You Always Have The Ability!

It is not uncommon for kids to have a rough idea of what they want to be as adults. The idea of becoming a computer programmer was just ingrained in me from a young age. As a child, he taught me how to write small programs. It was always a dream of mine to be able to accomplish that. My attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) was diagnosed at the age of seven, and my epilepsy was diagnosed at the age of twelve. The process of navigating my disabilities was challenging after my disability diagnosis. Because of my disabilities, I experienced ableism and bullying from kids in school, resulting in low self-esteem, introversion, and reclusiveness.  Additionally, when I entered high school, I found myself struggling with computer programming, but I wasn’t sure what direction I should pursue. 

In high school, I met a lot of people who became my friends and helped me blossom.  After attending community college, my friends encouraged me to continue my education, which I did at Stanford University (SU) through their continuing study program.  During my time at Stanford University (SU), I was inspired by a professor to pursue cinema. The words of the professor rang true with me when it came to advancing my education.

Transferring to San Jose State University (SJSU) was an important decision for me.  In my undergraduate studies, I majored in Radio, Television, and Film. During my time at SJSU, I worked on numerous projects as a camera assistant, grip, and electrician.  Pre-production and production were the two areas in which I made it a priority to learn everything I could. Students and industry veterans have taught me a lot about the industry. Even though I had never worked in the camera department before, I jumped at the opportunity to become a director of photography.

In 2013, I made my directorial debut at the Campus Film Festival. An idea I was working on became a short film. The Hopeless Romantic, one of the top ten films entered to represent San Jose State University (SJSU) at the festival, was selected as one of the top ten finalists. Harry Mathias, my cinematography professor, taught me the art and craft of being a director of photography. The Right Person, written and directed by my friend Tyler Pochop, was my real debut as a director of photography. Numerous film festivals selected the film for screening, and it went on to make the rounds of the festival circuit. Interestingly, my cinematography professor chose the movie to be featured in his book, The Death and Rebirth of Cinema: Mastering the Art of Cinematography in the Age of Digital Cinema. The rest of my work can be viewed on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and IMDB.

As a graduate of San Jose State University (SJSU) with a degree in Radio-Television-Film, I thanked my parents for not pushing me to pursue medicine or engineering. The day I received my Bachelor of Arts was one of the proudest days of my life. 

Following college, I worked on a variety of media projects. Following the completion of a work assignment, my counselor at the Department of Rehabilitation told me about Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA). As a result of my counselor’s recommendation, I checked out Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA). My involvement with Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) Marketing Team began as a production assistant, then as a director of photography, and now as an editor. Thanks to Tari Hartman Squire, a forethought became reality. The experience has allowed me to meet and work with many amazing people. Taking part in Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) Newsletter/Marketing Team has challenged me to the next level of writing under the guidance of Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) Newsletter/Marketing Team Editor in Chief, Trelanda Lowe. I joined Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) marketing team to help spread the word about disability topics within the community.

Moreover, I am an advocate for Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) and other organizations. It is imperative to advocate for those who are unaware of disability representation and protective laws. With my experience in the media industry and advocacy, it is my mission to inspire people to dream big, just as Judith (Judy) Heumann has. 

Having a strong representation as a director with disabilities is important to me because of my love for directing.  Moreover, based on my recent investigative research, I will write an article addressing the lack of disabled directors in the media industry. 

M. Night Shyamalan, James Cameron, Denzel Washington, Kathryn Bigelow, and many others inspire me to create masterful content of my own. As I continue to create more content and write for the LCA Marketing Team, I hope to motivate others to do the same.