to continue to pursue my dreams of being an actor and author.

My parents are my biggest influence. From demeanors and speech patterns to beliefs and goals, my parents influenced me every day by showing up in my life. The thing that inspires me the most about my parents is how willing they were to struggle to care for me. They both came from working-class homes and still decided to work extra hard in the face of financial turmoil to take care of me, and I’m inspired by them every day. They influenced me by enforcing my belief that I could be anything I want in life and that no one could hold me back but myself. Someday I hope to return the favor by making their lives as comfortable as possible, which is what drives me forward to do better. My primary form of art is theater, film, and television acting and graphic illustration/ concept art, but my true passion is creating characters that have. In the future, I hope to combine these two by creating a graphic novel featuring my original characters and artwork. My ultimate dream, though, is to create a series that becomes a famous staple for magical fiction, similar to how animes like Naruto and Bleach have made their names. After I graduate from UCLA, I hope to become an official concept or promotional artist, as well as a professional SAG actor and business owner. I hope to use my art to represent people of multiple different backgrounds to tell a richer story that everyone can relate to. I consider my art different than others because, although it is reminiscent of art styles used in animes and shows like Invincible and Voltron, I formulated my style to be a mixture of all the animation I’ve been exposed to. Every piece of media I’ve seen in my life has contributed to how I illustrate now. Another element of my art that I think is crucial in separating my art from another’s is the attention to detail I give my pieces. Before I even make a character, I sit down and write every single thing I can think of about their story, personality, outfit, etc., and brainstorm what the character has been through. During this stage, I also implement pieces of the stories of people I’ve gotten the privilege to interact with throughout my life as well. In short, every character I create is inspired by actual elements of the real world, which makes my stories that much more personal to the reader. The same philosophy I have for my art and character creation is the same philosophy I utilize when on stage. Before I perform a character, I research them, piecing together what they’ve been through while combining my own acting choices. I think of a role as a whole person, rather than a caricature or a few lines on a script. As an artist, I hope to grow in both of these fields so that I can continue telling the stories that I love. I hope to foster a connection between every character and the audience like no other novel or media has done before, while also providing an entertaining plotline. I want to be the person that inspires other people, just like others inspired me with their art.

As a child, one of the first things that my parents taught me to do was write. They believed that an intelligent child communicates themselves effectively. I always had a love for writing, especially creative writing, and I always had a support system that inspired and acknowledged my improvement. I love writing because it allows me to release all of my fantastical ideas through literature. It also allows me to create characters by using others as influences. As I matured, I became more aware of the people around me as well as myself, and I learned how to write better. Now, I see it as a therapeutic release of all the creativity I have stored in my mind. For example, now I am developing a novel that I hope to self-publish in the future. It surrounds a dragon named Xyr who gets banished from the magical city in the sky called Cloudworld where dragons reside. Xyr spends most of his life living among humans until he’s almost killed by a shadow monster, after which he learns magic and fights for the survival of humanity to redeem himself. I hope to study creative writing in college so I can further improve my ability to communicate my ideas to the world. My all-time goal is to create a comic book or animation series composed of my original art based on my original characters. I also hope to perform in movies and on stage. My dream is to act with greats in the field like Viola Davis, Denzel Washington, and Issa Rae. I also hope to build connections with the community around me, such as local regional theatres, to create more opportunities for myself. My school system was very systematic and purposeful about the way they treated every individual student. This allowed for a more personalized learning experience as a whole. Because of this, I was inspired and nurtured by my instructors. Through my writing, I hope to show them that their hard work has paid off. I also hope to inspire other people the way that my idols, like Chadwick Boseman and Sidney Poitier, inspired me. I also wish for my behavior to be a guiding light as to how people should treat one another. I hope to lead by example by passing down my knowledge to others and by displaying characters that represent all demographics of people. In addition, through my performances and the characters I play, I hope to display dedication to my craft to encourage others to do the same.

Naruto was what got me into anime. At first, I thought it was a cliche show about a character getting stronger. But as the story arcs became more complex, I realized that Naruto was more than what meets the eye. The show follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who’s been treated as an outcast his entire life because of the monster sealed inside him. Throughout the series, he trains and goes on missions, getting closer to achieving his goal of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village, and gaining the approval of his community. I don’t relate directly to the circumstances that Naruto was put in, but I do relate to aspects of his character, like his hyperactivity and determination. Overall, Naruto gave me a character that I could relate to on a spiritual level, and I hope to continue following and enjoying the series throughout my life.

Unlike most people my age, the pandemic didn’t affect me as negatively. While I would’ve preferred to continue doing school in person, I wasn’t devastated when it was taken away from me. At first, the pandemic was a surprise, and I had to recollect my thoughts to stay on top of my school work. My school introduced a new online system for the rest of the year: A 6-week and 10-day curriculum. The 6-week version was the normal curriculum slightly accelerated because of the fully online format. The 10-day version was very accelerated, for students who wanted to finish early. I decided to do the regular 6-week schedule for completing work. Because of this decision, I learned how to manage my school work and schedule better. I also improved on my time management skills and work ethic. Throughout high school, I’ve been involved in theatre and acting, but because of the pandemic, almost every activity concerning live theatre was put on hold. This hurt me, as I wasn’t able to pursue my craft as passionately. This forced me to seek out online opportunities and find other ways to keep my skills fresh, like practicing monologues and watching past professional productions. I learned how to seek external opportunities and stretch my comfort zone. This is a skill that I’ll be needing in the future to find auditions, gigs, and connections. The last thing that I got from the pandemic was learning how to take care of myself. During the pandemic, I started to eat better and I started to participate in more self-care activities, such as Yoga Nidra with my mom, or even something as simple as drawing in my spare time. I also maintained my social health by virtually connecting with friends and family regularly. Overall, the pandemic was an event that put events on hold and took the world by surprise, but in my eyes, it was necessary. If I hadn’t been through a year-long quarantine, I most likely wouldn’t be the person I am with the skills I have today.

My role model has always been my dad. My dad, Marc E. Holt, is a determined, headstrong, and passionate man who always watches out for the people he loves. I come from a working-class family, but my dad always makes sure that I am happy even in the face of financial struggles. He often says that he uses his father as inspiration for what not to do and that he made a promise to himself a long time ago to be a devoted father no matter what, as there is a popular stereotype that Black fathers often abandon their families. My father taught me all the practical skills I know today, including how to brush my teeth, take care of my hair, repair a shelf, and clean my room. He also taught me many valuable life lessons. I hope to use my artistic skills to create works of art that will inspire others in the same way that others, like my dad, inspire me. My main medium of making art is drawing and writing. I love sketching concept art and creating fantastical stories for the characters I create. I hope to bring these two skills together through pieces such as graphic novels and acting. I believe that the aspect that makes my art different is how rustic it is. I often make smudges or rough lines in my drawings, and I use those to enhance my unique style. I also incorporate my imperfections in my acting, through improv or character exploration. Another thing that makes my art different is how versatile it is. I create through lots of different forms, and I'm proud of the fact that I'm able to thrive in each of those forms.

My family and I’s relationship is special because we only see each other on occasion. Recently, I was allowed to spend a three-day weekend with my god cousin and cousin at my god cousin’s house in northern San Diego. This time we spent together was not only well needed but appreciated. At the time, my god cousin and I were graduating seniors, and we had both been especially busy with schoolwork and senior affairs. This rare moment was a break from the pressure and emotions felt from graduating, and the fact that my cousin was there made it even more fun. During our time together, we played lots of different games, had deep conversations about our lives, and went on various outings, such as seeing A Quiet Place 2 and a Memorial Day get-together. While we were together, we had so much fun making quick-witted jokes at each other and being loud and energetic. It was almost as if the emotion and stress were melted away by our mere presence amongst one another. We made so many memories. One of the most memorable moments was when my god aunt, Day Day, took us to McDonald’s on our way to the movie theatre and asked each of us our order. Everyone else in the car got something small, like chicken nuggets or a kid’s meal, but I asked for a Double Quarter Pounder Deluxe large meal with 6 chicken nuggets on the side. She looked at me like I had turned to dust in the backseat and yelled at the top of her lungs: “A DOUBLE QUARTER POUNDER? You’re, like, 90 pounds!” This was a recurring theme of the night, as she seemed to be genuinely surprised that I ordered and ate the entire meal. Another memorable moment from those nights was when my god cousin sat us all down and made us watch a movie called Tenet. The movie surrounds the concept that objects and people can go through this machine and become “inverted,” which means that you are traveling back in time as the rest of the world travels forward. This provided some interesting liberty for the directors and writers as well as lots of material for my god cousin’s commentary. He would stop the movie every 15 minutes to explain what had just happened. He genuinely took pleasure in blowing all of our minds. It was the happiest I’d seen him in a while. All in all, I got to reconnect with my loved ones, which was something that I cherished a lot, especially after being isolated for so long because of the pandemic. I know that seeing my cousins treated my need for social connection, and ultimately improved my mental health. I like to believe that it helped my other family members as well. I hope that we can continue getting together more frequently, and grow together through love and laughter.

As the only child of working-class parents, I was never made to feel like we lacked anything; financially, spiritually, or materially. My parents surrounded me with opportunities to become the vibrant personality I am today. For example, I was a very social child, being able to create a relationship with anyone in a matter of minutes. I loved talking to others and being the center of attention, as it gave me ideas for characters to create. Because of my charismatic nature, I never feared a stage or speaking publicly because I was always told ‘You’re a natural!” I took to performing like a moth to a flame. In 2017, I graduated from 8th grade and auditioned for a production on the same day. I got a leading role and found the stage to be my Happy Place; I was completely hooked. Being on stage energized me in a way drawing and writing had also done. When I was on stage, I felt invincible, and the stage lights lit up my soul as I danced and sang. Since then I have acted in several local productions and starred in a National podcast for an International Ministry. The challenge of new characters, stories, and dance routines energized me. Since childhood, I’ve had an active imagination, always daydreaming about fantastical stories, building storylines and characters in my head. In time, I learned to focus that active imagination through drawing and writing my own stories and characters based on my own experiences, and soon I developed a passion for them. As I grew and improved my art and writing skills by attending classes and workshops, I found a new passion: acting. I love recreating characters and bringing them to life. I can explore characters through performance and dialogue, song, and dance, which is exhilarating to me. I hope to become an actor and inspire others in the same way I was inspired by Sidney Portier and Chadwick Boseman, among many. I want to become an author as well, to share my stories and characters, and educate my future readers on important life lessons. In the long term, I also hope to become a business owner and social justice advocate for underserved and marginalized communities. To reach these goals, I plan to go to university and learn more about acting while also improving my writing skills and complete my BA. After that, I want to transition to an MFA program in classical theatre. During both my undergraduate and graduate time, I’ll audition for roles while working on my ideas, characters, novels, and books to submit to publishers or even self-publish.

My grandmother was a very influential force in my upbringing. She was like my best friend. The day I lost her was the most tragic day of my life. After her passing, it was difficult for me to focus in school. It became a struggle to maintain my grades, and they started to decline. This was hard for me because my grandmother had always been very proud of my grades, often calling me her genius. In order to find ways to deal with my grief, I went to my school counselor. I’m grateful that I did because, together, we were able to formulate a system for completing my assignments to get me back on track academically. I stayed after school to get extra help, and started using a planner so I wouldn’t fall further behind. I also shared my feelings with my counselor and she let me know that they were normal and that everyone has a hard time dealing with death. Learning this allowed me to open up to my parents more and to my surprise, they were experiencing the same feelings. I found that opening up to my family and spending more time with them helped me to share my load. I realized that we would have to be there for each other in order to get through the loss. I took time to myself whenever I felt sad and I would use the time to be more artistic. Soon I was learning how to think about the good times my grandmother and I shared rather than only thinking of her passing. I’m much stronger than I was before. I’m even able to laugh about the funny things she would always do, like how she would smile when she read my report card. Death can be a challenge, especially when it hits this close to home, but I now understand that this is a positive challenge in my life and I believe that my grandmother would be proud of my recovery, and pleased at how I decided to continue to pursue my dreams.

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” - Lao Tzu Throughout my life, I’ve been taught that nothing but myself can bring me down. I’ve been told that I am talented and worth fighting for, but lots of things have happened in my life that contested that belief. When I was twelve, my family was pushed out of our comfortable urban home and had to move to a lesser-served part of town. The new neighborhood was loud and uncomfortable, but amid a painful ending, I decided to see the good in the situation. Instead of dangerous people or an unfamiliar area, I saw a reason to connect with the community. Instead of a wasteful environment, I saw a reason to improve. Now, my family and I have built a rapport with the people around us, and we’ve adjusted to life in our new home. When I was fourteen, my grandmother died from a heart attack. After her passing, it was difficult for me to focus in school. It became a struggle to maintain my grades, and they started to decline. This was hard for me because my grandmother had always been very proud of my grades, often calling me her little genius. She was always the person I’d turn to when I needed advice, a space to vent, or a good hug, but I knew that she wouldn’t want me to let her passing get in the way of my success. I decided to work even harder towards my goals of becoming a successful actor and author, and I began to find new beginnings in the face of a painful ending: I started voice acting, I delved into Shakespeare, and I became a more artistic person, as well as getting my grades back up. When I was beginning my Junior year, COVID-19 reached The United States and began to spread rapidly, initiating a nationwide lockdown. The entire American education system was suddenly thrust into a virtual state, causing a lot of students, including me, to struggle even more than they already were. When my school announced that we would be learning online, I was devastated. Having an in-person support system was one of the things that helped me the most in school, and it had been taken away. I felt lost and discouraged. At this time, I couldn’t see that that painful ending was a new beginning. I decided to seek extra help in my learning, often attending office hours and formulating a new schedule to complete my work on time. Because of my efforts, I ascended to the top of my class and exceeded the requirements for passing 11th grade. I also used the extra time I had to focus on my craft, practicing monologues, finding my vocal range, writing creative stories, and creating vibrant, complex characters. If life has taught me anything, it’s that struggles are temporary and that there will always be a good side to every bad side.

I want this scholarship because it would help me pursue my goals. Due to the drastic changes and uncertainty due to the Coronavirus, having $500 would make a difference by making sure that I even get the chance to pursue higher education in the future. This money could be the difference between me even attending college or me immediately joining the workforce to support my middle-class family. My parents raised me under the idea that college was a must, not a choice. They always wanted me to do great things and get the best education that I can, always facilitating my dream, from basketball to performing arts. This motivation made me want to do greater things one day, and if I had $500 more to use for my education, my family could focus on other, more important things in life, like keeping the family fed, or making sure the bills are paid during the pandemic. If I had $500 to put towards my academic career, I could have a little more freedom in what I wanted to learn, and I could be one step closer to truly pursuing my career. It would motivate me to do better, and allow me to obtain the knowledge I need to be successful in today’s world. If I ever get $500, I could use my education to prosper, and maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to give back to my family and get us back on our feet.

Creating characters is my passion. When creating, I often think about myself, and what I want to be, which leads me to explore deeply into characters that I develop. In order to create a character, I first establish their role in the world, then what they need, and lastly, what they think they need. Their role sets the story in a place and time and what they need acts as their motivation. As the author, I keep in mind what the character thinks they need because this allows them to make mistakes and every character needs their flaws. I then let these aspects guide how I create their appearance. For example, my latest character is Xyr Ixundi, a teenage dragon who gets banished from his home planet. In his world, he’s a high schooler who struggles with his identity. A core value he’s lacking is confidence, and he thinks he needs redemption in order to return home. What he actually needs is experience. He needs to grow up a bit so that he can figure out who he is. His entire journey is centered on finding himself, and becoming stronger through that. To create Xyr’s concept design, I used his insecurities as inspiration. I drew him in a hoodie, because hoodies serve as a place where teenagers can withdraw from society while still being present. For his clothes, I used colors like black and white, because he’s the child of a light and a dark dragon. Ultimately this is a duality within himself that he has to come to terms with. Everyone has a story, and what a character has been through determines how they perceive their world; just as the things that I have been through influence how I feel about my world. Sometimes I wear my experiences like a hoodie or a new pair of sneakers. My role in the world is a young hopeful American, what I need is my family and friends and what I think I need changes depending on the situation. My story is what ultimately shapes my life and my experiences. To reach my goals, I plan on going to a four-year university in order to earn my Bachelor’s degree in Arts in Theatre, then I’m going to transfer to another university to get my Masters in Fine Arts. I also plan on minoring in Creative Writing so I can improve my writing skills. I’ve overcome adversity in many ways. The American school system is disproportionally more unfair to people of color, and I’ve had to work twice as hard in order to become the Valedictorian of my class. I’ve also overcome adversity in acting. The casts of the shows of the theatre companies that I worked with were primarily White, but I didn’t let that stop me from getting the main role in every play I’ve been in.

I believe that my greatest achievement to date is being the Valedictorian of the class of 2021 for my high school. My entire high school career taught me a lot about myself and my academic habits, and it also taught me a lot about others. An example of this is that I prefer to finish things earlier rather than procrastinate. This was a pattern that I noticed when completing assignments. When I’m given a task, I usually try to complete it as soon as possible, usually when I receive it, in order to free up time for other activities, such as self-study or applying for scholarships. While in high school, I also learned how to work better in a collaborative setting. One of my school’s requirements for graduation is a 4-5 week internship, which I participated in in January and February. I worked as an intern for a local regional theatre in the Arts Engagement department, and in this internship, I learned how to work effectively with others, how to use special software, such as Excel, and how the theatre reaches out to the community in order to make theatre matter. This was a great experience because I learned a lot about the other aspects of theatre besides acting, and I gained a broader understanding on what a theatre does outside of productions. Another thing that being the Valedictorian of my school taught me was that it’s extremely important to plan ahead. Being a graduating senior in high school is stressful, and I learned very early in my high school career to keep track of every activity that I’ve done, every activity that I’m doing, and every activity that I’m planning to do. This is not only important for documents like resumes and transcripts, but also for applications for college, which is the next step in my academic journey. I always made sure to keep a planner, and to take advantage of the resources I had online. The last lesson I learned while being the Valedictorian of my school is to take any opportunity to further myself academically as I can. Two years ago, my school announced that it would provide students 10th grade and up to take classes with a local community college in order to earn college credits early. I immediately jumped on this opportunity, because I was eager to advance myself academically. Since then, I’ve taken 7 college classes, and gained several credits that I hope to use in the future. In the future, I hope to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts in theatre at a four-year university. I also hope to earn a Master’s in Fine Arts in classical theatre later in the future. After I’ve completed my higher education, I want to perform in television, film, and theatre in whatever space I can. During this time, I also hope to become a successful creative writer.

My grandmother was a very influential force in my upbringing. She was like my best friend. The day I lost her was the most tragic day of my life. After her passing, it was difficult for me to focus in school. It became a struggle to maintain my grades, and they started to decline. This was hard for me because my grandmother had always been very proud of my grades, often calling me her genius. In order to find ways to deal with my grief, I went to my school counselor. I’m grateful that I did because, together, we were able to formulate a system for completing my assignments to get me back on track academically. I stayed after school to get extra help, and started using a planner so I wouldn’t fall further behind. I also shared my feelings with my counselor and she let me know that they were normal and that everyone has a hard time dealing with death. Learning this allowed me to open up to my parents more and to my surprise, they were experiencing the same feelings. I found that opening up to my family and spending more time with them helped me to share my load. I realized that we would have to be there for each other in order to get through the loss. I took time to myself whenever I felt sad and I would use the time to be more artistic. Soon I was learning how to think about the good times my grandmother and I shared rather than only thinking of her passing. I’m much stronger than I was before. I’m even able to laugh about the funny things she would always do, like how she would smile when she read my report card. Death can be a challenge, especially when it hits this close to home, but I now understand that this is a positive challenge in my life and I believe that my grandmother would be proud of my recovery, and pleased at how I decided to continue to pursue my dreams of being an actor and author.

I have a lot of experience in extra-curriculars concerning theatre. I started doing musical theatre in eighth grade, which I promptly took a liking to. My first show was Madagascar: A Musical Adventure Jr. with CYT, in which I played one of the lead characters, Marty the zebra. I then went on to do another show with CYT in ninth grade, the Little Mermaid, in which I played a supporting character, Scuttle the Seagull. Shortly after, I portrayed the role of Bert in Mary Poppins. I also have some experience with classical theatre as well. I’ve participated in the Old Globe’s Summer Shakespeare Studio, a Summer intensive program for high schoolers that focuses on developing the student as an artist in all aspects, for 3 years in a row, 2018-2020, in which I portrayed multiple roles in A MIdsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale, and Romeo and Juliet. I was also in Twelfth Night with JT, in which I performed as Duke Orsino. In addition to classical and musical theatre, I’ve participated in contemporary theatre programs as well, acting as one of the San Diego legacy actors in the Intrepid Theatre August Wilson Monologue competition, in which I performed a monologue as Troy Maxson. One of my most recent ventures is voice acting. From 2019-2020, I performed as a professional voice actor at Turning Point Ministry portraying the role of Cameron King on the Airship Genesis podcast. I’ve also very recently participated in film, performing in a student film called An Angel’s Voice as Andre Spelling in collaboration with Digital Gym. Volunteering has also been a strong suit for me, as I was able to maintain a steady volunteering opportunity as the Lead Volunteer for Grace Church San Diego’s children’s ministry for over 5 years, working 2 hours every week. As a student from a working-class family, this scholarship would impact me by helping me pay for education for my dream school, as my family doesn’t have enough funds to pay for even a year. This will help me get the education and experience I need to become a successful actor and author. After college, I hope to become a professional actor in theatre, movies, and television, as well as becoming a best-selling fantastical fiction author.

My favorite movie is Black Panther because it reformed ideals for “the perfect superhero” while also staying entertaining. One thing I love about Black Panther is its message. Black Panther promotes the idea that Black people can be powerful superheroes. The movie also surrounds the idea that people of color can be sophisticated and advanced, contrary to the stereotypes in modern American society. Ultimately, Black Panther brought a refreshing new lens on BIPOC people when society needed it most. In addition to the message that Black Panther promotes, the visuals of the movie are stunning as well. The vibrant, cascading scenes of Wakanda, and the eye-catching technology in every scene adds to the greatness of the movie. An example of marvelous visuals is in one of the greatest scenes, the ending fight scene, where T-Challa and Erik Killmonger fight in a Vibranium mine. In order to keep the Vibranium stable while transporting it, sonic disruptors have been placed in the mine, which also causes both of their Vibranium suits to malfunction. T-Challa takes advantage of this, and finishes Killmonger once and for all. This scene is so influential because the masterful fight choreography is paired with the beautiful background, making for the ultimate fight scene. The last thing I love about Black Panther is the story. There’s so much character development that isn’t completely recognized. An example of this is that T’Challa had been taught his entire life to hide from the outside world to avoid conflict, but after deep reflection and meeting Killmonger, he realizes that the philosophy of observing was morally wrong. Overall, Black Panther is a movie I could watch endless times because there’s always something new to discover. It’s truly a work of art that couldn’t have been more necessary, which is why I love it.

My parents are definitely my greatest inspiration. The thing that inspires me the most about my parents is how willing they were to struggle in order to care for me. They both came from working-class homes and still decided to work extra hard in the face of financial turmoil to take care of me, and I’m inspired by them every day. They always tell me that I can be anything I want in life, and that no one can hold me back but myself. Someday I hope to return the favor by making their lives as comfortable as possible, which is what drives me forward to do better. Another thing that inspires me is my parent’s love and acknowledgement. I could be the worst at something, but at the end of the day, as long as I hear my parents’ voices telling me they love me, I’ll be good. I love to make my parents proud in everything I do because I know they deserve so much more than just the feeling of being proud. Seeing my parents enjoy what I do drives me to do even more, and to do even better. The last thing that inspires me is making people smile. I’ve always been a charismatic, funny person, and I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh and smile. It warms my soul to make people happy, and it makes me happy as well. The career field that I want to go into directly reflects that. I want to become an actor, so I can use my charisma to inspire others the way that figures in my life inspired me, such as Sidney Portier, Chadwick Boseman, and Denzel Washington. I also want to become a writer so I can express my imagination through novels and stories.

My role model has always been my dad. My dad, Marc E. Holt, is a determined, headstrong, and passionate man who always watches out for the people he loves. I come from a working-class family, but, even in the face of financial struggle, my dad always makes sure that I am happy. He often says that he uses his own father as inspiration for what not to do, and that he made a promise to himself a long time ago to be a devoted father no matter what, as there is a popular stereotype that Black fathers always abandon their families. My father taught me all the practical skills I know today, including how to brush my teeth, how to take care of my hair, how to repair a shelf, and how to clean my room. He also taught me many valuable life lessons. One of the many life lessons that my father taught me was to never judge a person before you get to know them. He works in the hospitality industry as a Doorman, so he meets and deals with people every day. He’s told me lots of stories about how he would treat a seemingly homeless person with respect and kindness, and they would give him a substantial tip, claiming that their outfit/demeanor is fake, and that their reason for acting like a homeless person was to test people’s integrity. My dad believes in this ideal so adamantly because he was judged when he was younger, always seen as a troublemaker or a nuisance before even being talked to. Another valuable lesson that I’ve learned from my dad was to always think before I act. As a child, I was very impulsive, and simply did whatever came to mind. Because of this, I would often find myself in trouble. My father educated me on how my decisions affected others, and how it was important for me to be aware of my actions, because I am a young Black man in America, and people may interpret my actions differently than other peoples’. My father also taught me that I should chase what I’m passionate about, not what makes me the most money. My dad grew up in a poor working-class family with 4 kids in one household, so he was encouraged to help the family financially as much as he could as early as he could. Because of this, he had to put his passion for barbering and singing to the side in order to help the people he loved, dropping out of college and abandoning his career. He always tells me that I can become anything that I want to be, and that he works hard because he cares for my hopes and ambitions. I have applied these lessons I’ve learned from him throughout my life. In the performing arts business, you meet a lot of people, and it’s very important to build a rapport with everyone you meet so the ensemble can grow stronger. Before I even meet a person, I don’t judge them, I talk to them first, and have a good conversation with them in order to get to know them. My dad always says that assumption brews bad relationships. The people in the theatre field are also extremely diverse, being made-up of people with different races, nationalities, sexualities, and genders. When I converse with others, I always make sure to think about what I say so as not to offend anyone, as that would be detrimental for the ensemble. The reason why I pursue theatre in the first place is because, when I told my parents that I was passionate about acting, they did everything in their power to get me involved with productions all over San Diego, and didn’t rest until they saw me on stage performing. My father is always on-board no matter what my passion is, whether it’s drawing, writing, or singing, my father does everything in his power to support me because he believes in me. In the future, I hope to repay my parents for what they’ve done for me by making their lives as comfortable as I can, and by being involved in their passions, as well as being an active part of their life. I also teach these lessons to the people around me, whether it’s my friends or the toddlers I take care of at church.

This meme is from a mobile game called Brawl Stars. In the game, there's a variety of different brawlers to play, as well as many different game modes and gameplay options. This meme alludes to the fact that the game creators, Supercell, designed the game to give you quests, which you can complete for rewards, in longer intervals, thus giving you more time in between quests. The meme creator used the characters 8-Bit (top) and Max (bottom) to signify the speed at which quests are given and completed. 8-Bit is the slowest character in the game, which relates to the long intervals at which quests are given, and, contrarily, Max is the fastest character in the game, which relates to how quickly these quests are usually done, as they are often very easy. This meme means a lot to me because it reminds me of the time I would spend playing Brawl Stars with my God-brothers, and all the funny moments we would have together. Now, we are separated, but we occasionally meet every once-in-a-while to play Brawl Stars together once more.

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” - Lao Tzu Throughout my life I’ve been taught that nothing but myself can bring me down. I’ve been told that I am talented and worth fighting for, but lots of things have happened in my life that contested that belief. When I was twelve, my family was pushed out of our comfortable urban home, and had to move to a lesser-served part of town. The new neighborhood was loud and uncomfortable, but in the midst of a painful ending, I decided to see the good in the situation. Instead of dangerous people or an unfamiliar area, I saw a reason to connect with the community. Instead of a wasteful environment, I saw a reason to improve. Now, my family and I have built a rapport with the people around us, and we’ve adjusted to life in our new home. When I was fourteen, my grandmother died from a heart attack. After her passing, it was difficult for me to focus in school. It became a struggle to maintain my grades, and they started to decline. This was hard for me because my grandmother had always been very proud of my grades, often calling me her little genius. She was always the person I’d turn to when I needed advice, a space to vent, or a good hug, but I knew that she wouldn’t want me to let her passing get in the way of my success. I decided to work even harder towards my goals of becoming a successful actor and author, and I began to find new beginnings in the face of a painful ending: I started voice acting, I delved into Shakespeare, and I became a more artistic person, as well as getting my grades back up. When I was beginning my Junior year, COVID-19 reached The United States, and began to spread rapidly, initiating a nationwide lockdown. The entire American education system was suddenly thrusted into a virtual state, causing a lot of students, including me, to struggle even more than they already were. When my school announced that we would be learning online, I was devastated. Having an in-person support system was one of the things that helped me the most in school, and it had been taken away. I felt lost and discouraged. At this time, I couldn’t see that that painful ending was actually a new beginning. I decided to seek extra help in my learning, often attending office-hours and formulating a new schedule to complete my work on time. Because of my efforts, I ascended to the top of my class, and exceeded the requirements for passing 11th grade. I also used the extra time I had to focus on my craft, practicing monologues, finding my vocal range, writing creative stories, and creating vibrant, complex characters. If life has taught me anything, it’s that struggles are temporary, and that there will always be a good side to every bad side.

As the only child of working class parents, I was never made to feel like we lacked anything; financially, spiritually or materially. My parents surrounded me with opportunities to become the vibrant personality I am today. For example, I was a very social child, being able to create a relationship with anyone in a matter of minutes. I loved talking to others and being the center of attention, as it gave me ideas for characters to create. Because of my charismatic nature, I never feared a stage or speaking publicly because I was always told ‘You’re a natural!” I sang and drew before I entered grade school. I took to performing like a moth to a flame. In 2017, I graduated from 8th grade and auditioned for a production on the same day. I got a leading role and found the stage to be my Happy Place; I was completely hooked. Being on stage energized me in a way drawing and writing had also done. When I was on stage, I felt invincible, and the stage lights lit up my soul as I danced and sang. Since then I have acted in several local productions and starred in a National podcast for an International Ministry. The challenge of new characters, stories and dance routines energized me. Since childhood, I’ve had an active imagination, always daydreaming about fantastical stories, building storylines and characters in my head. In time, I learned to focus that active imagination through drawing and writing my own stories and characters based on my own experiences, and soon I developed a passion for them. As I grew and improved my art and writing skills by attending classes and workshops, I found a new passion: acting. I love recreating characters and bringing them to life. I can explore characters through performance and dialogue, song and dance, which is exhilarating to me. My hope is to become an actor and inspire others in the same way I was inspired by Sidney Portier and Chadwick Boseman, among many. I want to become an author as well, to share my stories and characters, and educate my future readers on important life lessons. In the long-term, I also hope to become a business-owner and social justice advocate for underserved and marginalized communities. To reach these goals, I plan to go to university and learn more about acting while also improving my writing skills and complete my BA. After that, I want to transition to an MFA program in classical theatre. During both my undergraduate and graduate time, I’ll audition for roles while working on my ideas, characters, novels and books to submit to publishers or even self-publish. As I conclude my time as a Senior, it’s a surreal experience for my family. I’m graduating at 16 as the Valedictorian of a school I’ve attended for 11 years, in its 2nd graduating class since its founding 5 years ago. I’ve also recently participated in a student film as one of the main roles, which was an entertaining and educational experience, and I hope to never stop learning throughout my career. I'm also very involved with my future academically, acting as a Teacher's Assistant for one of the fifth grade groups, and excelling in college-level classes.

As the only child of working class parents, I was never made to feel like we lacked anything; financially, spiritually or materially. My parents surrounded me with opportunities to become the vibrant personality I am today. For example, I was a very social child, being able to create a relationship with anyone in a matter of minutes. I loved talking to others and being the center of attention, as it gave me ideas for characters to create. Because of my charismatic nature, I never feared a stage or speaking publicly because I was always told ‘You’re a natural!” I sang and drew before I entered grade school. I took to performing like a moth to a flame. In 2017, I graduated from 8th grade and auditioned for a production on the same day. I got a leading role and found the stage to be my Happy Place; I was completely hooked. Being on stage energized me in a way drawing and writing had also done. When I was on stage, I felt invincible, and the stage lights lit up my soul as I danced and sang. Since then I have acted in several local productions and starred in a National podcast for an International Ministry. The challenge of new characters, stories and dance routines energized me. Since childhood, I’ve had an active imagination, always daydreaming about fantastical stories, building storylines and characters in my head. In time, I learned to focus that active imagination through drawing and writing my own stories and characters based on my own experiences, and soon I developed a passion for them. As I grew and improved my art and writing skills by attending classes and workshops, I found a new passion: acting. I love recreating characters and bringing them to life. I can explore characters through performance and dialogue, song and dance, which is exhilarating to me. My hope is to become an actor and inspire others in the same way I was inspired by Sidney Portier and Chadwick Boseman, among many. I want to become an author as well, to share my stories and characters, and educate my future readers on important life lessons. In the long-term, I also hope to become a business-owner and social justice advocate for underserved and marginalized communities. To reach these goals, I plan to go to university and learn more about acting while also improving my writing skills and complete my BA. After that, I want to transition to an MFA program in classical theatre. During both my undergraduate and graduate time, I’ll audition for roles while working on my ideas, characters, novels and books to submit to publishers or even self-publish. As I begin my Undergraduate time, it’s a surreal experience for my family. I’m graduating at 16 as the Valedictorian of a school I’ve attended for 11 years, in its 2nd graduating class since its founding 5 years ago. I’ve also recently participated in a student film as one of the main roles, which was an entertaining and educational experience, and I hope to never stop learning throughout my career.