Summer — 2006

Erica Dozier

Cinema

“Meeting people and forming study groups with them keeps you focused and pretty much ensures that you’ll understand the material. It’s the best way to help yourself.”

It’s been said that the craft of writing is the easiest job in the world. All you need to do is to stare at a blank computer screen until drops of blood start to bead up on your forehead. Fortunately, the process has been made a little bit easier than that for Erica Dozier at SMC. “I’m learning how to write screenplays, family comedies, and even the stories for animation. And I have a great teacher at SMC helping me to learn this,” says Erica. “Heidi Crane has so much experience in writing, and that’s what she shares with us in her scriptwriting classes. But she also critiques your work right up front, and she’s not shy about it. She tells you when your writing isn’t good enough and that you need to keep working at it. But that just makes you better.”

Looking forward to her June graduation and a transfer to Cal State LA, Erica reports that SMC has been a near ideal fit with the demands of her life. “I’ve always carried a full-time job so it’s taken me a little longer to graduate than I would have liked. But the College has let me work at my own pace. And someday—hopefully—I’ll have the luxury of being a full-time student.”

Getting her first college degree is going to mean more to Erica than just bragging rights. “There is no way you can compete in today’s job market without a college education,” she says. “And SMC makes learning easy and more enjoyable. One of the most helpful things to me was visiting the Welcome Center. Those people in there are devoted to helping you get started. They show you how to make your entire educational plan and then how to stick to it.”

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