Different Not Less by Jakson

Different Not Less by Jakson - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

As a young child, I would lay in my bed at night and imagine worlds and stories to go along with each world. I wanted to share these tales with others. Movies, books, and comics at a young age fostered my imagination and let me see that stories could become something more tangible.

Being surrounded by these stories has inspired me to attend the Brigham Young University Center for Animation to receive a BA in Computer Science: Animation Emphasis. As a student, I want to collaborate with others to create enchanting experiences, and wish to learn how to be a part of a team, working together to build a masterpiece. I desire to create marvelous stories with those who have similar goals: to dazzle the younger generation.

Also influencing my future career choice was my diagnosis of autism at the age of three. A couple of years later I was enrolled in an ABA clinic, which doubled as both a school and therapy. I almost solely interacted with other kids with ASD diagnoses. They became my best friends. Though we were functionally different from an outsider's perspective, I didn’t see distinctions between us. These friendships have profoundly shaped my perspective about the value of all people. I noticed that, although I saw friends on the spectrum all around, neurodiverse people were hardly represented by media.

Having autism has given me a unique perspective that I hope I can use as an animator.. I want to develop stories with characters that others on the autism spectrum can feel empowered by as well as teach tolerance and inclusion. I want to unlock the inner child in those who experience what I create and help to bring awareness to society as a whole that those who are neurodiverse are (as Temple Grandin says) “different, not less.”