When most people think about EAST, they think of STEM technology like 3D printers, drones, and GIS — but there’s plenty of room for more creative ventures.

Mary McDade, an EAST alum from Nettleton High School, took advantage of the technology and structure her program provided by building the skills that have led to her directing her own films and working on-set for Netflix movies and television series.

When Mary was in school, EAST was the only class where she had real hands-on time to discover her passion.

“It was great because EAST had Photoshop, they had editing materials, and I could just play around with everything,” Mary said. “It was a different way of learning; being able to figure things out for myself instead of just sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecture worked so much better for me. So that’s where my interest in filmmaking started.”

That interest in filmmaking had humble beginnings as Mary’s first projects were creating videos for her school’s student council. Still, her work quickly caught the attention of local television stations who wanted to utilize her talents.

Sandra Taylor, EAST facilitator at Nettleton High School, remembers how dedicated and passionate Mary was in her filmmaking career even as a student.

“One memory that sticks out to me is when she, along with other EAST students, stayed at the mall in freezing weather to capture footage for a Black Friday ‘Shop Jonesboro’ video for the city,” Taylor said. “She has always had a knack for using her personality in her craft to inform,  promote, and entertain. Watching Mary grow from a shy EAST student to the confident filmmaker that she is today is mindblowing.”

Following her time in high school and as an undergrad at the University of Arkansas, Mary continued her pursuit of a career in film by moving to New Orleans to earn a Master’s Degree in Film Production. It’s there she built her career by working on several notable projects.

“I’ve worked on a show called Leverage: Redemption which has been one of my favorite sets to work on because I’ve been able to make meaningful connections with the cast and crew,” Mary said. “I also recently worked on a Netflix action movie called ‘Carry On’ which was awesome because I got to work with people like Jason Bateman and Taron Egerton.”

While working on projects as a crew member has opened many doors for Mary, her true passion is creating films of her own. She recently completed work on a short film titled “Mama Love,” which debuted at the New Orleans Film Festival before then being screened at the Oasis Film and Digital Media Fest in her hometown of Jonesboro.

“It was the first time I’ve shown anything like that in my hometown,” she said. “There’s not a huge film community in Jonesboro, but the community that is there is largely driven by the EAST programs in the city.”

Mary’s assessment of EAST’s impact on the Jonesboro film community can be attributed to the fact that the film festival’s organizer and Annie Camp Junior High School’s EAST facilitator are the same person - Lorenzo Balderas. 

“The hope was to encourage students to make films and help them recognize that they didn't have to be in Hollywood to do it,” Balderas said. “It even allowed me to invite some of my students to volunteer for the event so they get to learn more about it from the backend. Heading into year three, we're making an even bigger push to include as many EAST programs as possible.”

The Oasis Film and Digital Media Fest provided Mary the opportunity to show the results of the foundation her community helped her build. It also gave her the chance to pour back into current EAST students with aspirations for a film career.

“I got to meet an EAST student that Mrs. Taylor put me in contact with the previous year,” Mary said. “It’s a good feeling knowing that things are still going and are getting better. Part of the reason I came back was because I knew there could be students who had my passion but didn’t know how to break into the space.”

By taking advantage of the resources and freedom provided by EAST, Mary McDade created a career for herself while inadvertently laying the foundation for those who are using EAST to find their passions today.

“It’s more of a mindset that I learned in EAST that you should try to do something even when you feel like you don’t have the skills yet,” Mary said. “Sometimes you make something and you’re frustrated that it’s just not there yet, and that’s okay. You just have to keep doing it and EAST allows for that because your grades are more reflective of your effort rather than the final product.”