Arts & Scholarship by Hera

Arts & Scholarship by Hera - April 2024 Scholarship Essay

I’m a storyteller. My ultimate goal as a filmmaker is to create authentic, change-making films that inspire critical thought in audiences. This goal requires a combination of my skills as an advocate, artist, and scholar. My future body of work will make an impact by blending art with advocacy, volunteerism, and academic pursuits.

I’ve pursued advocacy and equity work through both formal and informal roles. I use my voice for change as leader of LACHSA’s Equity and Inclusion Committee and as an arts education advocate. I intern as a Student Voices Leader for Create California, a coalition that advocates for legislation safeguarding artistic curriculums in public schools. Through this program, I am enhancing my existing skills to mobilize my peers and create projects that deliver arts advocacy-related messages. My goal is to continue leading with empathy and understanding, using advocacy to amplify voices that otherwise go unheard.

Volunteering is another way I use my voice and support members of my community. As a peer tutor and precalculus teaching assistant, my focus extends beyond grades to emphasize mentorship and the development of a growth mindset. I’ve applied this mindset to my own arts and academics.

My passion for advocacy naturally extends to my art. As an advocate, a feeling of artistic responsibility motivates me to make positive contributions with my films. Visual art is a powerful means to convey messages that people might otherwise dismiss. Because of this, I’m thoughtful about how I use my voice. Artistic responsibility doesn’t mean that every film must address a social cause, but artists should use their platform to do good. In my work as a writer-director-producer, I have the unique power to inform and unite, building communities with art.

As an artist, I recognize the importance of diverse perspectives. Because I understand that there are some stories other artists are better suited to tell, I use my talent as a producer to support fellow filmmakers’ visions. I’ve collaborated on media addressing mental health, the pandemic, the transgender experience, the beauty standard, and growing up.
The artistic community has also taught me the importance of taking risks and maintaining a growth mindset. Artists often experience blocks in their creative processes. It is an artistic value to recognize that failure is an important component of the artistic process and is a step toward contributing impactful work. This perspective reminds me that each project is an opportunity to grow artistically, academically, and personally.

Though my career aspiration is primarily artistic, I have a strong interest in pursuing rigorous academics to broaden my intellectual foundation. I want to contribute to and support films with complex, socially impactful themes. Exploration of analytical subjects, including advanced math and sciences, will complement my film studies. Beyond narrative works, documentary filmmaking is also a passion of mine that requires strong research skills and academic breadth.
I envision myself continuing to serve my community as an advocate, volunteer. scholar, and artist, and I will bring this blend of passions to my future university.