About me and my project!
Hey there!
For those of you who I have yet to meet, my name is Kyia Jade Karvelas and I am going into my senior year at Wofford College studying English and Film and Digital Media. I have also had the incredible honor of being named Wofford’s Presidential International Scholar for the 2026-27 school year and beginning this August, I will embark on a six-month-long trip across three countries: Costa Rica, Nepal, and Tanzania. During my travels, I will research how women are represented in film and different types of media versus the lived experiences of their cultures. I will showcase my findings in a documentary, offering a glimpse of women’s realities that we often do not see through a screen.
My passion is to create, whether it is physical art, creative writing, photography, or filmmaking. I love it because I think every medium tells a story—and I want to tell stories, especially through film. At the heart of everything I do is a desire to make change in the world, and to be kind, and having been granted this amazing opportunity where I can pair these two passions of mine is a dream come true.
I hope to use this blog as a way to share my passion, my experiences abroad, the progress of my research and documentary, and to stay connected to my Wofford community.
Leaving Wofford
Yesterday, I walked off Wofford’s campus for the last time until February 2027. Knowing that I will return made the moment easier, but the goodbye was still bittersweet. How do you say goodbye to a place that helped make you who you are today?
Wofford has changed my life. It has given me opportunities I never thought possible, friendships I now realize I cannot live without, and mentors who have guided me through every challenge—big or small. They believed in me even when I struggled to believe in myself.
Wofford challenged me in ways that made me a better student, a better friend, and a better person. When I walked onto campus in August 2023, 940 miles away from home (though it felt like a million), I was terrified. I was unsure of myself and uncertain about my future. I had no idea what Wofford had in store for me, and I certainly had no idea that the place I left home for at eighteen would one day become my home at twenty-one. Now, as I sit here writing about this beautiful place, I cannot help but feel grateful. Wofford has allowed me to grow into the person I always hoped to become, and I am excited to return in the spring as someone changed by all that this community has given me. In just a few short months, I will pack my bags and leave for an adventure made possible by Wofford—an adventure I never imagined I would take, but one I am incredibly honored to have been chosen for. I am excited for this next chapter, but I will miss Wofford with my whole heart. I would not be who I am without the people, experiences, and opportunities that shaped me here.
As I think about my “goodbyes” and “see-you-laters,” there’s this Winnie-the-Pooh quote that keeps coming to mind:
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
And honestly, how lucky am I?
This little girl would have never believed the adventure that was waiting for her. If you’d like to follow along on this journey and see her bring her dreams to life, I am so grateful you’re here and so excited to share this journey with you.
With a heart full of gratitude,
Kyia 🩷
