Jebari Wooten and Donielle Gerrell
For the second consecutive year, DATA Senior Donielle Gerrell has earned recognition from The White House for her work. Out of more than 1,500 submissions nationwide, Sharing Success: On Our Way to Giving Back was one of only 200 selected to earn an Honorable Mention.
For this year's project, Gerrell collaborated with DATA Freshmen Jebari Wooten, working after school and during Winter Break to complete the piece under a tight deadline. The documentary, based on the theme of "The Impact of Giving Back," centers around Digicom founder David Vogel and his journey from entertainment industry executive to education leader and advocate.
Through Digicom, Vogel has not only promoted Digital Storytelling as a relevant and transformative element of education, but has also formed the Digicom Learning Institute, dedicated to helping teachers incorporate Digital Storytelling into their classrooms through trainings, workshops, and collaborations with industry professional artists-in-residence.
The video created by Gerrell and Wooten will be featured on the White House's website and YouTube channels, providing a fantastic exposure opportunity for both students and the Digital Arts Technology Academy. "This is huge," said Wooten. "I couldn't believe it when I heard the news, I was so excited."
In light of these accolades, Gerrell hopes to turn the attention on others. "Last year's video earned a lot of recognition, not only for me, but for the DATA program," said Gerrell. "I hope this video can turn the spotlight on Digicom, which has already given so much to Jebari and myself. After seeing all it's done and how much it's grown, Digicom deserves more recognition."
Sharing Success: On Our Way to Giving Back can be viewed on the DATA DS Vimeo page and on the White House's 2015 Student Film Festival YouTube Playlist, along with all of the Honorable Mentions.