By Mario Montalvo/ne news editor
Several TCC students competed for scholarships and prizes in the Dream Big for College video competition sponsored by the Achieving the Dream organization.
Students from community colleges across the country uploaded three-minute videos to Facebook putting into words what keeps their dream of graduating college alive. Winners could receive a $1,500 scholarship, an iPad, Amazon gift cards and other prizes.
TR student Sabrina Nickels was one of the first people to enter the contest and received a $75 Amazon gift card just for entering. In her video “In Deaf Shoes (for Karen and Mrs. Cobb),” she re-creates what everyday life is like for a deaf person. She begins her video by asking viewers to watch the video all the way through.
“Feelings of confusion and possibly frustration are intended,” she says in her video.
She then proceeds to sign without telling the viewer what she is saying then repeats what she signed as she interprets aloud.
Nickels said the potential scholarship motivated her to enter the contest. She hopes to become an American sign language interpreter and to “bridge the gap between the deaf and hearing worlds.” In her video, she credits the love of her family, friends and the deaf community for keeping her dream alive.
SE student Kristina Haddock heard about the contest from her Spanish teacher who posted an announcement on CampusCruiser. Within five minutes of learning that the first 15 students to enter would receive a $75 gift card, she began recording her video from her laptop and was the third person to enter the contest, she said.
In her video, she says she was labeled as an at-risk student in high school.
“They didn’t think I could graduate,” she said. “So that pushed me to become a winner and not a loser just to work to make money.”
Her family, friends and coach helped motivate her to graduate from high school and go to college, she said. She strived to better herself and prove the statistic wrong.
Haddock created a group on Facebook and handed out fliers with instructions on how to vote for her video to garner more votes.
Planning to continue her education and become a social worker, she said community college has helped her succeed and become a winner.
“Losers work to make money,” she said. “Winners work to make a difference.”
SE student Julian Butler also heard about the contest from her teacher. Butler said the theme of her video is why going to school can help her achieve her dream of becoming a speaker and counselor for troubled teenagers.
“I love making videos and getting a chance to communicate my dream in an impacting way, so I gave it a shot,” she said.
In her video, she talks about school giving her the tools she needs to pursue her dream and fulfill her purpose.
She gathered video footage over the course of two weeks at school, church and home and took about four hours to edit the three-minute video. She also wrote and played the music in the video.
“I didn’t just want to throw something together,” she said. “I wanted it to be motivating and inspiring, not just to the judges but to students and teenagers.”
The winners will be announced during Achieving the Dream’s Annual Meeting on Student Success Feb. 28-March 2 in Dallas.
Visit http://www.facebook.com/achievingthedream to view the videos submitted by these and other students.
