By: Natalia Patterson
Throughout our childhoods, many of us are told that we can achieve anything we want to, only to find later on that we have built unrealistic expectations for ourselves. This is not the case for Ummi Green, a Bay Area teenage author who is working towards his various passions. He has even published a children’s book expressing the idea that you don’t have to set limits for your future.
Ummi Green is 17 years old, and lives in Berkeley, California. He has been taking college classes since age 12, in addition to being a fencer at West Berkeley Fencing Club. His goals include becoming a fencer, architect, animator, author, and visiting space. In an interview with “Today,” he said, “I want to put my mark on the world to let people know that anything is possible.” This is what inspired him to write his book, which tells the story of a boy exploring different possibilities for his future and discovering that there are no limits to what he can become.
In addition to conducting an interview with him, “Today” connected Green with one of his idols, film director Frank Abney, the creator of the animated movie “Soul.” During their meeting in the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Green was given the opportunity to interview Abney and receive advice on his own work. Also, Abney helped Green create a short animated film, delivering the same message as his book.
Hopefully, the work of people like Ummi Green will inspire a generation of children to strive to achieve their dreams. However, small children aren’t the only ones who can learn from Green’s story, since it is never too late to set new goals for yourself and work hard to achieve them. As Green says at the end of his animated video: “The only limit is the time you take. And time won’t wait… so why should you?”
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