Sarah Garron, BFA in Film and Media Arts, First Semester Senior, Graduating Spring 2024

When I was young, I realized that the film industry was the field I was destined to enter. When I moved to Florida and finally entered my high school, it was my film teachers Bob Gray and Edward Fagan that really inspired me to continue with this dream. They were with me every step of the way providing 1:1 feedback for every single one of my assignments and constantly reassured me that they had faith that with my drive and creativity, I would become something great with my editing skills in the film industry. Even this summer, they have invited me back to work with them on a short film. I owe my creativity and drive to my two favorite film teachers of all time.

As a film student I come ready with a bunch of skills up my sleeve. I dive into everything from editing, cinemotography, art directing, acting and everything in between. Whether I’m cooking up magic behind the scenes or trying to be the star in front of the camera, I’m all about making the audience feel what I feel. But if I had to pick a top skill, it’d be editing. There’s something thrilling about bringing a bunch of ideas together into one awesome movie. Watching all those pieces click into place to create something fantastic is just my kind of excitement! Working in Adobe After Effects has brought a whole new world of editing right to my fingertips and I can’t wait to improve my skills in the VFX department.

I’m working to get my bachelor’s in fine arts in film and media arts, just like my high school Professors Ed Fagan and Bob Gray. My goal after I graduate is to apply to my former high school and try to become a film teacher there. My plan is to then apply to the St. Pete college classes that are specifically for people who have been hired as an instructor by a technical school and need to get a license to teach career-and-technical education (as opposed to regular, academic education). The reason why I am doing this in this specific order is that when I was talking to Mr. Fagan and Mr. Gray they said that “There would be no need to take them prior to being hired as a full-time instructor.”

Although I believe my editing skills continue to get better every day, I know that my fear of public speaking has been something that has always held me back and it continues to do even today. I fail to raise my hand with questions I might have or to recommend myself to positions that will allow me to shine because I’m scared of my voice being heard or challenged and it is something I have been trying to work on every day. My professors, family, and friends throughout the years have always talked to me about how my voice deserves to be heard no matter what and that I can bring a lot to the table, unfortunately, on days when my anxiety is higher than most, I will keep my hand down and accept whatever positions people need me in the most. I hope that within the next year, I can work to remove that stress for the sake of me being able to reach my dream of becoming a film teacher.