My name is Cesar Ramos-Ortiz. Coming into high school as a freshman was quite scary for me. People would constantly be telling me that I had to prepare for my future. I had people constantly telling me that I needed to find out what I wanted to do in life, and that I needed to find out NOW. I was nervous.

My first choice was to just join the air force after high school. I was very interested in the JROTC program. I did everything I was supposed to do in the program and was making a positive impact on myself and my battalion. Yet, something was missing. I did not have a true passion in the military. I couldn’t see myself doing that for the rest of my life.

Taking photos was something as an underlying passion for me. It came sudden, yet it felt as if it was always there. As I progressed through high school, I truly fell in love with the art. I grew at a very rapid pace and realized that I have found my passion. I found the thing that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Cinematography came into the picture soon after and furthered my knowledge and love for the profession.

Today, I run my own Photo/ Video business and could not be happier with the results. No matter where my life takes me, no matter where I go, I know that I will always have my camera and my passion with me. I couldn’t thank all of my teachers and classmates enough for the endless support in my craft. You are your worst critic as an artist, so having a strong support system and having people that will give you positive feedback on your work is what really keeps me going. This is the end of my high school career, yet the beginning of a new chapter in my life. One that I hope will treat me right, and one that I hope will make my dreams a reality.