The Journey by Jason

The Journey by Jason - December 2015 Scholarship Essay

I try not to think about where I’ll be in 10 years. I could be rich, famous, successful, happy, completely surrounded by loving friends and family. I look toward the future and see a bright, yet equally blinding light. You see, I can dream up every fantastical scenario in the book to explain where I may or may not be in 10 years. However, the end result isn’t what drives me. American families don’t gather around the television with an insatiable enthusiasm to watch their favorite American Idol so they can rush the nearest Target to purchase a copy of the contestant’s album. They gaze intently each week because they become transfixed with the contestant’s story; the barriers this young singer has broken and the lengths they’ve gone to even be considered a possible musical icon. Much like the audience of American Idol, I am enamored with the journey, my journey. At the very same time I also resemble the contestant, driven to succeed by attacking each new challenging obstacle, starry eyed and hypnotized by the prize. Attending Bellevue College is my audition, my ticket to Hollywood.

College courses become immediately beneficial because I will be exposed, not only to valuable information, but also experiences that will drive my story forward. In fact, the experiences that accompany a life in college heavily overshadow the information I may learn. We live in the age of information. Information is immediately accessible at a moments notice, as long as you have access to the Internet. Free college courses can be streamed to your laptop at the click of a button. With a generous amount of self-motivation I could learn all there is about whatever I’d like, but be lacking the experience that makes the information I learn useful. I could attempt to acquire such experience by exercising my knowledge on my own, but with no clear direction and no peers to share the journey with, my pursuits would/have come to an unfulfilling stand still. So, I shift my focus toward college, where I can find like-minded individuals patiently anticipating the experiences that will mold our collective professional lives.

I don’t know where I’ll be 10 years from now, but I can tell you where I’d like to be. However, I understand that the fantasy of what I want and the tangibility of achieving that fantasy narrows the reality of what will become my future. So I look to the future with no expectations. I open my arms to all the possibilities. Being young isn’t about knowing exactly what you want in the future, but rather pursuing something you enjoy now with confidence. I’ve enjoyed film for 21 years and continue to enjoy it. I’m confident that 10 years from now I’ll still be passionate about film. My current goal is to make film a career. College is where I initiate that goal. That being said, I would like to be working as a director, screenwriter, actor and producer 10 years from now. Though, I understand my story will be unique to me, so where do I see myself 10 years from now? Well, I see myself standing with like-minded, goal oriented people. Just standing there, wherever there is, with a smile on my face and a camera in my hand.