Beyond the Resume
A pithy resume can never depict who someone is or what they have gone through. A resume could never display the multitude of different professional, academic, and personal challenges a person must endure to get where they are today, to prove them an exceptional candidate for a position that, on paper, may not deem them so. I wouldn’t be doing myself justice without allowing a detailed picture of the candidate you are reviewing. Thus, here, beyond the Cliff’s notes, is who I am and how everything today has prepared me to be apart of the NBCUniversal Page Program.
I have never known the word “conventional.” Growing up as a twin with a sister just 10 months older, all three of us in the same grade, was a unique experience. My younger brother and older sister, both on the autism spectrum, added to this dynamic. Navigating the challenges of being raised as a triplet in a household with two siblings with disabilities allowed me to develop a deep understanding for others and maturity at a young age. I learned to see the world through a beautifully diverse lens, recognizing the importance of different styles of communication. Whether someone has a disability or not, being open-minded and willing to hear diverse perspectives is key to not just personal development, but professional. Creating a safe space for everyone to express themselves not only enriches personal experiences but also fosters collaboration and development in the professional world, where diverse minds connect for a common goal.
Learning to be so open-minded at a young age allowed me to develop a unique love for learning— never being the kid groveling at the thought of going to school. There were times I came off as a teacher’s pet, asking for extra homework on my birthdays. But leaning was an amenity I was grateful to access and a passion that I continually wanted to follow. I strived to learn more, and it showed based on the Honors and AP levels I would take as my education progressed. But loving learning didn’t solely apply to school. It applied to my plethora of different passions like fencing, the french language, theater, writing, music creation, and more. I fenced at an elite level, winning national medals and the NJ State Championship my senior year of high school. This level of passion, commitment, and success personally, academically, and athletically would ideally create the perfect pipe line for an ideal collegiate career. I was even fortunate enough to sign a commitment letter to fence at Sacred Heart, a Division I school with high academic and athletic accolades that would allow me to continue my love of learning in different areas. A commitment I was excited to make, but unfortunately forced to break after a slew of hardships my senior year. While the coach and school were eincredibly understanding of my need to change plans for the following year, I felt the passions I had worked feverishly on for years were pulled out from under me.
Despite the frustration that occurred, I knew that only I could continue creating a path for my goals, however it’s need to shift direction but never fervor. I signed up for my local community college and started working two jobs to pay for school. Despite taking 6 in person classes, I worked over 40 hours a week between 5am shifts at a local cycling studio and hostessing to fill any breaks in my schedule. I kept this pace until March 2020. The pandemic. A hardship and tragedy that struck the world, yet I refused to let the circumstances make me fall short of the path I was carefully reconstructing and yearned to make the most out of an unimaginable time. I quickly jumped back to work only a month into the pandemic to work take out. Despite receiving unemployment benefits, I knew the work I would experience going back would benefit me more than the money I would come to loose. I continued this until June of 2020. I was not only graduated with my associates degree in only a year instead of two, but I began getting ready to start at Rutgers University. The whole-while working anywhere from 50 to 60 hours a week in the restaurant, where my dedication allowed me to be promoted to an assistant manager. I continued this lifestyle, taking 6 or 7 classes virtually with my phone propped up on the bar while working 12+ hour shifts. I worked endlessly, even switching the restaurant for an internship my final semester of college, and graduated Rutgers with an economics degree in one and a half years. A degree I worked for and pushed through in order to graduate with no debt. My dedication and work ethic allowed me to realize that, no matter what challenge faced me, my determination allowed me to become successful.
In the three years since graduation, I bartended in a new restaurant and formed wonderful relationships with patrons who kept me motivated in my passions as I tried to ease financial stress with creation of what and who I knew I wanted to be professionally: a film writer. I would work 14 hour shifts, come home at 1 am, and start working on a new script idea. I always carry a little note pad in case an idea sparks and I don’t want it to flee without exploring it’s potential. I watched movies and TV shows, writing notes about production, camera angles, plot, script, and anything else you could think of so I could fully understand and develop who I am as a writer and fulfil my passions of becoming about of the film industry. I worked for money, but I was living for my passions. I learned sometimes hard work in a different arena puts you in positions for the life you’ve always dreamed of.
