Emily Newsome:  

I wanted to be a film maker starting when I was in the sixth grade and most of my electives were about performing arts. The drama classes were fun but nowhere near what my old school supposedly offers today. I went to Brevard Community college, got my AA, went ot Valencia community college for their film production technology AS and I'm still wondering how they lost my file for me to graduate. Anyway, the rest of my time I have either been working or taking classes to finish my BA. The university I attend doesn't give financial aid to people over 26 if they're over 150 credit hours usually and being older than 26 and having 150 credit hours is normal so... I end up juggling my finances around finishing my education. I'm glad that I went back to finish my degree but I wish my university was better instead of double charging, cancelling programs, raising tuition and rejecting federally approved financial aid. It's bad enough that I've been attending a university from 1997 that's ether called "U Can't Finish" or "Under Construction Forever." And the student newspaper always trots out some insipid article by some newbie kid journalist in denial who write about how "U Can't Finish" etc just aren't true boo hoo and the people who propagate such nicknames are bad, bad people when honestly, I've seen other students older than me get treated worse. So, no, the UCF alumni association will never get a donation or a civilized response from me. However, the school I did have my heart set upon all those years ago, NCSA turns out to be even shabbier and a money pit from what some of their students told me. So, I'm glad I attended both Brevard Community College and Valencia Community College but the way UCF is going, eliminating programs I'm scared that my degree program might be a waste of my time if they get rid of it. I would like to go to grad school. I do creative writing, mostly rough drafts of novels and screenplays. I used to write poetry but I outgrew all that teen angst. There's no sincere acting jobs where I live and I'm either too tired or busy working to start a theater company. Plus, I'm not near a big city into arts, just a medium one where people are stuck in traffic and nobody wants to spend their money on local theater groups. I do find ways to travel and see films. I got into going to film fests but usually not for the big parties. I'm actually there to see films. When I finish a script and can get enough money I'll produce my own film but I usually end up being the production assistant on other productions. I've got a profile on IMDB. There's also my artwork like my paintings and I also got into sculpture. Sculpture is great: take any material and any theme and you eventually have a sculpture. It's very conceptual and tangible simutaneously. So far I'm not married but I've been settled down for a few years. I have one cat but I also feed outdoor cats because I think they deserve a little kindness in the world. And one adopted me so who am I to argue with a cat. No kids because I can't afford them right now and then I'll be too old when I can afford them. I hate it when people ask me why I'm this old but don't have kids and it's honestly, I'm scrambling to finish my degree and be a financially functional adult. And you kind of need another person. That kind of helps scientifically. So, yes, I would love to have kids but I would also love to have a nice house, low bills, a sportscar that runs on compost or solar power and everything I write or create getting me a paycheck but until all that happens I'm just happy I've got my b.f. and my cats, my family, my art, my archive of stuff and that I'm working and going to school. I'm not homeless or foreclosed on, not on welfare, not in a third world country and not a victim of a natural disaster. And I only have one credit card that I know of. I took time off from school wo...Expand for more