Hello! My name is Hayne Lim and I'm a rising senior at Classical Academy High School in Escondido. At school, I'm involved in Academic League, debate, marching band, and the film appreciation club. Outside of class, my personal interests include creative writing, tennis, and sound-mixing music. I've always had a deep passion for cinematography, video editing, and storytelling in general, so this project is especially exciting for me as it's a special opportunity for more in-depth experience in filmmaking. Having a mentor is also extremely motivating since this is a new experience, and it's cool that I'll be getting professional help this early on. More than anything, I'm looking forward to being a part of a collaborative program for young aspiring filmmakers.

Salutations. The name’s James Mah. I am a high school student and attend Serra High School. I play MERLIN, tennis, and Genshin Impact, not at the same time though. That would be crazy. I haven’t accomplished much with my life yet, because I am only 14, but I have gotten second place on a middle school spelling bee in the past, fascinating, am I right? I am excited to join Reel Voices because I just like making documentaries. I feel like they are little time capsules of the era, people, and thoughts at that specific point in time, and that’s pretty cool. Also, I see this program as the kind of thing that I will look back on fondly some day when I am old and sitting on a rocking chair.

Hello! I am Jenifar Mansoor, an upcoming senior at El Cajon Valley High School. At my school, I am the captain of Academic League, vice president of School Site Council, vice president of engineering club, member of the mural club, and Varsity doubles player in my school's tennis team. With that said, I enjoy doing a variety of things, but my top three hobbies would be playing tennis, listening to music, and hanging out with family/friends. I also love watching and making films. By being on my school's former broadcast club, I was introduced to filming and editing through the weekly process of creating videos that my whole school would watch. As I put together those videos, I noticed that filmmaking is something I love doing. Not to mention, I like to express myself , and I find that filmmaking is the most powerful way to do so. By joining Reel Voices, I am hoping to gain more knowledge on filmmaking. Overall, I am super excited to learn about films, create my own film, and deliver an important message in an appealing and creative way!

Hello! My name is Katherine Kwon and I'm a rising sophomore at Canyon Crest Academy. I was part of my school's junior varsity history bowl team last year, and am also a part of their iGEM team. My interests include vlogging, playing the flute, and baking. I'm so excited for this year's Reel Voices summer program because I can expand my abilities to communicate my ideas in the right direction with filmmaking!

Hello! My name is Maurice Cardoza, I’m 17 years old and a graduate from Morse High School. My interests are cooking, dance, action figure collecting, graphic design, a little bit of photography, binge watching whatever is on Netflix or Disney+, and hanging out with friends and family. Growing up, I’ve always been fascinated with digital media as I enjoyed watching movies, tv shows, and YouTube videos. As a result, I was inspired to start a YouTube channel. At first, I used it to share silly skits I made with friends. Now I upload unboxing videos and little adventure vlogs. Considering that, I’ve never really touched upon serious film-making but Reel Voices gives me that opportunity, which is why I’m so excited to be a part of this program!

Hi! My name is Mia A. Gonzalez and I just recently graduated from Granite Hills High School. I’m planning on attending Northern Arizona University this fall to major in film. I love anything having to do with the arts and film is one of my favorite outlets. I’m incredibly thrilled to learn more about my future major through Reel Voices this summer!

Hey! My name is Mikayla Kim and I am a rising senior at Helix Charter High School. As an extremely resilient and spontaneous 17 year old I’ve always enjoyed challenging myself with new opportunities. Ever since my first broadcasting course in middle school, working with cameras genuinely drove my passion for the art of cinematography. Filming served as a tool to channel my creativity whether it be creating montages of my family and friends, producing music videos with my cousin, or making youtube content in my bedroom. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it weren’t for being able to express my myself through this type of outlet. I’m honored to participate in the Reel Voices program this year, and I look forward to learning new techniques to develop my filmmaking skills as well as discovering my fullest potential!

Hi! My name is Natalie Kimm and I am a rising senior at Canyon Crest Academy. I am involved in my school’s Envision Visual Arts Conservatory and Raven Open Mic Club. Outside of school, I love to play ukulele and guitar with my friends and lead praise through singing and playing the keyboard for my church’s youth group. As someone with a background in sharing visual art and music with others, I am passionate about using art as a means to connection and social change. I am excited for Reel Voices to learn more about another medium of art that I’m interested in and further explore my passion for making change in my community in this way. I am so grateful for this platform and opportunity to better myself as an artist and person!

Hi. My name is Guadalupe Birkbeck but everyone calls me Pita. I am 17 years old and this upcoming fall I will be a Senior at Point Loma Highschool. I am a member of both varsity Field Hockey and Varsity Lacrosse (as goalie), and I am the vice president of the Student Equity Ambassadors (SEA), an inter-district student-led group devoted to youth advocacy. When I'm not doing any of that, I enjoy playing bass in my two bands at the School of Rock San Diego, jamming to and writing music on my acoustic guitar and ukulele, and writing poetry, political and apolitical essays, and the occasional screenplay. As a person with both advocacy and media backgrounds, I believe Reel Voices can help me combine both to help me create real change in the world. I am absolutely thrilled to be given this opportunity to learn more about the world of film and how it can be used to inspire and create change!

Frank Howley is a video producer who graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Film Studies. He’s written, directed, edited and acted in hundreds of internet shorts including viral videos for Nintendo, sketch comedy for Mega64, and music videos for Math The Band. Frank has been working with Pacific Arts Movement since 2015, providing video coverage for San Diego Asian Film Festival and teaching the Reel Voices @ Monarch program with Rizzhel Javier. Frank is deeply passionate about video games and online communities, also working for the documentary YouTube channel Noclip and leading the Big Dogs Gaming network on Twitch.

Paolo Zuñiga is a filmmaker born in San Diego, CA. His work navigates between fictional storytelling and documentary form; concerning itself with the narrativizing of individual experience and the sociocultural conditions that inform home and identity. Paolo’s interest in visual arts education and mentorship derives from his own experience as a first generation Mexican American. He seeks to demystify traditional filmmaking norms and encourage students to examine their own lived experiences to create unique and compelling visual stories that recognize the value and power of their own voice. Paolo received a BA in anthropology from San Diego State University and an MFA in visual arts from UC San Diego.