CHADRICK Barnes eats, sleeps and lives for drama. His ultimate dream is to make it into the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts as a drama student where he can perfect his craft.

In fact, he is so close… yet a million miles away from realising his goal. Although he has been accepted into the Drama in Education programme at the institution, coming up with the over $200,000 by mid-August has proven more challenging than he realised.

“I have exhausted every avenue, hunted for scholarships, applied for every programme, (but) can’t get any guarantors to apply for a student loan… I am just sitting back now and watching it all slip through my fingers,” he said.

A member of the Miracle Tabernacle Free Town Church of God of Prophecy where he is vibrant in the youth ministry, Barnes said he has no intention of giving up on his dream.

“As a child growing up I always wanted to become an actor. I spend a lot of time watching the skeleton of the movies behind the scenes, how the movie came to life, the stuff that happens off set, and I see Edna Manley as the best institution to study the art of drama,” he said.

A member of the Prophecy Brothers, a miming duo with Timoy Smith, he said the duo started out just performing/ministering in church on youth Sundays and is now a ministry visiting other churches.

Barnes has also created a video blog on YouTube, Chadizzle TV, where he shows his creativity through witty skits.

“I love acting so much and that’s one of the reasons I started the video blog,” he said.

With reality staring him in the face, he knows living this dream may very well be out of his reach and is acknowledging that he will be disheartened but will by no means be giving up.

“I am still seeking, still ministering and still looking for miracles,” he said, adding that every night before he sleeps his prayer is the same.

“I ask God to somehow make the way that I can get to do this; I want it so bad I can literally taste it,” he said.

“I am sure I am not the only one who is in this position, for me it’s acting, for someone else it could be the dream to be a doctor, lawyer or whatever, but I am hoping I can emerge out of the pack as the one who got his miracle.”

Now in his early twenties, Barnes said he has big expectations being a student at Edna Manley. He has visited the institution numerous times attending events and each time the dream is strong that one day he too will be a graduate.