When I was 9 years old, my father told me, “Kiddo, I want you to give me three careers you would want to do when you grow up.” As I pondered, while drawing and playing with my Transformers, I began to get lost in my imagination. I started to conjure up images of a video game start menu with three different character classes; The Architect, The Engineer, and lastly The Designer. Coming from a Filipino family, the first two options were what my extended family would want for me and be proud of. I knew that they would be careers I could support my family with, however, ultimately they weren’t professions that I would enjoy doing for the rest of my life. I loved, and still love, toys. They were what brought me joy and what kept me company in the hard times I had to endure growing up. My parents had me at the young age of 19. My whole life we’ve lived paycheck to paycheck. In the beginning, we were homeless, living with one family member to the next. At the age of five, we lived in a motel that was located in a dangerous part of town for a year. Then, we moved into our first apartment right before my sister was born. Toys allowed me to be oblivious to the harrowing situations I grew up in, to have a childhood worth looking back on. Forgetting to continue on my “class selection screen”, I began to play with LEGO, building spaceships, and crafting imaginary worlds. Realizing at the time that this could be something I could truly focus on as a career, I ran to the door of our bathroom knowing my father was in there. Sitting down in front of it with toys in my hand, I began talking to my father through the door, listing the three things I wanted to do. Irritated at my ignorance of common courtesy, he walked out the door, drying his hands and face on the bathroom towel, and asked: “What are you talking about?” Regaining my thoughts, I said, “uhhh…. I wanna design… uhh… LEGOs… no, toys… and maybe be an Architect or Engineer.” in a tone that sounded more like a question. In response, he told me, “Focus on what you want to do and what makes you happy. I will support you in anything you choose.” 

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Ten years later, I am still following the dream I realized into words that day. Toy Design is a profession I stumbled upon without even knowing it existed. I started with fixing toys that I had accidentally broken or disassembled, and later started drawing and examining them. I would draft up toy designs that would fill a hole in my collection, either because we couldn’t afford it or because it didn’t exist. I was always interested in moving parts. I would glue my eyes to the advertisements shown in the pack-in comic books of the ToyBiz era Marvel Legends action figures. They would state, “SUPER POSEABLE  Over 20 Points of Articulation” in a red bubble containing white and yellow words. I would try to count these points and deconstruct how they added to the figure and what it would allow it to do. Constructing poses and imitations of comic book panels in my head. When we were finally able to afford a computer and Wi-Fi, I learned that what I had deconstructed in my head was very accurate. The countless hinge, swivel, and ball joints existed and people truly crafted these mini masterpieces. This later led to my discovery of Blender and Shapeways, where I would learn through the internet and experimentation the wonders of 3D modeling and printing. Learning about the 3D modeling process in my downtime between my last High School class of the day and my College night classes was challenging but fulfilling.

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When it came time to think of my future, where I could find the education that could support this dream, I found OTIS College of Art and Design (OTIS). I attempted to craft a list of colleges and universities that I could attend to pursue this career and found that there are only two colleges in the world that have a major that specializes in Toy Design. Since I’ve lived my whole life in the Los Angeles area, I feel there is no other college or university that is better suited and accessible to me than OTIS. OTIS is the best fit for my dreams. It is one of the only places I have found that will support and help me pursue my dreams and aspirations of becoming a successful Toy Designer. A place I feel that can help me completely fulfill my potential, and I intend to pour my 110% into.