This was an essay I just finished writing for a scholarship my dad found for me to apply to. Enjoy.
State your future goals/aspirations as they relate to your career and education objectives.
I am choosing to pursue a Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin in Film because I aspire to use art and media to inspire thought. My sophomore year of high school, I saw a documentary called “Invisible Children” that documented the struggles of kidnapped child soldiers in the Sudanese civil war. Produced by college students, the film was modern, entertaining, and relatable for a young audience. The subject matter was shocking and really touched me. Influenced by the film, I created my own service organization at my high school to raise funds for the cause. One day, with my collegiate training, I will travel the world to underprivileged societies and to areas of underpublicized human rights crises and create documentary films that will educate the civilized world of the struggles much of humanity is facing, in hopes that they will be inspired to act and assist. With my film degree, I also aspire to create narrative films that are whimsical and character-driven, with a deep sense of humanity to the core. I aspire to tackle topical issues like mental illness, self-image, discrimination, human weakness, and existentialism using historical allegory, animation, puppetry, music, and more. Film is the art of story-telling but with unlimited artistic resources to tell that story. I will use my education to obtain the technical skills in order to execute my creative vision and create films that inspire people to more closely examine the ways in which they lead their lives. Because of the all-encompassing artistic nature of film, I aspire to work in a menagerie of artistic fields, using the technical skills of storyboarding, production, or screen writing to also work as a cartoonist, digital media artist, and author. Although ambitious, this task will not be impossible for all of these vocations will be small facets of my career as a auteur, an artist who is responsible for every facet of his film. Film is inspiring because of its story-telling nature. The audience is privileged enough to watch a human as he experiences life and is changed by those experiences. I aspire to act in some of my films some day, as well. The human condition is fascinating, and acting is another art form I can use to influence and inspire. I have experienced much great art in my lifetime thus far. Art that is great is not only art that will make you smile, but art that will make you panic, make you sob, and most importantly, make you think. I aspire to inspire.
Post title from "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan
