EDUCATION

Hightower Digital Media

Academy students Kennedy
Miller, Kelsea Tanaka, Enoma
Osakue, Robyn Marie
Pereira, and Danielle Castillo
Digital
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MEDIA
ACADEMY
Fort Bend ISD program ofers hands-on
mass media opportunities to students
Assisting a professional wedding photographer.
Creating a video game. Designing business logos.
Running a TV news broadcast and even planning
a career as sportscaster for ESPN. These are a few
of Hightower High Schools Digital Media Academy
(DMA) students hopes for the future.
Open to all high school students in Fort Bend
ISD, DMA is a two-program track academy that
ofers students the ability to work in both digital
flmmaking and broadcasting, and digital graphics
and 3D animation. Students meet every other
day on a block schedule and earn college credit.
Six students took time to share their academic
experiences and future goals in digital media. Written by Lorrie Crow Kimble | Photography by Chelsea Janacek
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Danielle Castillo Broadcast Journalist
A 16-year-old high school junior, Danielle Castillo entered the DMA with the
belief that photography was going to be my yellow brick road, but found to her
surprise that journalism was her true path.
Castillo works with Hightower TV news, a student-run news broadcast. We
perform and broadcast information across the school like a real news station,
she adds. Castillo writes news packages on world news and politics, helps lead
the broadcast studio to conduct a smooth show, and aids the development of
each broadcast. Recently, we aired one of our frst live shows. It broadcast not
only to Hightower, but to all of Fort Bend ISD, says Castillo.
She also worked on a news story about Guantanamo Bay. With this story, I
brought knowledge to not only my school, but also my district in a form of
entertainment, she says.
Kennedy Miller Sports Journalist
Now a 16-year-old junior, Kennedy Miller joined the DMA in middle school as
he thought it would expand his opportunities for future jobs. I focus on flm
and over the last three years, I have learned how to shoot proper photos, edit,
add slides in movie clips, and place music behind movie clips, he says.
A typical class for him is practicing for the school newscast at the end of each
week. Tis - by far - has been my favorite media because the entire school can
view what we have been working on week afer week, he adds.
Miller says that attending the DMA is not difcult if you have a true passion for
learning the skills. My favorite part this year has been going to diferent middle
schools to recruit students to sign up for the academy. With the abilities he has
acquired, Miller says he plans to be a sports broadcaster on ESPN.
Robyn Marie Pereira Photographer / Graphic Designer
Afer Robyn Marie Pereiras older brother told her how much fun he had in DMA,
she signed up. Te 17-year-old seniors emphasis is on photography and digital
graphics. I have been taught how to create professional-grade photos and process
them in Adobe Photoshop, as well as create graphic art and media advertising,
says Pereira.
Tis year she is continuing with her own photo shoots, as well as assisting
professional wedding photographer Alison Carlino through a DMA-based
internship. She also plans to learn Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to help further
her photo editing techniques.
With some DSLR photography and Photoshop training under her belt, shes built
an impressive portfolio of her work - a key factor in helping with her future college
admission. Learning such skills in high school also puts my classmates and
me ahead of the game by already having knowledge and experience that college
students are just beginning to acquire, she adds.
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Chris Dang Graphic Designer
Anything technological was an interest to 17-year-old senior Chris Dang. I was
infnitely fascinated by the way computers work. So naturally, I was attracted to the
Hightower DMA program because it could be my one-way ticket to my dream job,
he says.
Creating logos and editing photos are all in his scope of ability. Te hardest part,
he says, is jump-starting creative ideas. Having a root idea for a project is ideal
because if I can retain this idea as the project progresses, then eventually the
concept becomes a beautiful reality, he says. Although it takes more than four
hours to complete a simple project, I believe the ending product always positively
infuences the work you put in. Dang is currently designing a logo for his
amateur business.
Dang says he recommends the DMA program. Tanks to the Digital Media
Academy, my path in graphics design and video editing is certain, says Dang.
Pursuing four years of my hobby has solidifed my decision that creating and
editing original work is my future.
Kelsea Tanaka Game Designer
Kelsea Tanaka is also a 17-year-old senior who plans to have a career in graphic
design or animation while attending classes at the University of North Texas. I
will admit, I am a gaming nerd, she says. From my passion for playing video
games, I wanted to be able to create a game of my own. In the academy, I was
able to create an actual fash game out of the program Adobe Flash Professional.
Tanaka loves that the academy enables students to have hands-on experiences
instead of just out-of-the-book instruction. Our teachers have had jobs in the
media feld prior to their teaching job, she shares. Te academy also requires
students to keep up their grades, so Tanaka says that is a good motivation to do
well in core subjects.
Tanaka says jobs in the media feld have increased. DMA allows students in
their teen years to learn the programs that professionals use, and really allows us
to have a high opportunity to eventually have a job in the media feld.
Enoma Osakue Web DesigneR
Enoma Osakue says she chose the DMA because she was impressed by the work
that its students could produce. My older sister was in the academy, so I had the
opportunity of experiencing parts of the program early on - seeing frsthand the
variety of work that included graphic design and photography, she says.
Osakue has learned how to create games in Flash, improve content on websites,
and edit videos, and has experimented with search engine optimization - all while
adding her portfolio to her personal website. Te Digital Academy has really
expanded my horizons, says Osakue. Everything is art in its own way, and I love
taking that concept and inserting it into diferent areas of my life. She plans to
major in marketing and minor in computer science.
DMA is sure to prepare any student who is interested in digital media for their
future. Digital media is everywhere and in everything, says Osake. Im glad I got
into it now. SLM
LORRIE CROW KIMBLE is a former high school journalism teacher. She is amazed
at the current digital technology now ofered to students.
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Digital Media Academy
benefi ts
Media Academy Council
where all grade levels
can participate in the
planning of annual events
and fundraisers
College Now, college
credit for both junior and
senior level courses
Senior-level internships
with local media
companies
Certifcation in Adobe
Photoshop CS4
Students are given overall
exposure to all aspects of
media
- Robyn Marie Pereira
Learning such skills in high school also puts my classmates and me ahead
of the game by already having knowledge and experience that college
students are just beginning to acquire.
To advertise, call 281-579-7944 or email sales@sugarlandmagazine.com suonu tnNo mnonztNe wtNieu ioiq 83