I graduated with a major in Filmmaking and a minor in Communications. After completing
my associates degree at Hutchinson Community College I was looking for the best place
to continue my college education. That was a hard task as there are not a lot of colleges
within Kansas that offered a degree in filmmaking. I traveled to a lot of other states
to see many different schools and applied to many different colleges. At that time
the School of Digital Arts was going into its second year so I had not heard about
the program.
It was by luck I just happened to go on a tour with my sister to the WSU campus, just
for support. Someone had come up to me to talk to me about what my plan was and I
told them they didn't offer it. To my surprise they had just the thing for me. In
the end I ended up going to the School of Digital Arts because their space was impressive
and growing and it was close to home. Two things I needed at the time.
I graduated in 2020, not the ideal time to be getting out of college and looking to
get my foot in the door somewhere, but I made it work. The first job I was able to
get with my degree was a part time teaching position for WSU Tech. During that time
I was freelancing as well. I filmed music videos, weddings, took family and senior
photos. Anything you could film, I was there. In 2023 I found a full time job as a
Video and Creative Manager doing what I set out to do, film and create. Since then
I have been focusing on that and working on personal passion projects.
It took me three years to find the position I am currently in, and have been in this
position for three years. I am the first to hold this seat in this company so it has
been fun to mold and shape what a Video and Creative Manager looks like for the company. There
are a handful of things I am proud of since graduating. I would have to give you two.
The music videos I was able to work on aired on CMT and were written about in an article
of the Rolling Stones. And my most recent is writing, producing, filming, directing,
and editing a commercial that aired regionally during the 2025 Super Bowl. I got the
chance to do it again and a new commercial for my company will be airing not only
regianly during the 2026 Super Bowl but also during the opening ceremony for the 2026
Winter Olympics next week.
Advice I would give students going into this field is to believe in yourself. You
have got to want it. You have got to go for it. Just because the first opportunity
doesn't work out for you, doesn't mean it's the end, you have to keep trying. Anyone
who is in this field knows it can be a tough one to get your foot in the door and
that can be daunting and disheartening, BUT you can't give up on yourself. Also, be
open, that opportunity might not look exactly like you thought it would but it could
turn out even better than you imagined if you give it a chance. And always, always
be willing to learn and grow.