HFC film student wins $5,000 Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship

HFC student Kalimah (pronounced “kah-LEE-mah”) Gardner didn’t expect to win the Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship. After all, she had applied previously and had not won the award.

This time, Gardner, a telecommunication major, won the $5,000 scholarship. She also is a Barrett Creative Writing Award recipient this year and won $100.

“To apply for the Live Más Scholarship, you have to make a 2-minute video (see link below) about your goals in life, your passions, and how you can impact the community in a positive way,” said Gardner, of Inkster. “I thought the video was good. But I didn’t expect to win. I’m glad I did. It will help out with my tuition. I’m so grateful for this opportunity.”

“Kalimah wrote a script and made a video about her passions and her goals in the field of telecommunication and how she wants to use that passion to help others. The Live Más Scholarship will allow her to continue her studies,” said HFC Chairperson, Department of Communication and Media Susan McGraw.

Gardner spoke fondly of her late father, who passed away in late 2021.

“My dad would have been so proud,” she said. “Things have been looking good, despite it all. God has been blessing and taking care of my family and me.”

Excellent teachers and mentors at HFC

The third of four children, Gardner is a graduate of Romulus High School. She completed some coursework at Eastern Michigan University and the University of Detroit Mercy. Because the cost of tuition was high, even though she was attending both universities on partial scholarships, Gardner transferred to HFC.

“It’s a good community college with friendly people, and the tuition is much more affordable,” she said. “I’ve been blessed with some excellent teachers here at the College.”

One of them is McGraw, whom Gardner considers a mentor.

“The amount of dedication and time she puts into taking care of each and every one of her students is amazing,” said Gardner. “She pointed me in the right direction when it comes to working in film. She is amazing.”

Gardner is scheduled to earn her associate degree in telecommunication from HFC in 2023. From there, she plans to transfer to either the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan-Dearborn to continue her undergraduate education.

Deep connections through film

Gardner’s ultimate career goal is working for a major streaming service such as Hulu, Disney+, or Netflix.

“I want to be part of the creative team that transforms movies from paper to film,” said Gardner. “I really love film and the creative process. I love creating narrative and characters. I love the implicit and deep, profound meanings of movies. One of the reasons I love film is the connections people have with it, that creative narrative and meaning that allows you to connect with people.”

She would also like to be part of the creative minds behind TV shows like Big Little Lies and Somebody Somewhere and the Korean film Silence.

“These are projects that deal with people battling grief and abuse and show that they can persevere, despite their traumatic past,” said Gardner. “These are shows that have helped me regain my mental and physical strength when dealing with grief and childhood trauma and have shown me there is hope after the storm and light even in darkness. I would love to inspire those through amazing narratives and media to do the same.”

Major influences on Gardner include renowned Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List), the most commercially successful director of all time; award-winning screenwriter/producer/director Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal) and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay (Selma, A Wrinkle in Time). Her favorite movies include The Help, Monster’s Ball, any Marvel film, any Pixar film, and the Korean films Parasite and the above-mentioned Silence.

McGraw takes pride in Gardner’s accomplishments.

“I'm excited to see what amazing things Kalimah does next and proud to be able to support her on her academic journey here at HFC,” said McGraw. “She’s already a shining star. She is kind, creative, and passionate about this field – and about life. I know she's going to continue to do great things to impact others through her words and actions using media as a bridge for others to experience.”