Emily Walker - Richmond, Virginia

Emily Walker
Richmond, Virginia - Film Connection Student

I was an only child, and although my parents did their best, a lot of the time they were out working. So I was basically left by myself and my dolls, and to keep myself entertained, I would create stories. After a while, this used to be a way for me to break out of my shell. Because I didn't have any sisters or brothers, I was too shy to interact with any other kids. But with writing stories, and getting them to read these, I could still show them that I wasn't boring or mean at all. This was also how I got to bond with my parents. They'd read my stories, sometimes I'd act it out in front of them, and we get to really bond despite the short time we spent with each other.

Of course, when I was eight or nine, I stopped doing it, but I'm still very fond of memories of these.

And in school, joining the theater club and helping them bring these stories to like (and some of them even happened to be mine!) I finally knew just what I wanted to with my life. There's just something about starting with nothing and bringing out something that everyone can appreciate. And now that I'm working my way to making my dreams come true, I'm glad I've got this film connection to make something for myself out of that which used to be just a way for me to pass the time while waiting for my parents.