BioVoice Edit2

I was born in the small city Trenton, New Jersey. Aside for it being the capitol of New Jersey, its greatest claim to fame is that a secret Government Facility in the movie “Hellboy” was headquartered there. It is a snap shot of your urban DC, Chicago, or Baltimore. I have never been one for remembering things; my earliest memory is filled with agony.  Around the age of 3 possibly 4, I accidentally stabbed myself in the eye with a pair of scissors.  The images of an ambulance and helicopter escape me, but I distinctly remember lying on a cold metal table with an oxygen mask on my face, singing the sedation song “happy birthday to you” knowing clearly it was not my birthday.  Thankfully, I enter kindergarten with two good eyes and a shy personality. 

I attended about 5-6 different elementary schools. We moved a lot. Some schools were great others not so great. My third grade teacher Mrs. Fitzgerald I will never forget. My fourth grade teacher I wish I could forget.  The most challenging part of changing schools is being the new kid, transitioning from walking to busing, and overall staying out of trouble. Most of the time when I came to a new school I was on the teacher radar, a feeling I despised. I quickly learned the best way to stay off the teacher and student radar was to be an ok kid who wasn’t afraid to defend herself.  

Middle School: For all of my years before this I was a tomboy. All that changed by middle school. I got a few jobs babysitting, hair solon assistant, whatever was available for a kid my age.  Admitting I now wanted to be pretty, not for attention, but to be thought of nicely. Which from observing my “pretty” older sister, I gathered people generally think of you in higher regards if you are pretty. Nonetheless my middle school experience was good mostly filled with a new sense of image awareness and mediocre academic performance. So much so I was demoted from gifted and talented into regular classes between my 6th and 7th grade years. The best things that I gained from middle school are my two best friends.

I entered high school with confidence and two friends I knew I could count on. We tried out for the varsity cheerleading team together, two made it and the other one joined the band.  So we were still together all the time. I again became focused on my academic performance. Cheerleading weirdly became a huge part of me. Senior years was good, I was captain of the cheerleading team, homecoming queen, and I got into 3 of the 5 schools I applied to, then I graduated. Looking back now high school flew by.

I started Rutgers EOF program the 2 days after I graduated.  I thought I would hate it. Giving up my entire summer to do some summer prep program. I did hate it, only in the moment however. I appreciated much later in the semester. Like most students I entered undecided. I however, quickly found my way to production in theater form. As a freshman I was a work-study student in the theater. I liked being around the set designers and lighting technicians.  After taking a media and culture class I decided that I would major in video production. During my senior year when my friends were all applying to graduate school I was looking for work.  When May came I was jobless with a degree like so many. 

I free-lanced for the summer landing a couple of gigs in NYC, mostly short films that lasted 2-3 weeks tops. While the pay was decent the work was inconsistent. I ended up moving to South Jersey with my parents.  I landed a freelancing gig, which I detest to write about.  The pay was terrible and the call hours even worse. I found a production company based in Philadelphia with the coolest bunch of films makers I have yet to met. Even while shooting commercials, independent films and getting drunk, I stayed diligent looking for a fulltime gig. In November I landed a job at QVC, only part-time though. Still persistent I continued to look for a full time production assistant position. And in January I got one! Three interviews and an offer letter later, I got a dreadful phone call the company was going into a hiring freeze. I stayed at QVC until mid summer of that year. Feeling crushed by failure, I gave myself an ultimatum. I would move back to North Jersey and look for work. If I did not find a full time job in 6 months I would go back to school. 

Its funny the way things work. I didn’t find a job in 6 months. In January I started the ICM program at Quinnipiac University.  2 months later I interviewed for a full-time video production assistant position and I got it. No hiring Freeze, just an offer letter with an April 9th start date.  While I was not exactly enthusiastic about graduate school and I almost gave up on my passion, the two could not have come together in better fashion or with greater correlation. And although I am sometimes overwhelmed, I can honestly say I love this program and my job.