Art has taught me that the most meaningful questions rarely have simple answers. Through my work, I strive to disrupt certainty, inviting viewers to question their assumptions about themselves, nature, and the world around them. As I look toward the future, I plan to use art not only as a form of self-expression but as a tool for exploration, communication, and scientific discovery.
My artwork often centers on animals, particularly insects. I am fascinated by the strong reactions they provoke. Bugs are strange, uncomfortable, and frequently misunderstood, making them powerful symbols for exploring human experiences. When I paint locusts, for example, they represent anxiety to me, but viewers may see religion, resilience, destruction, or something entirely different. I intentionally leave room for multiple interpretations because I believe art is most impactful when it encourages people to think long after they have left the gallery.
My artistic interests are deeply connected to my passion for biology and the natural world. Throughout high school, I have discovered that science and art are not separate pursuits but complementary ways of understanding the same questions. Last summer, while interning at a New Jersey crime lab, I learned that insects can help investigators estimate the age of crime scenes and reveal evidence of toxins or drug use. Seeing insects serve as both scientific evidence and artistic inspiration reinforced my belief that observation is a powerful skill shared by both disciplines.
In college and beyond, I hope to become a scientist studying animals and the natural world. Art will sustain that future by helping me remain curious, creative, and open-minded. Scientific breakthroughs often begin with asking unexpected questions, and art has trained me to look beyond obvious answers. At the same time, art can help make science more accessible. Through visual storytelling, I hope to communicate complex scientific ideas in ways that inspire curiosity and encourage people to engage more deeply with environmental and biological issues.
I am particularly interested in exploring the relationship between humans and nature. In future projects, I hope to continue combining human and animal imagery to challenge the boundaries we create between ourselves and the natural world. By encouraging viewers to see themselves reflected in other living things, I hope my work can foster a greater sense of connection, empathy, and responsibility toward the environment.
Ultimately, I do not see art as separate from my future career. Instead, I see it as a lifelong companion to my scientific pursuits. Art will sustain my future by helping me ask better questions, communicate new ideas, and encourage others to engage with the natural world with the same curiosity and wonder that inspires me.
This scholarship would support more than my education—it would support the intersection of two passions that shape how I see the world. I plan to use my art throughout my life, not only to sustain my own curiosity and growth, but also to inspire others to ask questions, reconsider assumptions, and develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Through both science and art, I hope to contribute to a future built on observation, understanding, and wonder.
My future is set to be in the animation industry. Whether it be for TV shows, movies, or video games, I want to bring still ideas to life in front of your very eyes. As our society becomes more digitized, for example, frequently watching on a screen, playing video games, and being online in general, I want to bring meaningful art and storytelling to the world's new age of art.
In order to make my mark in the industry, I've been taking as many opportunities as I can to ensure a future of great connections of industry professionals. Starting in high school, my art has been displayed in exhibitions, and I took on the role of an illustrator for a children's book called "I Love My Family" written by Kayla Deickman. During the summer of 2025, I participated in an online collaborative video game development event called "Brackey's Game Jam". In this event, I was the lead animator and illustrator in a team with two programmers and a music producer (this game is available to play on itch.io (website) called "Cave Echoes").
And with all of these opportunities I leapt at along with my artwork, I was able to have a portfolio that got me accepted into the School of Visual Arts in New York. The only question now that I ask myself is "What will I do from now to the future?"
During my time that I attend SVA, will learn new skills and techniques from industry professionals that will improve my own abilities in art and animation. I'll continue to draw, spending endless hours with figure, gesture, and anatomy studies, creating story-driven environments with deep, complex characters, and capture emotion through color. Not only will I learn how to do art, but I'll learn how to advertise my skills and my portfolio to other artists, companies, and corporations. This will be done through seeking out sources from my professors, career services within my school, and attending portfolio review trips that SVA offers to students. Only then will I have a professional and plentiful portfolio that may land me a position in an internship to gain experience. This will hopefully lead me to a job position in the animation field, whether it be for TV shows, movies, or video games.
Though I have a clear vision of my future, I'm not ignoring any potential setbacks. Upcoming artists today find that they struggle with having a large online presence, which is a hindrance when you're looking for employment. Many artists, studios, and companies search for potential employers through social medias and portfolio websites. So to resolve this problem, and though my progress is still slow, I've begun to showcase my art on social media. Online, I share progress artwork and developmental pieces for my video game and animated projects in hopes to build interest among my audience. To make my online presence stronger, I intend to start a commissioning business in the future, advertising paid artwork for what people want drawn.
Evaluating the progress to my future in the animation industry, I learn that it comes with many steps and setbacks. But, I am strongly determined to continue improving my skills and opening up my life to new opportunities within my reach that are ready to be grasped. With this in mind, I'm confident that I will find my place in the future I've set my sights on.
