Week 3! I can’t believe it’s already been three weeks. I’m not ready for the program to end, but I’m so glad I was able to attend. I’ve had an incredible time here, and it has boosted my confidence in speaking with others. Usually, I stick to the same group of people, but this program encouraged me to branch out, talk to everyone, and learn new things about them. Although I was very nervous when I first arrived, by the end of the first day, everything felt normal and natural
I’ve loved the freedom of walking around campus and feeling independent. I won’t experience this kind of independence again until I go to college myself. This opportunity at AYA has been unforgettable. Exploring with my friends has been eye-opening and has created core memories for me, like those yellow orbs in the movie Inside Out that I can replay in my mind over and over.
All of our guest speakers have been inspiring, but this week’s AYA alumni speakers particularly touched me. I connected with one of them over our shared love for video creation, which was amazing. However, I also gained something even more valuable. I tend to overthink and anticipate every negative outcome, but listening to the alumni share their experiences made me realize I wasn’t alone in feeling like I didn’t fit in. It made me happy to see that others felt the same way and helped me understand that I deserved to be here just like everyone else. I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. I’m still young, with so much ahead of me, and I should be enjoying every moment of my teenage years and life in general.
I’ve recently started learning Premiere Pro and After Effects. I love these programs and have had so much fun experimenting with them while editing my video projects for class. I’m especially proud of the video I made for my most recent project in Comm 101. Although I had these programs before, I only used them for simple tasks like removing music or fixing resolutions for my video game clips. Now, I’m exploring their full potential to create even more eye-catching projects.
This week I also got to experience the recording studio again. I didn’t get to do much in there, but it was fun just looking at all of the tech and screens. The refresh rate on one of the screens was very fascinating to me; I had never seen a screen look so smooth before. I took a few pictures with my friends. We also got to leave early, which was nice, so my friends and I went to the library. It was cool to explore and it goes back to my point of freedom, just being able to walk around with my friends. I had to leave early because I had to Uber home, and it was getting more expensive the longer I stayed. A little bit of a sad note, but I left my camera in the Uber. Luckily, I got it back, but I needed to pay $20. I didn’t mind since the camera was $500. I’ll make sure to be more responsible with my possessions next time.
That wraps up my journal for this week. I will never forget this experience. Though I’m not ready for it to end, all good things must come to a close. Until next time, see you for my final journal entry next week. Peace!
Communicating Change 