Student Spotlight: Arthur Olifant

The opportunity to play collegiate tennis brought Arthur Olifant from his hometown of Brest, France to the Onondaga Community College campus. Even though the tennis season didn't happen due to COVID-19, he's figured out what he wants to do for the rest of his life and is ready to work hard to achieve his goals. "I'm focused on my grades and I want to work in cinema one day. I will stay here and graduate, then go to a cinema school."

Olifant began making short films seven or eight years ago. "At first they weren't very good quality. The last one I made was good. I did everything from writing the script, to shooting, to editing." You can view the movie at this YouTube link. It's 10 minutes long and was filmed in France.

When Olifant enrolled at OCC last fall, his plan was to earn a Business degree. "I chose it because I thought it was a safe choice. But I realized how much I missed cinema and changed."

The spring semester was his first in Broadcast Media Communications. "I love the program. Professor Tony Vadala cares about me. We talk for a long time. And Professor Mark Ballard is great. He has a lot of skills."

Olifant plans to earn his degree in May 2022, then move on to a four-year school as he chases his dream of making movies for a living. "Before I came here I didn't know if I was just a fan of cinema or if I wanted to work in cinema. Now I know. I don't want to do anything else."