What One Week Can Teach You

I’ve been alive for 20 years now… and 2 months (my 5-year-old self would think those extra 2 months were a huge deal). I’ve learned a lot about who I am in those 20 years – from my friends, family, co-workers, professors, coaches, celebrities (yes, celebrities), but most importantly, from myself.

I would like to start off by stating that I am sharing this information to reflect on my school year and inspire others that change can occur in as quickly as one week. Frankly, most of the realizations I have had happened all in one night, being the last night in Boston before I returned home.

For the first two years of college, I worked on the largest student-run live award show in the country, the EVVY Awards. This past year, I was the judges coordinator, which relied heavily on communication and time management skills. These are qualities that I see as a strength within myself. I am constantly checking my phone for new emails, regarded as approachable, and I always keep my calendar updated. Despite all of this, by the end of the semester I still felt unaccomplished and could not understand why.

At Emerson College, EVVY production week starts right after the spring semester officially ends, and honestly, that is when I realized a lot about myself that I should have a while ago. Before this week, I did not know what I wanted to do with my life. I knew film production was the correct path to pursue, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with it. Although production week was extremely busy, I thankfully had time to sit and think about my career path as a whole. It is crucial to make this time for yourself. This entire school year I felt anxious about not knowing my place. Who could’ve guessed that one week would change that for me?

I struggled a lot with finding connections both professionally and personally. I noticed a lot of my peers getting internships and receiving acknowledgement on their projects, however, I would wonder why it didn’t happen to me and truly never thought that marketing myself would be beneficial. For example, I have gained over 400 followers on my Instagram page in the past month and a half. That is a huge accomplishment for me and is due to the fact that I would talk about my blog and what I do whenever a chance appeared. I realized that I shouldn’t be ashamed of discussing my interests and projects. By doing this, I have met amazing people that can help me expand my networks so I can keep doing what I love.

As for personal relationships, I encountered much difficulty finding my place in college. This year I have made life long friendships and found people I genuinely care for. But during production week itself, I went in not being close with anyone and came out with a whole new group of friends. Maybe we won’t hang out next year or maybe we will, but I learned that even though your friends are not always physically there, new ones can be found when you least expect it. Connections can be made anytime, anywhere, if you make it happen for yourself.

I have focused my career paths and interests, which is extremely important for the field I am aspiring to be in: all accomplished within a week. By working on a show where everybody is passionate about what they are doing, not to mention exceptionally talented, it got me thinking if I was where I actually want to be. The answer was simply no. My older sister also attended Emerson College and worked on this amazing production that goes live every year so when I became a student, I thought that I should do it too. I do not regret being a part of this at all, but I’ve realized that it was geared towards her interests, not mine. Next semester, I am going to focus on fewer projects, but more intensely to produce the highest quality product possible.

Here are two specifics during production week that made a light bulb go off in my head:

One package in the show regarded mental health on campus.
Kevin Bright, an executive producer and director of the hit television sitcom Friends, was an advisor for the entire production.

Those two aspects by themselves made me realize what is meaningful to me – combining the two: mental health and comedy. Weird mix, I’m aware, but sitting in the audience of the 37th Annual EVVY Awards, I began to wonder. I obviously paid attention to the show, but mostly, I just sat and thought. Throughout sophomore year, I began to realize that the genre of comedy in the media enticed me. I started binging shows like That ‘70s Show and Friends, but did not know why it seemed so important. Having the opportunity and pleasure to talk with Kevin Bright, my interest only got stronger. Also, the reason I want to become involved in the entertainment industry is to advocate for mental health, but I want to achieve this in a unique way. When I was younger, my anxiety and depression was at an extreme high and movies like RV and Couples Retreat or TV shows like The Big Bang Theory and Everybody Loves Raymond created a safe space to focus on being content. I believe that sitcoms, rom-coms, or any form of comedy allows one to distract themselves from their real life problems for the duration of the program, and I would like to continue this through the media I create. In addition to this, I believe that blogging is a way to take it back by discussing serious topics and bringing necessary awareness to real issues. Social media platforms along with the entertainment industry acts as an escape for myself, as well as an outlet for others that experience similar obstacles.

Within one week of my sophomore year of college, even after the semester ended, I learned more about myself than I had in the past 20 years. I’m expressing my experience in hopes that if you feel unworthy, confused, or frustrated, you are not alone, and with time you will figure out where you need to be. When that time comes, your motivation will automatically increase and you will be determined to follow your dreams. It only took one week for me – it can only take one week for you too.