Alumni Voices: Kye’s Advice for High School Students
Kedar “Kye” Y. has been an arts enthusiast since middle school. From acting and drama to video and film production, his educational journey covers a wide range of experiences. A CollegeBound Initiative alumnus of The Heritage School, he earned an A.S. in Digital Filmmaking from SUNY Westchester Community College and a B.A. in Film and Video Production from CUNY Hunter College. He recently shared some advice for Student Leadership Network’s current students about to embark on their journeys to college.
Earning Your College Degree
You’ve earned degrees at two different institutions and experienced the pandemic while still in college. Can you share some of the takeaways from that time?
One of the reasons that I first attended SUNY Westchester was to bring up my GPA and create more opportunities for the future while helping take care of my family during the height of COVID. I was involved in the filmmaking club in high school and debuted a short documentary with my classmates at the TriBeCa Film Festival. So I knew I wanted a range of filmmaking experiences in college.
Westchester had more hands-on opportunities, and I was on the management team of their events board. When I attended Hunter for my B.A., there was more academic learning around film theory. I helped found For Your Consideration (4YC), a campus organization focused on media publications and production, which is still around today, bringing together film students to create short films.
Common Misconceptions About the College Process
Recently you returned to Heritage for Alumni Day to share advice with current students. What are some misconceptions that you discovered about the college process when you were in high school?
A lot of people think all community colleges are CUNYs, and all residential colleges must be SUNYs. That’s not true. SUNYs also have community colleges, CUNYs also have housing. You decide what kind of education and environment you need and what you get out of it depends on the work you put in.
You decide what kind of education and environment you need. What you get out of it depends on the work you put in.
Kye’s advice for high school students
Students also think financial aid means student loans, but that’s also not true. Financial aid includes grants and aid based on need. Sometimes loans aren’t necessary depending on your family situation, your income, and the financial aid you apply for. Grants mean free money, as long as you keep up your grades for the minimum GPA and number of credits to be a full-time student. In some cases, the government is literally paying you to go to school.
Advice for High School Students
What piece of advice would you offer to students as they begin their journeys to college?
No matter which college you attend, it’s your time and your money. You make the most of the educational opportunities you want.
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