"My world and the journey ahead of me began to materialize on Nelson's stage. From my seat at the back of the art room, the com tech lab, and the English classes of Nelson High School, I was a teenager who dreamed of crawling out of the skin of who I was and becoming anything else. My high school drama class taught me to feel comfortable in my skin. It’s the skin that became my ever-growing facility. I owe a great deal to the guidance of my Drama teacher, and my Com-tech and film teacher, for their profound influence and insights into performance and cinema. The creativity we harnessed in our after school film projects and the narratives we explored on stage propelled me into film school and immersed me in the world in which I felt like I truly belonged. I never thought I would continue to nurture that inner teenager as much as I still do today. Her influence is in everything I do. My mind paints loving portraits of the lessons in vulnerability, the tears, the small acts of rebellion and the unwavering and stubborn hope that came along with discovering who I am. I spent four formative years at Nelson high school and I could not be more proud of where I come from. I am grateful to the school and the educators who supported  my peers and me with their patience, compassion, dedication and encouragement. High school is where I learned to take note of what makes your heart glow and plant yourself like a seed in its light. Thank you Nelson for helping me grow."