As an incoming visual arts and design student at North Carolina A&T State University, I see my education as more than just personal advancement—it's an opportunity to transform how Black stories are told in visual media. My journey as an artist began when I first encountered Miles Morales as Spider-Man. Seeing a Black teenage superhero who looked like me, talked like me, and faced similar cultural challenges fundamentally changed my understanding of art's power. That moment of recognition—of finally feeling seen—is what drives my mission to create representation that empowers the African-American community. At NC A&T, I'm determined to develop both the technical skills and cultural knowledge to tell our stories with authenticity and pride.
My education will directly contribute to three key community initiatives. First, through my coursework in character design and digital illustration, I'm developing an animated series called "Carolina Legends" that reimagines Black folktales and historical figures with contemporary Afrofuturist aesthetics. Second, I'm establishing the "Heroes Like Us" mentorship program at local Greensboro community centers, where I'll teach animation fundamentals to Black youth while exposing them to career paths in the arts. Third, as a member of A&T's National Association of Black Artists chapter, I'm organizing an annual "HBCU Creators Summit" to connect students with professionals in animation and design. These projects address the representation gaps I experienced growing up, ensuring future generations have both the inspiration and the tools to tell their own stories.
The challenges facing Black artists in the animation industry are significant but not insurmountable. According to a 2023 Diversity in Animation report, only 12% of character designers identify as Black. At NC A&T, I'm confronting these disparities head-on by combining traditional art training with cultural studies—taking courses like "The African Diaspora in Visual Culture" alongside my studio classes. This dual focus allows me to create work that's not just technically excellent, but culturally resonant. My current project, a graphic novel about the Greensboro sit-ins told through a superhero lens, exemplifies this approach by blending historical research with dynamic visual storytelling.
This scholarship would be transformative for both my education and community impact. The funds would support my "Black in Animation" research project, purchase equipment for our mentorship program, and help underwrite the HBCU Creators Summit. More than financial assistance, this investment represents belief in my vision for a more inclusive creative industry. When I graduate, I plan to become both a working artist and an advocate—using my position to recruit from HBCUs, advise on authentic representation, and create pipelines for emerging Black talent.
Miles Morales showed me that heroes come in all colors. At North Carolina A&T, I'm learning how to wield my art as both a mirror and a beacon—reflecting the beauty of Black experiences while lighting the way for those who will follow. With this scholarship, I can ensure that our stories aren't just included, but celebrated; that our characters aren't just present, but powerful; and that our community doesn't just consume art, but shapes its future.
I plan to use my education/degree to enhance the African-American community by becoming an educator and teach at a school in a low income area in the city where I am from. I currently reside in a neighborhood by the name of Englewood, which is a low income area located in the city on the south side of Chicago, IL. My parents and I were born in this area and have lived in the Englewood community my entire life. My plan is to go back to my own community in Englewood after graduating with a master’s degree in education from Clark Atlanta University, which is the school that I am committed to, have also been accepted to and will be attending in the fall of 2025. I plan to become a math teacher. I would like to earn my master’s degree in education further my education to a doctorate degree and one day become a principal of a school. I feel that low income neighborhood schools in the city of Chicago, don’t have what a suburban school in Chicago would have and that is better teachers/educators and resources. Teachers are scared and afraid to go to certain neighborhoods in the Chicago areas and unfortunately Englewood is one of the areas that people do not like coming to work in. I would be a willing participant to go to a school in that area but I really would like to come back to Chicago and work at my old elementary school. That is one of the ways that I would give back from earning my degree/education. I enjoy helping kids but my passion is teaching kids how to do math. Math is my favorite subject and I really enjoy problem solving and finding solutions. I think I would be a great teacher because, I help tutor kids at my old elementary school in an after school program for two years. Kids that had trouble in math had improved through the school year with me tutoring them in the after school program. The program was for four days a week Mon-Thursday, 3:30-4:30. I am a seventeen year old boy that has been an honor student my whole life including high school. I have patience and teaching kids/people to problem solve and understand formulas is a blessing. A lot of people when it comes to math are just scared thinking their answers are incorrect or really they don’t understand the process and formulas of how you got that answer. Math is a subject that if you can count, you can learn the different formulas of figuring the solution out could be useful and interesting. Math can also be very fun to learn. This is another thing about math, you can make it so enjoyable to learn and do.
Getting closer to senior year thinking about what college I would like to attend. I have always wanted to attend an HBCU, so when narrowing down to applying CAU was calling me. I applied and was accepted to attend Clark Atlanta University in the fall of 2025, I will be the first in my family of my mother’s children to graduate from high school and attend college. I have three other siblings one is younger than I am. I am one of the middle children. The third child out of four and out of three boys I would also be the youngest and first to graduate high school and attend college. My giving back would not only be for my African American community, but it would also be for my parents/family.
