Hello!
Welcome! Here you will find different areas of experience that I have managed to gather over my college years. I am studying writing for film and writing for tv at the same time. While also maintaining my music habits that I have carried since I was 5. When I describe what I aspire to be I say I want to be a storyteller. That is in any avenue whether it be a news package, movie script, or musical album. I strive to tell a story.
About Me
Joshua Okparaocha is a Nigerian American aspiring author and screenwriter who is studying Creative Writing at Louisiana State University. For the majority of Joshua’s life, he has lived in the state of Maryland. Early in his life he moved around often as his Nigerian immigrant parents found their bearings in a new country. He experienced the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, to urban Baltimore, to the capital city of Annapolis. His parents settled in suburban Severna Park, Maryland. Witnessing the dichotomy of wealth and lifestyle between the minority Annapolis children, and the privileged suburban children, Joshua became increasingly interested in social themes and the African American identity. He hopes to one day write stories that can inspire his communities and others to appreciate the nuances of the human condition and realize the powerful history and evolution of the Black identity across diasporas.
Joshua ventures in many creative interests. While attending Bates Middle School in Annapolis he played piano for Solid Rock Church for 4 years gaining experience in improvising and playing by ear. He has composed a small collection of original piano arrangements, some of which can be found on YouTube. He has been interested in music production and audio engineering and hopes to begin to publish his beats soon under the alias "Hobby Okp Productions". After graduation, Joshua hopes to continue to build his portfolio in Baton Rouge and build experience in film and film and production. Joshua hopes to study for an MFA in Screenwriting for Film and Television.
Resume
Original Composition: Merridian
Original Composition: Thorns and Roses
While studying creative writing at Louisiana State University, Joshua also pursued a dual degree studying mass communication with an emphasis on broadcast journalism. Through his coursework he learned video production and video editing skills and introduced to the fascinating history and diverse multifaceted culture of Southern Louisiana.
Journalism
/ Feature Story: BG Soundz
A documentary style feature story on a local Baton Rouge music producer.
/ Long Form Journalism: Homelessness In Baton Rouge
In depth journalism pieces that were researched over the course of a 3 1/2 month long semester. Joshua recorded, edited and voiced the video for the Homelessness piece.
Español
En LSU, Joshua también estudió español como especialización académica secundaria. Joshua puede hablar español a un nivel B1 y espera mejorar su fluidez. Sus clases avanzadas de español le proveyó oportunidades que mejoraron su capacidad para hablar con fluidez. Joshua quiere viajar a países de hispispana y experimentar su cultura en total.
At LSU Joshua also studied Spanish as a minor. Joshua can speak Spanish at a B1 level and hopes to improve his fluency. His advanced Spanish classes provided many opportunities and experiences that bolstered his speaking ability. Joshua hopes to one day be able to travel to Spanish speaking countries and experience their culture fully.
V.I.P.S. Service Learning
(Volunteering In Public Schools)
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Durante un semestre, Joshua visitó el Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet School (FLAIM) quincenal para ayudar a la escuela primaria con la tarea y mejorar sus habilidades para hablar español. Sólo podían comunicarse en español. Documentó sus visitas y su experiencia enseñando y ayudando a los niños en un libro ilustrado de estilo infantil.
Throughout a semester Joshua visited the Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet School (FLAIM) biweekly to help them with homework and boost their Spanish speaking skills. They were only able to communicate in Spanish. He documented his visits and experience teaching and helping the kids in a children's style picture book.
Mas Que Tu Piensas
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Para una clase, requirieron que Joshua creara un episodio de podcast que explicara un tema investigado. Mas Que Tu Piensas es un podcast informativo donde Joshua comparte sus pensamientos sobre temas importantes e interesantes relacionados con la historia y la cultura latinoamericana.
For a class Joshua was required to create a podcast episode explaining a researched topic. Mas Que Tu Piensas is an informative podcast where Joshua shares his thoughts on important and interesting topics related to Latin American history and culture.