Already a Golden Globe winner, student scripting a bright future

George Lucas tells anyone who is listening that film editors are the most important part of movie making. Dominic Cardenas, a 19-year-old telemedia student, understands that. The Force is with him.

Cardenas is a full-time Southwestern College student striving for an associate degree in telemedia who said he hopes to attend the Art Institute of San Francisco. He already has a student Golden Globe and a scholarship from the folks who award the Oscars. A good start for any student, particularly a young man with a learning disability.

"All my life it has been hard for me in school," said Cardenas. "So I find (film editing) an outlet to do things and it's really helped me out."

When it comes to school Cardenas stays busy. He has taken many classes required for an AA, including camera production, photography, screenplay writing and movie history. He is also a member of the Associated Student Organization and the Abilities Beyond Limitations through Education (ABLE) Club.

Cardenas was picked up by the ASO in his second week at SWC after he did a short 10-minute video about tax cuts. He now works making posters to promote different clubs around campus.

"I love it," he said. "Sometimes it's a little frustrating, but you deal with it."
Cardenas has been active in the ABLE Club for about a year, he said, and met Joe Chavez, president of the club, now a close friend.

"I am very proud to have a member like him," said Chavez. "He's committed, I can see that, and he also likes to volunteer."

Chavez also said Cardenas is very dependable. Cardenas said he takes pride in the work he has done for Crime Stoppers and the Chula Vista Police Department, editing educational videos about drugs and kids in bad situations. He said he is most proud of his award from The Academy of Film, Arts and Sciences, which included $800 in scholarships.

His Golden Globe Award was for a 30-minute film about Bonita High School for the Western Accreditation for Colleges and Schools about why BVH should receive accreditation.

Creative writing teacher Susan Yonker worked with Cardenas in her English class and witnessed his hard work.

"He is self-motivated," she said. "He is going to do what it takes to succeed with no one to encourage him."

Yonker said that from the beginning Cardenas was very confident and knew where his strengths were. She also said he was extremely happy to tell her about his Golden Globe Award film.

Cardenas said he looks forward to graduating from college and starting a career. Nothing is to be edited out of his life.