Sage Okolo ‘18 laughs when she introduces herself as an artist, but the National “YoungArts” Foundation recognized her as exactly that. Okolo is one of 757 students from 47 states across the nation to be recognized as an “outstanding teen” for her cinematography. The winners represent the top ten percent of applicants, and YoungArts President and CEO Carolina García Jayaraman announced that the 2018 applicant pool was the most competitive group to date. Okolo will join a network of artists that includes YoungArts alumni such as Josh Groban, Viola Davis and Kerry Washington and have opportunities to attend programs and share her work with the public at institutions such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Okolo has been interested in film since the eighth grade when her sister taught her how to download videos for a project. But it was not until the following summer when she made a going away video for a friend that she really discovered her passion. That summer, she enrolled in Maryland Summer Center for the Arts and learned how to start professionally making films. Since then, she has attended a variety of film camps and programs including New York Film Academy, where one of her teachers encouraged her to submit her work to YoungArts.

Okolo’s goal is to pursue filmmaking in college and possibly work for VICE to produce documentary-style video essays that tell under-reported stories. “I want to be able to combine what I’ve been doing at Bryn Mawr. I’ve been in CAFÉ since 9th grade, so I want to be able to find a way to combine social justice and implementing diverse characters into storytelling,” said Okolo.

Although much of her cinematography experience comes from outside of her Bryn Mawr classes, she credits photography teacher Tim Ford for helping her earn her award saying, “Mr. Ford, he’s amazing! He’s the one who taught me how to be a serious photographer and I’m proud to have been his student, so I really appreciate what he’s done for me.”

Instead of just celebrating her accomplishment, Okolo wants to find a way to use her award to create more opportunities for other Bryn Mawr students. “I’m really happy and proud that I won these awards, but I know that there’s so much more that other people can do, like there are more students in the freshman class who’ve done filmmaking and are amazing. They want to do it more and I think it’s so important that Bryn Mawr finds a place for them to foster their talents,” Okolo said.

Watch Okolo’s award winning entries below. Orlando is a documentary style piece about a vigil held in Baltimore after the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting. Keep Going is a short film that explores supernatural elements as a young woman remembers her late mother.
Above: The filmaking process begins with sketches and mapping out the story.

Below: Okolo and her YoungArts crew at the artist program in Miami.

Orlando. from Sage Okolo on Vimeo.

Keep Going from Sage Okolo on Vimeo.

Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.