University of Texas Austin Scholarship Essay Example on Influence

Describe and evaluate one experience that significantly influenced your academic interests. The experience might be a college course, a job, a relationship, an extracurricular activity, or a profound event. Be sure to explain how this experience led to your setting the goals you now have for yourself, and why you think the academic program for which you are enrolled will help you to reach those goals

The sweet smell of popcorn filled the auditorium. Members of the audience sat amazed as they witnessed a fearful extinct species roam an island world. I sat in my chair in shock and awe, immersed as I watched dinosaurs storm across a field like deer in a forest, and became installed with Steven Spielberg's magical ability to conjure up wonder in "The Lost World". My earliest distinct moment in the theater at the age of four stands out as my first experience with the magical medium of film.

I can recall feelings of bewilderment as I stared into this extraordinary world, of fear as I witnessed a Tyrannosaurus Rex tear apart a city, and of joy as I watched these beasts of Mother Nature come to life before my eyes. The sounds of the creature's foot steeps and the enchanting and recurring theme chilled my young body. I became absorbed in the film, no longer simply an audience member watching from the sidelines but as an inhabitant of this world. Those unforgettable two hours spent in that theater felt like an entire lifetime.

Leaving the theater left me with a passion for filmmaking that I needed to satisfy and, like water for a plant; this passion influenced the rest of my growth. I admired a visionary's power to create worlds for audiences to immerse themselves in; worlds filled with fantastical creatures and elements to escape from the boundaries of reality, and knew I wanted to acquire this same power. As I grew and matured I sought the means to gain this power from making videos with my first computer at the age of seven, from watching behind the scenes documentaries of my favorite films, and from experimenting with a diverse array of post-production programs. My love for filmmaking cemented and I gained a distinct affection for the role of a visual effects artist.

Those remarkable two hours serve as my great awakening towards my enlightenment. I discovered my destiny to become a visionary and joining the Radio-Television-Film program at the University of Texas will come to serve as my pilgrimage. Engaging in the program's curriculum will mean more to me than earning a degree from a high-ranking institution. Rather it will serve as a life-changing experience; it will serve as a rite of passage towards my journey of becoming not just a participant in the filmmaking process but of an artist. As I participate in the film community at the University of Texas and take full advantage of the school's resources I will evolve from a student to a _____. Those two hours, those hours of wisdom and delight, are my shrine and will serve as my eternal guide as I walk the path towards my destiny of participating in film and creating worlds for audience's to become a part of.

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