(Editor's Note: This story now includes a link at the bottom of the story to Hillary's official MuchMusic VJ video.)
A Charlottetown woman is becoming a bit of a YouTube sensation in her drive to become a MuchMusic VJ.
Hillary MacDonald, 21, was in the process of entering the MuchVJ Search contest on Thursday by creating her own video profile for all to see.
But she decided to get a bit of a jump on the competition by creating her own YouTube video first. The idea was to enter that video in the contest until MuchMusic informed MacDonald that the singing she does in the video isn't permitted under the rules due to music rights.
So, she was busy editing that video on Thursday afternoon.
In the meantime, she put the video up on YouTube on Wednesday and within 24 hours it had close to 2,000 views.
"I was totally overwhelmed (at the response),'' MacDonald told The Guardian in a telephone interview from Toronto where she is a third-year journalism student at Ryerson.
"I was not expecting this but I'm completely thankful for it.''
It's clear watching her video that she's brimming with confidence and has a natural talent for the camera.
"This is something that I've always, always wanted to do. I honestly can't even put an age on it because when people have asked me what I want to do for a living, this is what I want to do. I want to be on TV, talking about music and film and everything in between.''
Her father, Doug, said Hillary's focus and determination has always been amazing.
"She's known for a very long time what she's wanted to do,'' Doug MacDonald said. "She's chasing her dream.''
That dream will ratchet up a few notches once MuchMusic posts her video. In mid-March, they'll choose a top 40 out of all the entries and that will eventually get whittled down to a top 10.
That's when the real fun starts.
"That top 10 becomes,'' she signs nervously, "a reality TV show. I don't know how I feel about that.''
That show will look a lot like TV's Big Brother where contestants have to live together with cameras on them 24 hours a day.
"I think they have competitions, like Big Brother and there's an elimination process and one person ends up winning the position.''
By no means does all of this suggest MacDonald is the only Islander applying for the MuchVJ Search contest.
But MacDonald's story does serve as a lesson to others — having a dream and the passion and determination to pursue that dream can take a person a long way, even if it doesn't win them any national VJ contests.
Click on the link below to watch Hillary's official MuchMusic VJ video. Rates and comments are encouraged.
http://www.muchmusic.com/vjsearch/profile/hillary-macdonald/338776/
Twitter.com/DveStewart
Well two really one from the basement to first floor and one from the first to second floor.