I'm a Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Film and Media Honors graduate.  I currently work as a freelance video editor and for Anime Gaming Network (AGN) and The Good Pennyworths. 

 

Previously, I've worked for BC Studio as a Studio Production Assistant where I was responsible for some camera oppressions, facilitating studio set operations and slate duties during the private Green Screen shoots.  Additionally, I have also interned with Watch My Diamonds, FIT's Infor Design and Tech Lab also known as DTech where I could practice applying my skills for continuous improvement in addition to growing on a personal and professional level. 

 

I grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and have been Homeschooled for the majority of my life.  Over the years I discovered my passion for film and made short home videos throughout my childhood.  My interest in film began when I took the Asian Girls Empowerment Through Media (AGEM) workshop at Third World Newsreel. The program exposed me to stereotypes, racism, and how media can improve cultural understanding and equality. Using the city sidewalks as our set, we made short films exploring the issues of stereotypes, public smoking, and Asian American identity.  One of our 'shorts' was featured in the Asian American Film Festival. 

 

In the Summer of 2011, I returned to China with Where There Be Dragons, whose programs “...encourage deep immersion into strikingly different physical and cultural landscapes, combining ... experiential education, travel, service, … and physically and intellectually challenging experiences.” I spent four weeks with a Hilltribe family who cooked in a wood-fired wok, hauled water from a well, and farmed with a water buffalo. This traditional lifestyle contrasted to the next two weeks spent with a modern, educated family in Kunming. 
 
Community service has played a big part of my life, first inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall and her Roots & Shoots program. For five years my local chapter received Certificates of Recognition for many projects, including planting two Monarch butterfly gardens in Riverside Park and volunteering at a local food pantry.  I participated in the United Nations International Day of Peace, was interviewed by ABC International News, was an invited guest of Dr. Goodall on the Martha Stewart show and at the Glamour Magazine Women of the Year Awards. In further recognition of my volunteer efforts, I received The President's Volunteer Service Award in both 2012 and 2013.  Since 2005, I have been active with the Children of the Earth Foundation (www.cotef.org), whose goal is to nurture personal growth and self-esteem through wilderness connections and stewardship of the earth. I served as an intern at their summer camp and was an assistant instructor for their NYC programs in Harlem and Central Park. I have chronicled this at https://coyotetracksnewyork.shutterfly.com/.

 

During high school, I received a 4th place science award from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Urban Barcode Project, a city-wide high school competition involving design and implementation of research using DNA samples from fish sold in NYC greenmarkets. 
 
In the Spring of 2016, I completed my Associates Degree in Urban Studies from Guttman Community College.  
 
Furthermore, I’ve worked part-time at Urban Outfitters for two years, learning about fashion, retail, marketing and consumer behavior.  This prepared me for my role as an Academic Success Peer Mentor.  Peer Mentors help ease the transition from high school to college by reaching out to struggling students. 
 
Working alongside Graduate Coordinators, I facilitate a weekly 90-minute “Studio” class designed to teach the academic skills necessary for success.  It has been a safe space to develop leadership skills and deepen my college experience by building community while serving others.    

 

In 2015, I received the Phi Theta Kappa (ΦΘΚ or PTK) Honors Society award and then again in 2018 for the Delta Alpa Pi (DAPi) Honors Society for my academic excellence.  
 
During the Summer of 2018, I participated in CCIS - Istituto Venezia's 4 week study abroad Italian Language program.  The summer super-intensive course is fast-moving and designed for students who wish to learn the language in all of its various aspects (speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension).