Pure Awe

Apr 19, 2008 - 23:51 PM PST

"Dear Ashley;

Congratulations, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the Summer Program at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts Summer Program. We are fortunate to have a talented and diverse pool of applicants from the United States, Canada and abroad who are committed to this intensive experience. Your faculty, staff, and classroom assistants love filmmaking and love teaching our summer courses, and are thrilled with the opportunity to work with you!

Sincerely,

Liz Harmon
Program Coordinator
USC School of Cinematic Arts, Summer Program"



I am so in awe of life right now. Just this semester I've overcome and obtained so much that I never thought I could. The above is from an e-mail I received last week after applying to USC's Summer Film Program. After applying on a whim, not to mention quite late in the rolling admissions time frame, I received this e-mail a week later, telling me I was accepted. It's so strange to fathom. I'm attending USC this summer. I never thought I'd be able to utter these words. I knew this year was going to be big for me and this is only the beginning. I got the lead volunteer position for LA 101, and I'm super stoked about it. Not only that, but I was hired by The Campaign to Save The Environment this summer as a Field Manager rather than entry level campaign staff. I originally set out on all of these simply to have options because I was convinced that in most of these I was doomed to fail. Instead, I got all of them. I can't believe that I am at the place I am right now. It's a lot to take in, and I think a lot of it still hasn't hit me yet. Not only have I for the first time, obtained every goal I set out for, but I have the most amazing people in my life right now. Never before have people been so supportive, so proud, and so loving towards me. I've never felt like I could do anything before. And I do now. Everything's adding up, and I'm learning to truly be happy again. I never thought I'd be capable of all that I have, and I never thought I'd hear or say the words I have. I hope this doesn't sound like bragging, because that's not at all what I'm intending. I'm just so unbelievably grateful. I'm scared out of my mind about life and my future, but at the same time I am so excited for all of it. There is so much opportunity in the next few chapters and I can't wait to breathe it all in. There is so much for me to write and say, but I just need to take a step back and take everything in. It's just an awesome feeling... to be so in love with life.