Student Spotlight: Kayla Goulbourne Receives Scholarship from Women in Film and Television Atlanta
(June 3, 2026) - Kayla Goulbourne, a student at Clayton State University, recently received a $2,500 Scholarship from Women in Film and Television Atlanta. She participated in the Film, Communication, and Performing Arts Programs at Clayton State and received a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production during the May 2026 Spring Commencement Ceremonies.
Goulbourne started her college career in 2020 at Kennesaw State, but due to the impact of COVID-19, including social distancing and remote learning, she did not connect with others or fully engage in the college experience. In 2023, she applied to Clayton State. She said, “Clayton State is a much more intimate school, which I preferred over the larger schools. And it was just a better fit for me.”
In her senior year at Clayton State, Goulbourne discovered a lot about herself and her potential. “This year specifically is when I started branching out and getting a little bit more extroverted and participating in activities like the film screenings and socializing with my classmates. I shot my first professional short film this past semester. Overall, it was a great experience and very shocking experience. I didn't realize I would grow and accomplish so much here.”
Kayla Goulbourne is an aspiring photographer and film editor. Through her academic training and hands-on experience over the past four years, she has developed a strong foundation in film production, video editing, photography, and storytelling. She has worked as a production assistant on both commercial projects and independent films.
In 2024, Goulbourne independently wrote, shot, and edited a short film titled Lucid Dream at home, managing every aspect of production herself. This year, she is also developing a professionally produced short film that she wrote, produced, directed, & edited titled Hear Me Speak, which tells the story of a nonverbal young man struggling with opioid addiction. This project reflects her commitment to meaningful storytelling and desire to create films that are both socially impactful and emotionally driven. She plans to submit the project to film festivals later this year.
Working in filmmaking and editing has been Goulbourne’s passion for several years. “I have been editing since I was 15 years old, starting on my phone using the platform iMovie, and have now graduated to industry-standard editing platforms Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve,” said Goulbourne. “I also recently completed a program called African Peach Arts Coalition (APAC), where I have gained training in After Effects, become Adobe certified, and received a $500 bonus, which I plan to invest in my editing and photography business. After graduation, I plan to continue to grow my business and explore new opportunities in post-production work, specifically focused on video editing.”
Goulbourne is excited to meet people in the film industry as she explores her career options. She said, “One thing I want to start doing is going to more of those networking events and making connections. The Women in Film event was a great opportunity to make connections. I met someone from Moonshine Post-Production House and exchanged contact information with her. In the coming weeks, I hope to go see their post-production house. Because that's what I want to do specifically, edit films or be in post-production.”