Although Casey Niccoli, a mass media major at Amarillo College, readily admits that a “rough second semester” had given her a mild case of the self-doubts, at no point did the notion of giving up enter the aspiring filmmaker’s mind.

“I was still struggling with learning the technical aspects of filmmaking, but I had to keep creating,” Niccoli said. “I needed more than ever to see my artistic vision come to life.”