David Tovar is a first year Film Studies and Video Production teacher here Las Vegas Academy of the Arts (LVA.) He is also a teaching artist at a local theater, The Rainbow Company Youth Theater, and occasionally, a DJ.
Since Tovar is new to the LVA atmosphere (as a teacher), he said, “At times, it feels like I am trying to keep my head above water,” however, he believes in the coming years he will be able to master better balance between his work life and personal life and provide a better learning experience for future filmmakers. Currently, Tovar says that the key is prioritization. He believes that teaching at LVA takes the utmost priority because it is, “in service of a multitude of students,” compared to the other things he does which he said is, “in the service of myself.” He keeps himself busy pursuing new hobbies and talents whenever possible to keep life fun and entertaining.
Taking a short dive into Tovar’s life, he used to be a student here at LVA in the same major he currently teaches. When he was younger Tovar said, “I prioritized keeping other people happy with my accomplishments, whether it was making my parents proud or impressing my friends or staying my teacher’s favorite student.” Tovar describes how even in the past he used to feel ashamed. However, through personal growth, he understands the importance of feeling pride within and for himself. He now is confidently able to say, “someone else’s success was not my failure,” showing clear growth from then to now.
Obviously, it is human to go through struggle in life, yet Tovar has adapted to healthy mechanisms to conquer it, like spending time with his soon to be wife, Amber, and dog, Ozzy, meditating, saying affirmations, doing yoga, or lifting.
Tovar also reminisces on how his goals have changed over the years. “My younger self thought that I would end up being the youngest person to ever win an Oscar,” he said. Life is unpredictable and Tovar has definitely experienced that throughout his life. Despite the problems life throws at us, Tovar is able to say, “I have chosen to give back to the institutions that made me who I am, while simultaneously pursuing new talents and disciplines that I never would have thought I would be doing, I would definitely be impressed.”
This goes hand-in-hand with how Tovar describes his idea of success. “Success is defined by truly recognizing what it is that you want or that will bring you joy, and not allowing other people to try to redefine that for you.” Tovar talks about how one of the proudest things he’s done in his life is quitting his old job. He says the job was mentally and physically taxing to the point where he gained the courage, “to leave to take an immense amount of time to recover myself and find new opportunities that would utilize my skills, financially support me, but most especially give me a sense of purpose.”
The art of being able to serve yourself adequately before others helps you become a better person towards yourself and others illustrated through the story of David Tovar.
