Allow us to introduce Afsara Alvee, a Post Production Assistant with Sony Entertainment!
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Let us tell you a little bit about Afsara Alvee.
She is a recent grad from Emerson College in Media Arts Production major and minoring in Management & Leadership, interested in obtaining experience in production and post-production. She wants to contribute to the media field and gaining industrial experience. Besides that, she wants to expand my social work and help underprivileged women and children.
Explain how COVID-19/ George Floyd's death has impacted you (emotionally, physically, finically, spiritually, and mentally) in a positive and negative way.
My mom and brother were positive for COVID-19, I was divested cause I couldn't be there to take care of them. Then I realized, I could do something to help the people who were affected by the pandemic. I decided to provide food to low-income families in Bangladesh (this is where I am from). And that's how I started my own non-profit organization. We have helped over 1200+ families and planning on rebuilding a school in a rural area in Bangladesh. So, COVID-19 has a great impact on my life. Although I got laid off and lost my health insurance, I realized there are so many people who are living in a far worse situation than that.
Tell us about your company/occupation. What’s your biggest professional or personal accomplishment? Explain how you felt working towards it and how you felt when it was achieved.
I'm an aspiring filmmaker working on a feature film as a post-production assistant. My biggest accomplishment is to get an internship at Sony Pictures. Since I was a child, I always want to work in SpiderMan film. I never thought that I would be able to intern at Sony while they were working on SpiderMan. I set my goals when I got admission into Emerson College, I started building up skills and I got the internship, it was like a dream to me. As an intern, I had the opportunity to meet the whole key crew team of Spiderman: Into Spider-Verse and to be able to shadow the sound team of Spiderman: far from home. Those experiences still feel like a dream to me. It takes me back to the day I told my mom that I want to work in the Spiderman movie.
What was your childhood like? Describe your environment from your house to your neighborhood to your school. How did these experiences shape you and your future success?
I grew up in a very small town in Bangladesh and I was kinda different than my classmates and friends. I always got taunted for being walked differently than my female friends, dressed differently, or talked. Since I grew up in a conservative culture, there were obstacles as I have mentioned. My mother was very supportive. Although it was hard for her to be a single mother, taking care of two children. I was kinda aggressive, beating boys and such. So, it was hard for my mother and of course me. My mother would get taunted by my classmate’s parents cause I wasn’t like a typical Bengali young girl. Those experiences actually helped me a lot to shape my life because I took it as a challenge to show those parents and my classmates that I’m better than them and I can do much more not just for my family but also for my community. That is the reason I always say “don’t let anyone define yourself”.
Tell us about your inner circle (close friends, family, mentors, relationship). How does their support impact your success?
My inner circles mean my mother, brother, and some close friends. They are very supportive, my friends always support me, make me feel like I belong somewhere. It has a great impact on my life when I feel like I can’t make it. My close ones are always there to remind me how important I am, how can I change the world.
List a few habits that a young person should start implementing to set them up for a successful future?
Get on a good schedule-
A) You need to set your goals, I’m not asking to set goals for the long term just them for each semester or school year. What you plan to obtain or learn from the semester, what skills you need to develop. You need to have a structure and routine in your life. You can always carry sticky notes or some sort of routine book or calendar. That would help to remind you of your goals for the day, remember one day at a time.
B) Eat a healthy diet & exercise- We all need to stay healthy and active in order to focus on anything. Developing a healthy diet and exercise can increase your level of quality and quantity of life.
C) Practice gratitude- It easy to get bad habits of envying what others have, but I believe we should take a moment and be thankful for the things we have. This way you will learn how to appreciate others and to train yourself to be grateful.
D) Respect the environment- We only have one world, we depend on it. We all need to do our parts to protect the world.
E) Never give up & Strive for excellence- If you truly want to achieve something then you need to keep trying for it. Nothing comes overnight, you have to work hard, there will be a lot of obstacles but think of it as an exam. You may not remember all the chapters but you have to try to give your best, you can leave a blank paper. When you strive for excellence, you get the less the best at least. But if you aim for just good then you may get less than that.
Share a big mistake you made professionally or personally. How did you fix it and what did you learn?
I wasn't a calm person, so I used to get panic for even simple things. That impulsiveness got me into so many troubles in life. There is not actually a particular moment I want to recall. But, I learn to calm myself before I react to anything. I would take a deep breath or take a walk, listen to music, stay away from people until I'm calm.
What are you afraid of for girls and women in the future?
I don't really afraid of anything for girls and women. I can literally see these young women will be the ones to run the country soon.
If you could give your 18 -year-old self-advice about the adult you are today, what would it be?
I would advise myself to be a little more calm and patient. Nothing is easy in this world, if something comes easily that means it's ready to leave you at anything. If you truly want something, you need to have patience and perseverance in order to gain it.