Charmaine Colina feels like she's leading a double life. 

For the past 22 years, Colina has taught elementary school in Los Angeles, where she grew up after her family immigrated from the Philippines when she was less than a year old. Colina loves her day job. But as soon as she gets home, she opens her laptop, closes the door and immerses herself in worlds of her own creation – dusty one-horse towns in the Wild West, the lavish ballrooms of Regency-era England, even the inside of a magical ice cream truck.

Wherever her mind takes her, Colina becomes a writer and storyteller. Since enrolling in her first screenwriting course at UCLA Extension in 2014, that has often meant spending her free time working on film and TV scripts.

"My husband and my mother, who lives with us, they just know that I'm off in my zone," Colina said. "It kind of helps that I'm nocturnal."

For Colina, the long nights and summer breaks spent writing have paid off in a big way. In September, she was announced as one of six winners of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Nicholl Fellowship, one of the most prestigious awards for unproduced screenplays in the world.

The script that earned Colina the recognition is close to her heart. "Gunslinger Bride" tells the story of a Chinese American gunslinger with a bounty on her head who poses as a mail-order bride to hide from the law and avenge her murdered family. The story blends classic Western themes with elements of action, comedy, romance and more.

"Ultimately, it's about a person who feels that they don't belong, and the question of whether they can find the love and belonging they need," said Colina. "I didn't grow up seeing heroes who looked like me, and as a child that gives you the idea that you can't be the center of a story. So, there's also part of this that's trying to change who we are able to see as heroes."

We spoke to Colina about her journey as a writer, the Nicholl Fellowship and her experience at UCLA Extension. This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.

What was it like getting the news of the award?

Normally, I have so much to say but I was at a loss for words. It was an honor every step of the way. You get the email every year that announces the new Nicholl Fellows and you always think how great that is for them. But you never think one of these days that's going to be me. It was definitely the realization of a dream, but I'm still pinching myself.

What made you want to write a Western?

American TV and movies were the fabric of my childhood in an interesting way. I watched Westerns with my grandma, who didn't speak a lot of English, because at least with Westerns you can kind of figure out what's going on, even if you're not getting all the dialogue.

But as I got older, I learned about the American West and all the different immigrant communities who were there but whose stories we don't hear a lot about. I thought, wait a minute: Where are all the women? Where are the hundreds of thousands of Chinese immigrants who helped build the West? This being a genre I loved, I thought there was an opportunity to paint a broader picture of the stories that embodied the American West compared to what I typically saw, especially as a kid watching "Bonanza" or "Gunsmoke."

When did you know you were a writer?

I've been writing and doing other creative work since I was a kid. In high school I wrote what today we would call fan fiction. These are my favorite stories and I want more of them, so why don't I write the sequel myself?

But I didn't really see myself as a writer until after my father died 17 years ago. I would give the eulogy, since I'm the eldest child, and I knew that it was the most important thing I would ever do in my life. It had to be perfect to honor him. He was funny, he was kind, he was a practical joker – all these things had to be there to make the eulogy feel like my dad. And so, I channeled everything I had into writing it, and it was transformative. My dad had given me one last gift. After that, I saw myself as a writer. It wasn't just a hobby anymore, I thought maybe this was what I'm supposed to do.

Where does UCLA Extension fit in?

In 2014, I was looking through the UCLA Extension catalog and saw screenwriting classes and I thought, alright, it's now or never. I took two classes right away, and then another. I was inspired by seeing people of all different ages, at all different stages in their careers, bringing their stories to life. But it was the enthusiasm and the kindness and the knowledge of my instructors that really lit a fire inside me. There's an expression that goes, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." To that point, I didn't know who those people were going to be that would guide me. If it weren't for those first classes, we would not be having this conversation.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

It's never too late to go after your dream. There's a way to make it work if you really want it. If the worst that can happen is that it doesn't work out, well, at least you went for it. No regrets. If you have a story to tell, let your voice be heard.