Jack Nicholson Writing Scholarship!
I am elated to announce that The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts has awarded me with the 2020-2021 Jack Nicholson Scholarship in Writing. I am truly honored to receive a scholarship with its namesake being a very applauded actor and filmmaker that once said the famous Hollywood lines, “Here’s Johnny!”
Nicholson's 12 Academy Award nominations make him the most nominated male actor in the Academy’s history. He has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and As Good as It Gets (1997), and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Terms of Endearment (1983). He is one of only three male actors to win three Academy Awards, and one of only two actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s. He has also won six Golden Globe Awards and received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2001.
Below is a small excerpt from the “Gratitude Document” that I submitted to USC which thanks the donors for choosing me as this year’s Jack Nicholson Scholar:
“I want to express my utmost gratitude to the donors for entrusting me with the 2020-2021 Jack Nicholson Scholarship in Writing. This award has considerably lessened my surmounting financial burdens and allows me to focus on attending classes instead of working multiple jobs like I have done during previous semesters. After I graduated from undergrad, I did the daunting task of driving thirty hours away to Los Angeles and now currently being the youngest MFA student in my cohort has definitely come with its challenges in regards to feeling self-assured. But receiving this recognition has instilled in me confidence that the worlds I write truly hold significance. I am very passionate about the process of creating a genuine story that combats societal narratives and attribute my experiences growing up around the “Deep South” as my motivation for elevating themes that enact social change and bring fresh human voices, experiences, and multi-faceted identities into fruition. Because of the donors’ generosity, I am allowed to continue my creative ambitions with ease during my last two semesters. Thank you very much! My appreciation of your support is immeasurable and I will go forth with this honor always in the forefront of my mind.”
