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-086- ] "I was given a lot of opportunities to n and shadow directors for their upcom- things,” Turner said. "They couldn’t really e any moves from the professional stand- :t since I am still in school. That was really otablish relationships, so that when I do uate I will have a job opportunity." Even with all of the opportunities that happening for him, he still was deter ged to make sure that he succeeded both essionally and academically. With all of .people that were trying to get in contact, wentually had to shut himself off from the il. “There was one point where I had to my phone off,” Julien said. “I figured a e part of the reason why I was getting so th attention was because of the fact that I lin school and my grades were so high and I (doing all of this. I figured that if they start- feclining while all of this was happening I Id be taking away the reason why I was get- iChristion Robinso^ ting so much attention, and I wanted to obtain that.” Although Turner became an overnight sensation whose life changed because of the one video, that’s not all he wants to be known for. In the fall, there will be a “fraction of an episode” of Sesame Street that he and his brother directed and wrote together. “It was an opportunity we didn’t seek out at first, and then we realized how universal that platform would be,” Julien said. “Once we sought it out and we were given the opportuni ty, we still didn’t know how big it would be until we announced it. We’re trying to keep the train rolling” Before they were directing for Sesame Street, Turner and his brother, Justen Turner, were building their brand Dreadhead Films and making their own films. Years later, they went on to make advances in their career. “If you put any amount of hard work into it - whether it’s good things or bad things £ - you’ll eventually reap what you sow,” Julien Turner said. "These last few months have been a result of the sowing that I’ve done throughout high school, filmmaking, or in the classroom or even on the football field. Finally seeing a lot of those things panning out and coming into fruition is encouraging, but I was going to keep working anyways.” Ever since being at Morehouse College, Keon Berry, a Sociology major from Windsor, Con necticut, has managed to make a name for himself and turn his dreams into a reality. From being well-rounded in his academics to running his self-starter, Berry Academy, Keon continues to keep moving forward despite the obstacles that he has to overcome that others may not see. “I think a lot of time people see the success and not the obstacles,” Berry said. “Through the many successes I’ve had, it’s been ex tremely progressive because ultimately they come with adversities. A lot of times the price for success is adversity because in order to get to the other side of the mountain you have to climb the mountain.” During his freshman year, Keon created Berry Academy as a platform for social change with a focus on education for youth. It started off as a dream that he had that he couldn’t get out of his head. “It’s gone even farther than what I’ve expect ed,” Berry said. “Seeing what it is now, where it’s going, and the level of support we’ve gar nered from a number of people inspires us to keep going.” Although he initially didn’t think he had time to do it, Berry realized that it was something that he was called to do. “I think of my callings is to make a difference on a macro-level,” Keon said. “I could run from it all I want, but eventually it was going to catch me. It was something that caught me, something that played into my interest, and something that’s going to continue to grow.” Another decision that Berry made was to be come a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. which is an experience he does not regret. “Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. means every thing to me,” Berry said. “It’s definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made in my entire life. I think my process, the people I’ve encountered, and the lessons that I learned made me even better than when I came in.” Keon was also Director of Freshmen Affairs on the Student Government Association. Even with all of these things on his plate, he still managed to make the right sacrifices. “I’m always engulfed in what I love, so when I’m doing what I love it’s so much easier to sacrifice certain things,” Berry said. E YEAR OF Ml UNDERDOG 1 WOMAN OF THE YEAR