While he was still in Ramsay High School, Jeremy Broner set his sights on a career in arts and animation. Now he is ready to achieve the dream, thanks to a recently completed college education — and help from Birmingham Promise.
Jeremy graduated in May from the University of South Alabama, with a bachelor of fine arts degree. He concentrated in animation, a promising field where jobs are expected to grow in the years ahead.
Although starting college in the midst of a pandemic brought challenges, one thing that he could scratch off his list of worries, thankfully, was tuition. That assistance made all the difference. “Honestly, I don’t believe I would have been able to get all the way through without Birmingham Promise,” Jeremy said.
A fifth-year blessing
Like many students, he needed five years to complete his degree. Birmingham Promise provided partial assistance for the extra year. While Jeremy had to take out a small loan to get through it, he said, “it would have been a lot worse if I didn’t have Birmingham Promise.”
“I don’t even want to think about the amount of student loan debt I would have had without it,” he said.
The extra year – while more costly than the others – ended up being a blessing. “I was able to polish up my abilities,” he said. “It gave me time to work on my demo reel that shows off my best work. It gave me extra time to really lock in and create my thesis film.”
That film has been submitted to film festivals around the world, and Jeremy is looking for job opportunities in his dream career.
While he chose South Alabama specifically for its animation program, college helped him broaden his skills and versatility, allowing him to experiment with watercolor, oil paint and other mediums. “It really opened my eyes to what’s possible,” he said.
His hope is to work in 2D animation, an area that could lead to a variety of job opportunities, including roles at marketing agencies and software companies. But his dream is to work in film. He doesn’t crave a lot of fame, he said, but “a little bit would be kind of cool.”
‘Never give up’
Jeremy has a message for students just now crystallizing their dreams.
“Never give up despite what challenges you may face,” he said. “When you get through that challenge, you’ll be grateful for the people that you’ve met and the experiences that you’ve had. It will make you the person you become. It could also end up creating a new version of yourself that you never even fathomed.”
