People love to ask why I chose to major in English instead of going straight into film, as if storytelling only lives behind a camera. But for me, words were the first lens. Spelman's immersive English courses taught me how to dissect emotion, build worlds, and understand what makes a narrative stick. Film was always the destination, but English gave me the map. Through courses like Digital Media/Technology in Film and Writing for Television at Morehouse, and Multimedia Writing & Reporting and Fundamentals of Film Production at Clark Atlanta, I learned that great filmmakers are, at their core, great writers. My studies across the AUC shaped me into someone who doesn’t just want to tell stories; I want to understand them from every angle, every frame, and every word. So when people question my path, I just smile, as I know I’m building a foundation strong enough to rewrite the script.

I carry a quiet fire, not loud, but certain. The kind that learns to burn brighter in silence before stepping into the light.. For a long time, I let silence do the talking. It wasn’t until I found spoken word that I began to understand the weight of my own voice. Each performance, each story I listened to or recited, chipped away at my fear and built confidence in my pen. Spoken word became my training ground, where I learned that storytelling isn’t just about what’s said, but what’s felt. That energy carried into every form of writing I’ve touched since — scripts, essays, analyses — all rooted in the same rhythm of truth and emotion.

I’ve never been afraid of the grind, of showing up again and again until the work matches the vision. Every late night, every rewrite, every “no” has only sharpened my purpose. My drive isn’t just to make it into the film industry,  it’s to make an impact once I’m there, to give life to stories that reflect the depth, resilience, and humanity I’ve seen in my own journey. That quiet fire still burns, but now, it speaks.