Mahershala Ali, 96年: Inspiring SMC Students to Reach Their Full Potential
After taking home two Oscars for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in 月光 和 绿皮书, Mahershala Ali, 96年 starred in his first lead role in director Benjamin Cleary’s sci-fi drama 天鹅之歌，现在在Apple TV+上播放. In the midst of his success, Ali always takes the time to support Saint Mary’s students. In 2017, the College announced the establishment of the 月光下的十大网赌平台hip, 由阿里和私人捐助者创建的. 最近, 阿里加入了圣玛丽的学生行列, 工作人员, 和 faculty on a February afternoon for a private screening of 天鹅之歌 in LeFevre Theatre. 在一个Q里&A facilitated by Business Administration major 和 月光 Scholar Anahi Albertoni ’22, the award-winning actor discussed what the film means to him, 和 how his experience at Saint Mary’s helped him realize his version of success.
“我们都有一个更伟大的自我.”
Set in the near future where artificial intelligence is a part of everyday human life, 阿里饰演卡梅隆·特纳, a loving father who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness 和 struggles with the decision to accept his fate or replicate himself with his clone, 杰克, 也由阿里扮演.
“Our reality is that we don't have an option to clone ourselves,阿里分享道。, “but I believe that each 和 every one of us has a 杰克, 有一个潜力，准备好被证明, 拥有更好的自己, has a self that takes full advantage of the opportunities 和 the moments that life has to offer us all.”
“对我来说, it’s about considering the fact that we all have a greater self, 更高的自我, 巨大的潜力, 和 for us to right now—in this moment—begin to make the choices that we need to make in order to be our best self.”
Ali’s portrayal of not just one but two main characters demonstrates his talent 和 versatility as an artist. “这是一次奇妙的经历. It’s the experience I’ve always wanted to have really since I did my first play here on this stage in 1993,”阿里说。.
月光下的十大网赌平台
Ali remains true to his beginnings as a first-generation student at Saint Mary’s College, where he entered as a Division I basketball player 和 discovered his passion for acting 和 the arts. Q之后&A, Ali visited the 艺术博物馆 for a reception to celebrate 月光下的十大网赌平台hip recipients 和 joined High Potential students in the 跨文化中心 for a personal conversation about the first-generation experience at Saint Mary’s.
他在Q上说的话&A made me feel like he believes in me,” shared 月光 Scholar Maleena 圭多 ’22. “He’s rooting for me, even though he doesn’t know me. 只是一个高潜力项目的学生, I already feel like he’s rooting for me 和 everyone else like me who hasn’t even met him.”
受到阿里作品的启发, the 月光下的十大网赌平台hip provides financial support to incoming first-year students 和 rising seniors in the 高潜力项目. 圭多, who is set to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree 和 teaching credential in special education, shared how the 月光下的十大网赌平台hip has made an impact on her: “This scholarship really saved me. It kept me able to graduate from Saint Mary’s 和 to make it through. It gave me the support to follow the passion for what I really want to do this school year but still be able to have financial support to make it happen.”
“它促使我来到圣玛丽医院,” said 月光 Scholar 和 student leader Andrea Diaz-Garcia ’22. “我的家人经历了很多, 和 that’s why this year has been especially hard emotionally 和 psychologically. So, him offering the help when I really needed it was—I literally cried because it was a lot, 我的家人非常感激. 谢天谢地，我完成了学业并毕业了.”
成功的意义
As the first Black actor to win two Academy Awards in the same category, 也是第一位获得奥斯卡奖的穆斯林演员, Ali has certainly established himself in the entertainment industry. 仍然, success for him is not measured by awards or money, 但是要过一种平衡的生活, 这是他在圣玛丽中学到的. “I think I would admit being successful is being whole, being fulfilled, being proud. And in my time here, I think that’s when I started really paying more attention to that. I was writing poetry a lot 和 doing music 和 having a radio show,”阿里说。. “更大胆是有意义的. Like just this idea of, I’m not just a basketball player. 我不只是想成为一名篮球运动员. 太棒了，但我不是这样的人. 即使是现在，我仍然热爱表演. 令人惊奇的. 我喜欢这样做，但我不只是这样. 我不想一辈子都这样.”
“这在很大程度上关乎你自己. 这不仅仅是你做了什么. It’s about how you do it, so be conscious of that.”
“You are focused on career here, but it is so much about the person you are. 这不仅仅是你做了什么. It’s about how you do it, so be conscious of that. 现在是时候了. This is a really, really important time in your life,” added Ali.
Ali’s main takeaway for students was to take full advantage of an education at Saint Mary’s to reach their highest potential. “继续听，”阿里说. “相信你的直觉. 不要害怕失败. 你趴在地上，然后爬起来. 再去一次. 每个人都害怕. 每个人都害怕. Some people just keep marching on 和 figure it out at a certain point. And some of us stop because the thought of moving forward is just too terrifying for us, 所以我们停下来, 到那时，我们的进步就会停止. But our real potential, our real growth, our real inner 杰克 is out there being forced to step up.”
Want to support future students through the 月光下的十大网赌平台hip? 考虑给.
Annaliese Martinez was the Staff Writer for College Communications (now the Office of Marketing 和 Communications.)