Past.

“Keep a watch on 30. 14 and 15 MO” I heard as I sat with my mouth open wide wondering what those words meant. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be a Dentist. Since then, I prepped myself by taking AP Biology in high school, researching different dental schools, and attempting to prepare for the DAT (Dental Admissions Test).

I thought I had my life all figured out. I got admitted and attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), majoring in Biology. That was perfect for me as I would get my prereqs and head off to dental school.

A smile is a universal language.

I wanted to be a dentist because I wanted to help people be confident in their smile and overall fix oral hygiene around the world, but I noticed something was lacking in my journey. Something did not feel right as I embarked on the journey of Dentistry.

During my first semester, I figured out very quickly that passion overrules everything. If you aren’t super passionate about whatever you are doing, your life won’t last very long. I am so grateful that I realized that very early on in my college career. So, that mean’t I had to change my major but to what? What was I passionate about?

Theatre. To be a part of a community where there is a sense of belonging, meeting different people, and being able to express yourself in a way that is non-conventional was everything I was looking for.

Theatre has shaped me into the person I am today. But soon after, I once again realized that although I am super passionate about theatre, I didn’t really want to get a college degree in it. So, that left me back at square one. You cannot be undecided forever, so I had to pick something and pick it quickly as I was about to enter the second semester of my sophomore year then it hit me.

Journalism was that thing that I never really thought about doing because I thought it was unattainable. I was super interested in reporting and gathering facts, video, digital media, and most importantly storytelling. Journalism was a great gateway where I could merge my passions of theatre by telling a story and connecting with people but also helping make the world a better place by getting the facts out.

“First think. Second Dream. Third Believe. Fourth Dare.”– Walt Disney

Something I have always wanted to do was complete a Disney College Program (DCP). In high school I spent countless hours researching everything there is to know about the College Program and Disney as a company as a whole. “What better time to do my college program than right now?” I thought to myself. I gathered a plan. Apply to the DCP and then apply to transfer schools under the Journalism major.

I completed my Disney College Program in the spring of 2023 and enrolled in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that upcoming school year which would be my Junior year.

My dreams were slowly coming true. I always dreamed of going to UNC, I finally found a major that spoke to me, and I was in the midst of the DCP; life was good, I just had to get my degree.