This year, with the help of our community, we were able to raise enough funds to award four scholarships to four highly talented and dedicated Black undergraduate students interested in the creative fields. We had over 30 applications from over 15 different schools, and it was a challenge picking just four.
These students have big dreams and desires to create positive change in the world through their work, and we’re excited and honored to be a part of that journey.
Some of our recipients have started their own organizations, podcasts, and even multimedia networks. They are passionate go-getters, and we’re excited to showcase them and their work with you all!
We also wanted to say thank you to all you who donated and have supported this initiative. We are very excited to be able to offer this scholarship, and hope to continue to do so in the future.
Keep reading to meet our scholarship winners!
Begai Prom
Begai is majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and International Business at the George Washington University.
“Wherever I go, I hope conversation follows. I hope that in my career I can encourage dialogue, especially among the youth, because I believe that the power of conversation can change the world. It is about being a good listener, a good communicator, and utilizing those tools to absorb every lesson that life has to offer. Conversations encourage open-mindedness, and expose us to new perspectives that we can then take and enlighten others with.
I hope that when I am financially successful in my career, I can start an NGO to hold ted-talk-like events and workshops in sub-saharan Africa to transform the "hush" culture in many African societies. I also hope to elevate my podcast as well as many other youth podcasts that have been on the rise lately. Overall, I want my career to create a platform that calls all voices and opinions to the table because that's the only way society is ever gonna make progress, that is if we learn how to communicate with, listen to, and understand one another even when we disagree.”
How will this scholarship aid your studies/projects?
“I intend to use the scholarship money to buy microphone equipment for my podcast. Since COVID19 we have not had access to quality microphones besides the ones on our phones so this money will go towards putting out better audio for our listeners. I will also use the money to save up for finding ways to promote and eventually monetize tbh. Thank you so much for all your help. This means the world to me.”
Listen to Begai’s podcast here.
Connect with Begai on LinkedIn.
Jean Jackson
Jean is a TV & Film major at Howard University.
“I aspire to produce and develop projects that broadcast the diversity of people of color in America and around the world, therefore bridging gaps and deconstructing perpetuated stereotypes. I will inspire change within the community and set an example for people of color to explore fresh ideas and take unexplored roles, therefore catapulting the industry into an artistic renaissance of diversity and inclusion. I plan to go into development and help bring various people’s stories to life.
In order to do this, I will work my way into executive positions, so that I have the greenlighting and veto power, something that few minorities have the ability to do in Hollywood. This is where real change will come and this is how little black girls and boys will always have someone that looks like a reflection of them on screen. I strive to think outside of my world and create solutions that will ensure the success of my community and I will do that in order to bring change to the entertainment industry.”
How will this scholarship aid your studies/projects?
“For a while now I have wanted to create incredibly smooth and cinematic pieces. I have the vision, but it isn’t always executed the way I want because of shaky hands and an overall lack of stabilization. This semester I am taking Cinematography and we are tasked with creating a short film that tells a simple story of two people in a quarrel. Of course, with the current climate, there are no major requirements in terms of what equipment we use, but I want to go above and beyond!
With the generous scholarship FYN Creative has gifted me with, I plan on purchasing a Zhiyun Crane V2 stabilizer, not just for my cinematography class but to increase the quality of any of my future productions. I know that a stabilizer will elevate my films, long and short, to the next level, and I thank FYN Creative for seeing my potential.”
You can view some of Jean’s work here.
Connect with Jean on LinkedIn.
Olbrine Thelusma
Olbrine is Motion Pictures Production major at the University of Miami.
“I grew a passion for film when I started seeing creators depict the black experience in different genres like Spike Lee, Keenan Ivory Wayans, and John Singleton. I wanted to be able to tell my own narrative that would put people of color in the forefront of those stories. Everyday I try to learn more about creative directing because ultimately I want to be a multifaceted creator.
Over the past two years at the University of Miami, I have been able to gain skills in screenwriting, camerawork, film reviewing, and so many other things. Before I stepped foot on campus, I didn’t know anything about film and what it took to make one. The thing I found most useful through my experience in college is pre and post production. The planning that takes place to create a film has always enticed me and the amount of time and patience it takes to produce one has always been something I wanted to be a part of. When filming I have continuously caught myself wanting to watch others work. I am a visual learner, so being able to learn through people doing their job and understanding why people do what they do is detrimental to me knowing how to get better at my craft.
One day, I see myself being able to create content that is inspired by Issa Rae, Donald Glover, and Jordan Peele. I see their work and the way they show the complexities of a person and want to put that into what I do. I know there is a long road ahead of me to make such things happen but I am excited to see where my mindset later in life will take me. Something I want to incorporate in my work is depicting dark-skin individuals in a non-stereotypical light as well. I have grown up with not being able to see people who look like me do things I know we are capable of and I want to bring that representation to the younger generation to hopefully stop the cycle of self-hate and colorism in the media.”
How will this scholarship aid your studies/projects?
“Over the past few months, I have been saving up for a drawing tablet because I have been wanting to make my own graphics by hand. I find it difficult using other designs from different artists since I can't change minor details about it. Having the ability to showcase my own work and being able to make cohesive designs is something I've been looking forward to doing while in college.”
Check out Olbrine’s Instagram pages:
https://www.instagram.com/blackcreativescollective/
https://www.instagram.com/breations8/
Connect with Olbrine on LinkedIn.
Z’Kijah Fleming
Z’Kijah is a Marketing major with a concentration in Entrepreneurship at Howard University.
“I love entertainment—as an industry, as a tangible, and as a concept. I am passionate about bringing fun and joy to my life and the lives of people around me. I plan to soak up everything I can about both sides of the industry: the creative side and the business side, so that I can figure out how they synergizde. My strong foundation in business and uncanny ability to find creative solutions to problems will help me find my way to the executive suite of an industry behemoth.
I want to sit in the C-suite amongst the sea of people who don’t look like me so I can move the current gatekeepers out of the way, push the floodgates open a little further, and encourage more qualified, underrepresented people to bulldoze their way in. I want to help impact the way mainstream entertainment shapes U.S. culture.”
How will this scholarship aid your studies/projects?
“During my freshman year, I made the decision to get all of my core requirements out of the way because I wanted time to take more creative classes in my last two years. So this semester, I signed up for Marketing Communications and Drawing classes--both of which require course materials and outside commitments. This scholarship is helping me cover the things I need: sketchbooks, pencils, pastels, and the premium version of Canva for my digital designs.”
Connect with Z’Kijah on LinkedIn.
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