Danny Santos

To the Ric Gonzalez Memorial Foundation,

As a recipient of the Ric Gonzalez Scholarship, I would like to thank the organization for always believing in me in all of my academic pursuits.

After my time at Notre Dame Preparatory, I studied for at Oakland University, majoring in Cinema Studies and Communications. After three years of studying at OU, I applied for transfer and was accepted into The University of Southern California’s (USC) Film School in Film Criticism, a major focused on critical thinking, the history of film, and studying film under the lens of the great auteurs, such as Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas. As a film student, I have had the delight of interning on the Warner Bros lot at Mad Chance Productions, the company that did American Sniper, among many other wonderful films. At Mad Chance, I read potential scripts for future productions, pitched original film ideas to the creative executives, and of course made coffee runs to pick up my boss’s favorite drink from Starbucks on the daily, but the connections I have made there will be invaluable to my future in the industry. I’m pursuing my passions in writing and scoring music for film and in Film Theory & Criticism in hopes of having my songs in film one day. I’m expected to graduate Undergrad from USC’s Cinematic Arts Program in May of 2017, six years after my time at Notre Dame Preparatory, and my life is filled with joy and appreciation much greater than I could have foreseen as a wide-eyed 18 year old. I would not be where I am today without the continual love, support, and appreciation from my amazing parents, my wonderful education, and the constant support of the Ric Gonzalez Scholarship Foundation. 

With love and appreciation.

Thank you for always believing in me,

Danny Santos

Notre Dame Preparatory School