By Dorothy Young, 18, Scholastic Student Reporter
Marble Falls, Texas

Kelly Asbury, Lorna Cook, and Dorothy at DreamWorks Studios in Southern California. (Photo: Dan Alvey)

What do you want to be when you grow up? Did you ever think you wanted to be an astronaut or maybe even the President of the United States? Or what about an animator? Well, those dreams can come true with a lot of hard work and a little luck. Kelly Asbury, Lorna Cook, and Mark Rowen, co-workers on the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, are great examples of people living out their dreams.

Asbury's Aspirations
Asbury grew up in Beaumont, Texas, and discovered his love of the film industry at the age of 6. He saw his first movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, with a couple of his friends at a matinee. The film captured his imagination, he said. He felt like he was really there, transported into an animated wonderland.

Asbury liked the experience so much he saw the movie four times in one weekend. That's when his dream began.

Scholastic Student Reporter Visits DreamWorks Studio My California Trip Return to Freedom

All throughout his schooling he was focused on becoming an animator. He doodled on papers and even had teachers alter assignments to showcase his talent and allow him to draw. He went to the California Institute of Arts to get his college degree and at the age of 22 began working at Disney.

Asbury worked as a storyboard artist on such films as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, and James and the Giant Peach. He was the story supervisor on DreamWorks' first traditionally animated feature, The Prince of Egypt, along with Lorna Cook. He also worked as a story artist on Shrek and Chicken Run.

Asbury says he was able to make his dream of being an animator come true because he didn't let anything get in his way. He focused on his goals, and he achieved them.

Lorna's Love
Lorna Cook grew up in Burbank, California. As a child she was always doodling, and she was a good artist. She knew she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. She decided on a career as an animator when she was 19.

Cook worked as a commercial painter before a neighbor who was employed at Disney helped her set up an interview, which resulted in her first animation job.

Rowen and 'Rithmatic

Dorothy and Mark Rowen, DVD producer of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. (Photo: Dan Alvey)

Mark Rowen isn't an animator, but he does work with animated films. He's the DVD producer for Spirit and works in DreamWorks' Home Entertainment department.

As a kid he loved math, and when he went to college at UCLA he took math classes for fun. He went to law school and tried his hand at acting. He wrote TV and film treatments for Fox and directed. He also directed music videos and produced commercials and trailers for Buena Vista Home Entertainment at Disney. Then he moved to DreamWorks and, although he works almost nonstop, he enjoys what he does.

Whether you want to be an animator, work in the home entertainment production area of a film company, or even be the first person on Mars, you can do it if you put your mind and effort into it. Why settle for less than you want? Reach for your dreams!