Official entry for the $500 International Student Scholar Award — SpeedyPin.com Phone Cards

How will receiving an education in the United States help prepare you to live and work in an increasingly global economy?

I was born in Argentina in 1985. At that time, the country was still reeling from the military take-over that occurred the decade before. The economy was unstable. One day you could be rich and the next poor. As the Argentinean government became more and more corrupt, my family’s economic position deteriorated. They were tumultuous times. Yet through all this commotion there was a drive within me that remained constant: I would eventually move to America and study at the nation’s top school of cinematic arts.

Eighteen years later I was accepted to the University of Southern California’s elite Film School on a full sponsorship. Studying in the United States has given me a new perspective in regards to the way I approach the world. My first months in America bring memories of isolation and indifference. I had a strong accent and had difficulty expressing myself verbally. I felt humiliated and lonely. In my hometown, I had grown up in an environment that was homogenous. Everyone came from the same type of family, the same ethnicity, the same religion. In the United States I was hit by a wave of diversity where everyone was different. I saw myself as an outsider and remained that way for what seemed longer than a lifetime.

As I was exposed to new knowledge and experiences, I realized that the time I would spend in America would be highly unproductive unless I took the initiative and ceased to be an outsider. As a result of my new found resolution I met other students who felt just as lost and alone as I did. To my surprise, some of them were even American. Foreigners were not the only ones feeling isolated. It was a human emotion that characterized the lives of students across the board. This heavily impacted my point of view. Thus, as a student filmmaker, my experience as an outsider in the United States became a huge influence and part of my craft.

My global approach to social issues and intent to change my audience’s perspectives through my filmmaking has originated from my experiences studying in America. I believe that in today’s society, one of the best ways to affect how people see each other is through movies. Directing films allows me to expose unique, diverse cultures and through that exposure, I intend to create platforms of kindness.

I could have grown bitter due to the many obstacles put forth to me as a foreigner. I could have refused to embrace the struggles I had to face and continue to face as an international student in the United States. However, this knowledge has made my films richer and inspired a drive in me to make a difference in people’s lives. I can only look forward to the future and the way my films will change the world, an outlook informed by my unique, very own experience.