Poet Rainer Rilke said, “If when you wake up in the morning you can think of nothing but writing then you’re a writer.” I believe that goes for any career. As for me, I wake up thinking about animation: the art of bringing drawings to life. I dream about one day filling the shoes of the great Walt Disney or working side-by-side with the talented minds at Pixar. But every night, before I fall asleep, I think about how irrational I am, how risky it would be to follow a dream like that. No one has said what those thoughts mean for the future.
During my sophomore year a representative from Full Sail University, a university that specializes in entertainment media like film, music and art, came to my high school. At that time, becoming an animation artist was an insignificant thought drifting in the back of my mind, not one that I had reflected on yet. By the end of her presentation, however, I was completely won over by the school and the prospect of becoming an animation artist. Fueled by inspiration, I began my university investigation.
There were a few things I learned from my research. Full Sail University, although labeled as the best in its category, was not the best for me. It was too far away from home and tuition alone was double what I could afford. Unfortunately, I also found that the art/ animation field is very competitive and the chance of acquiring a job is shaky, to say the least.
Doubt slowly began to creep in about following such a big dream, and I knew it was vital that I also look into more practical careers: ones that would ensure job security, be close to home and keep total education costs low. I took out every book I could find in my library on majors and careers and surfed Collegeboard.com for countless hours. I had to find and consider other career paths.
During my sophomore year a representative from Full Sail University, a university that specializes in entertainment media like film, music and art, came to my high school. At that time, becoming an animation artist was an insignificant thought drifting in the back of my mind, not one that I had reflected on yet. By the end of her presentation, however, I was completely won over by the school and the prospect of becoming an animation artist. Fueled by inspiration, I began my university investigation.
There were a few things I learned from my research. Full Sail University, although labeled as the best in its category, was not the best for me. It was too far away from home and tuition alone was double what I could afford. Unfortunately, I also found that the art/ animation field is very competitive and the chance of acquiring a job is shaky, to say the least.
Doubt slowly began to creep in about following such a big dream, and I knew it was vital that I also look into more practical careers: ones that would ensure job security, be close to home and keep total education costs low. I took out every book I could find in my library on majors and careers and surfed Collegeboard.com for countless hours. I had to find and consider other career paths.
I thought about being a nurse or pharmacist and majoring in Clinical Sciences, or becoming an architect and majoring in Engineering Technologies. Then I thought I might like to major in Legal Studies, Communication, Culinary Arts, Journalism or History. The list could go on and on. But there was always a part of me that knew my heart had been captured by the pure magic of breathing life into paper and bringing stories to every home in America.
If there’s one thing Disney and Pixar movies have taught me, it is that anything is possible. And so began my quest for the perfect university. To start off, I had to set some guidelines. I asked myself the same three major questions as I had before about job security, location and cost. The process was much like solving a big puzzle where all the pieces came from different manufacturers, because you won’t find them all in one perfectly packaged box. The most important aspects that I wanted out of college were the pieces, and it was up to me, and me alone, to fit them together.
I also had to dig deep and find what it is that I truly want to do, whether it’s to be an animator, a historian or a lawyer. Honestly, I still ask myself that today and will probably continue long into the future. The terrifying part is that the possibilities are endless. However, to quote my role model and hero, Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” I just have to choose my dream.
Image source: http://www.disneylandpostcards.com/mickey-mouse-autograph.html
If there’s one thing Disney and Pixar movies have taught me, it is that anything is possible. And so began my quest for the perfect university. To start off, I had to set some guidelines. I asked myself the same three major questions as I had before about job security, location and cost. The process was much like solving a big puzzle where all the pieces came from different manufacturers, because you won’t find them all in one perfectly packaged box. The most important aspects that I wanted out of college were the pieces, and it was up to me, and me alone, to fit them together.
I also had to dig deep and find what it is that I truly want to do, whether it’s to be an animator, a historian or a lawyer. Honestly, I still ask myself that today and will probably continue long into the future. The terrifying part is that the possibilities are endless. However, to quote my role model and hero, Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” I just have to choose my dream.
Image source: http://www.disneylandpostcards.com/mickey-mouse-autograph.html