Joy Clausen Soto

When Joy was twenty-four years old, she decided to leave her dream job working with dolphins in order to pursue a career in filmmaking. Three months into film school, Joy was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood cancer, and had to drop out of film school.

Everything she knew changed, but one thing remained constant… the camera.

Joy recorded everything, from her first diagnosis of cancer with a high survival rate to the changed diagnosis of a more aggressive type of cancer with a lower survival rate.

Joy didn’t let the cancer diagnosis end her dreams of becoming a filmmaker.

She was able to find a way to maintain control over her story during a time in her life when she had very little control.

Joy went on to found the annual Children’s Hospital dolphin interaction at SeaWorld San Diego. She has inspired people to find ways to get back control of their lives and to pursue their dreams.

Joy has shared her story on the TEDx stage, ABC, NBC, FOX News, Telemundo, Univision, and KPBS.