After a change in career from a desire to play professional basketball, a visit to the theater with his Godmother to see Jerry McGuire, and an urging from childhood friend Dondre Whitfield, who was having much success in television, Cornelius began a new path. Coming to North Carolina from Brooklyn, New York, on a basketball scholarship, Cornelius graduated from Elon University and decided to return to North Carolina after graduation, due to the film production happening in North Carolina at the time.

Initially beginning with acting classes at HB Studios in NYC, Cornelius settled in on the Carolina Actors Group, a Sanford-Meisner method acting group, taught by Burgess Jenkins, in Winston-Salem North, Carolina, to focus and become a professional craftsman.

After some minimal success in the business, Cornelius felt like he was being led to create inspirational, redemptive films. His first short film was Brother's Keeper: A story of faith, love and forgiveness which was based on personal experience.

Next came his first feature production, Find A Way, which he Executive Produced and was the lead. Find A Way was loosely based on a true, story, received national and international distribution and was highly exalted by Dr. Maya Angelou.