I have to admit, I was quite skeptical about coming to Full Sail. Generally when applying to a college, I've heard of them before applying. But with Full Sail, I heard of it from a friend while studying at Penn State. We had both been interested in film and video, but hated the program they had at PSU. It just didn't suit our needs. So he told me about Full Sail back in 2007, and I immediately contacted them asking for some more information. Before I even received the gigantic catalogue in the mail, I was contacted via telephone by a student rep and I talked for maybe an hour with her. As the call came to an end, I remember saying that I couldn't do it. I couldn't move across the country and put myself out like that.
From there, I moved to taking classes online with the Academy of Art University based in San Francisco. It was fun. I always loved working with my hands and I think creating without actually having a teacher to "mold" your minds in graphic design classes is really very difficult. I managed to pass my classes for the semester I was with them, but it just didn't fulfill me. I remember letting the moments after the semester overwhelm me. And more importantly, I remember my first panic attack. Not knowing what to do had been my greatest fear for some time and it seemed almost like a sign from heaven that I received a called that very same day from that very same student rep that I had spoken with nearly 5 months earlier.
We talked again about trying to come down to Full Sail and live and work on-campus. I love that idea. Florida has always been my favorite place to visit. But still, my answer was no. I couldn't. However, this time it was different. Instead of just giving up and saying goodbye. My student rep told me about the new online programs they have started to offer. I was intrigued. I love online learning more than I liked on-campus learning. Entertainment Business was intriguing to me from the beginning.
We spoke for nearly three hours on the subject. I was enlightened. I signed up on the spot. My family was happy to see me this excited. They were happy I found my calling. I, like a free agent, signed on the dotted line and committed to Full Sail as soon as possible.
The days grew closer to my first day with Full Sail. I remember being giddy when my Project Launchbox arrived. I was ecstatic! I noticed that starting my program was like opening a new chapter in my book. It had just become more interesting. I was meeting new people, and interacting with my classmates more than I had ever done before. When I first started school, I was a bit of a loner, but I feel I've broken out of that shell and I actually look forward to talking with my teachers and classmates. It's become a lot of fun to study hard and get good grades. I'm trying to make a new life for myself, after all!
Days grew to weeks as weeks grew to months. Eventually, the months grew to years and here I am. I'm now officially five months away from graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Entertainment Business. I'm completely astonished that this is happening. Just last night during a Skype video chat with some friends we were talking that it feels almost yesterday that we were lining up in our high school gym to march on stage in June of 2006 for graduation. And now, by the turn of chance, we're graduating in the same month, and quite possibly the same day! All of us entered different schools and moved around a bit. It all happened so quickly and we're going to close the school chapter and start writing a new one called: "Life."
Some of us will become nurses, dentists, marketing exec's, or a full-time blogger, whatever the case, we've all found something we love to do. None of us even talked about money, or life value. We all talked about love and that for once we've got those magical butterflies in our stomachs when thinking about living our lives to the fullest. It's a better feeling than walking downstairs on Christmas morning when you're a child. It's better than getting that first piece of cake on your birthday. The feeling is completely amazing when you can look back on the past five years and look how much you've grown as both a person and a human being.
From this point on, I enter the last leg of my voyage. The only way it could get better would be if Patrick Stewart were to note this in his star date. But aside from any life narration, I plan to life my life even better every day as if it were to be my last. Would what I'm doing as my day today be awesome enough to do on my last?
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