"I think telling stories is one of the most important things we do as a society."
Hometown: Houston, Texas
PBS Mentor Station: Houston Public Media
Six-word Memoir: Help others, but never forget yourself.
Why did you choose to get involved in storytelling?
When I was younger I thought I had to pursue a more “realistic career path”, so for so long I pushed away the thought of doing anything related to broadcast or creating content. But I would still do little things, like record what my family was doing around the house and narrating over it, I made a Youtube channel in middle school with some friends (which should never see the light of day), and I loved talking to my friends about the simplest little stories and making them funny and entertaining to listen to. Eventually my freshman year I got fed up with my computer science class and signed up for my video production class and I’ve never looked back. I think telling stories is one of the most important things we do as a society. It humanizes and connects us, it puts you in the shoes of a simple 9-5 worker or a high schooler and helps you understand them just a little more.
What story are you most proud of?
The story I’m most proud of is actually a story I’m working on right now (it would be done and out right now if not for corona). It talks about the possibility of changes to Texas’ sex ed curriculum. I’ve produced plenty of stories and content for my video production program before, but this was my first really big project. This is my first chance to show what I can do and to report on a topic that’s really important to me. Everyone accepts that sex education isn’t great and this is an opportunity to push for change.
How can youth media change the world?
When we learn about events like wars and pandemics, until recently, people rarely got the perspective of the youth. Programs like SRL give us a chance to tell our side of the story, and to deliver information to teens by other teens. We can tell the older generations how we feel and how their decisions are really shaping our future.
Who is your role model?
I’d say Uncle Iroh from the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender. He’s a retired war general who realized he was on the wrong side of history, and makes things right. He looks after his nephew, who is a prince with an abusive father who banished him, and puts him on a better path. He’s a peaceful, funny, and warm hearted character who makes everyone (including fans of the show) want to be a better person.
