It took me a minute to figure out how to start my personal statement, and then it hit me. Hi, I’m Hamad Syed, and I am an advertiser. A filmmaker. A teacher, a photographer and a DJ. My very first experience of teaching came at the age of 13 when my neighbours, an Arab family, had requested that I teach their son how to speak in English. At the time I don't think I even knew what ESL stood for or if it existed, but what I do remember is the sheer satisfaction I got when their son spoke a complete sentence in English without stammering or making a single grammatical error. I was hooked. It wasn’t something I would choose as a career, rather it became an integral part of my personality. As a leader and as a human I love teaching and parting knowledge to others. Advertising, on the other hand was a curious discovery, one that arrived right after my bachelors. Having spent most of my teenage and University years working for either Media, Art & Entertainment for all this time I honestly had no clue what the corporate world was or had to offer. Saddened by the lack of opportunity in my hometown for Media, Arts & Entertainment I turned my attention towards advertising. Basic sociology and years of creating content for the masses allowed me to quickly not only understand the fundementals of advertising but also come up with new and improved methods of engaging customers with their respective brands, or creating an experience that would leave the consumer wanting more. Film & photography for the most part have existed in my life pretty much since I could even walk. I took up photography from my father who never got the chance to pursue his love for the art but was generous enough to hand over his prized possession of the time which was a Yashica 35mm film camera. The view from its viewfinder felt like a gateway to another world, and even today 12 years into photography and film as a career and I’m as mesmerized as I was on the first day looking into the viewfinder.