Unlikely Accomplishment Suzy Fahmy

At School of the Arts (SOTA) in San Francisco, film and video students set out to create independent projects twice a year. In spring semester of senior year, my friend Julian and I decided we would produce a movie so incredible, it would be remembered long after the freshmen of our graduating class were gone. Inventing the concept of our movie was no problem. But making the movie we imagined meant finding the right equipment, designing costumes, and scouting locations. Sadly, our pockets were not deep enough.

On one Friday afternoon in the middle of February, our circumstances began to change. When film class ended for the day, everyone was eager to head home and enjoy the weekend. Meanwhile, the impending doldrums of an after school job provided me with an excuse to take my time. On this serendipitous occasion, I overheard another film student talking to my film professor about applying for a grant to produce her project, a concept that quickly caught my attention. On my way to work, I could not stop thinking about this amazing opportunity. Finally I came home and googled "youth funding youth ideas." I found a non-profit organization that provides funding to youth initiated projects four times a year. I had two...