(L to R) Kris Bishun, Adrian Sanchez, Navier Patterson, Alpha Diallo, Kenay Peña and Mr. Roush celebrate their team’s wins in the Disney Get Reel With Your Dreams competition.
NEW YORK, NY – Two Truman Media students started their summer break with big wins in the Walt Disney Company’s “Get Reel With Your Dreams” annual scholarship competition. The awards are the culmination of the “Get Reel With Your Dreams” program conceived by WABC-TV Eyewitness News anchor Sade Baderinwa.
Out of the top ten prizes and $50,000 total awarded, media freshman Kenay Peña won third place and an $8,000 dollar scholarship, while junior Navier Patterson took eighth place and a $2,500 dollar prize.
Kenai Peña is interviewed by Sade Baderinwa after winning 3rd place, while his brother Kevin looks on.
“When I heard that (my name) I was losing it,” Peña recalls. “I didn’t think it would actually happen, and then it happened. Just being in the top 15 would have been a win for me.”
Peña now holds the honor of being the first-and-only 9th grade media student to ever win a prize in the nine years that Truman has competed. His brother Kevin Peña is also a Truman student and worked as the actor in his public service announcement on the topic of family separation at the border (Click to view). Kevin joined Kenay on stage to receive the award.
Meanwhile, like Peña, junior Navier Patterson was also in his first year of the media program, and his first time competing in the contest. His PSA video was on the topic of gun control (Click to view). He says he was thrilled just to see his work exhibited as part of the top fifteen.
“If this is it – this is a huge compliment just to have it seen. I just wanted to make sure my work was at least viewed,” Patterson said.
The 2019 wins bring the sum total of prizes earned by media students in the past 11 years to $66,000.
Junior Navier Patterson shows off his $2,500 prize with Sade Baderinwa and Mr. Roush
“What’s awesome about all of this – is that cash goes directly to these students, so they can use it to put a significant downpayment on their education after they leave Truman,” according to media teacher David Roush. “I love that the kids are starting to see that they can take these skills and transform them directly into income. Some others who aren’t winning prizes have actually started their own businesses. I couldn’t be more proud of what they are doing.”
Patterson recalled the moment he was on stage being interviewed by ABC 7’s Sade Baderinwa.
“It felt like I wasn’t there,” he recalled. “It felt like I was still in the stands looking at my body up on the stage. It was other-worldly.”
Peña added, “At this point I know that I can do good things if I put the effort towards it.”
“Moving forward into senior year, it definitely impacts my motivation and my peers as well, because they seen what I can do,” Patterson said. ” and they can do it too.”
Watch the moment when Peña and Patterson were announced as winners: