Kim Beneschott Creative Arts Scholarship

I spent a lot of my early life as someone else. As an only child, I spent my time entertaining myself. My environment became something entirely new. My bedroom became a pirate ship with sails made from sheets. My backyard became a jungle with brooks as deep as oceans. My creativity allowed me to live in a world outside my own, and experience things outside my life. My desire to create has followed me everywhere, and I consider my creativity an important aspect of my life that drives everything I do. I had a group of friends in my neighborhood growing up and we would spend our afternoons and summers playing outside for hours in worlds of our imagination. We created in-depth characters, worlds, and stories for us to explore. We were survivors in a zombie apocalypse, with backpacks full of snacks and weapons made from sticks. We were scientists, fighting alien overlords, creating high tech weapons. Our ability to leave the world around us and create entire universes with nothing but our imagination is what started my love for creativity. Daydreams became reality as we spent hours living different lives and learning more about ourselves. Through stories we were able to experience things that we never would have otherwise, learning lessons and solving problems we would never actually have to face. These events remind me that creativity and imagination is a part of human nature, and allows people to experience things, to answer questions about themselves and the world around them, and to inspire them throughout their lives. It is this love for creating and make-believe worlds that led me towards my passion of animation. Whether it be reading books, watching movies, or playing video games, being able to dive into new worlds is an amazing part of human culture. There is an astounding amount of imagination that goes into books like Harry Potter, movies like Spirited Away, or video games like The Last of Us. Such unique stories, visuals, and characters moved me and many others in indescribable ways. These creators' abilities to tell stories, form messages, and move people, is one of the most inspiring things to me. Everything from their use of stunning visuals to gameplay, to character development is an incredible feat of design that I want to be a part of. An example of impactful work I am trying to make is an assignment that had to do with memory. I grew up around nursing homes and wanted to delve into my feelings of how that experience shaped me. In my piece, I explored small pieces of the environment– the clicking of my grandmother's heels on the linoleum, the feeling of wrinkly skin meeting my own, and the small silhouettes of individuals as they traversed the halls. I used these visuals not only because they are strong memories of mine, but because they invoke those same feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and an uneasy type of fear that I have come to associate with nursing homes. The film is titled “you’ll take care of me?” That is a question my grandmother would repeatedly ask me. While she never shared with me her feelings about the place, I believe she too felt the fear and isolation that so many elderly individuals face. Faced with the impact the environment can have on people’s quality of life; she too wanted the confirmation and security that someone would be there for her in her time of need. She wanted to know that she would be taken care of when she could no longer take care of herself. Growing up in a nursing home impacted my identity more than I realized. I have valued and participated in community service from a young age, and in high school, I returned to nursing homes as a volunteer. In my senior year, I even hosted a paint night where I gave a painting tutorial to a group of seniors. In small ways, I was trying to counter those feelings of loneliness and desolation that they may have been feeling, to create a better environment filled with empathy, collaboration, and of course art. That feeling of abandonment, of hopelessness and misunderstanding that so many elderly people face is one we can all understand. It is an understanding and connection I only could have come through given the opportunity to explore those memories in an effort to recreate them. With my piece, I hope that I am able to awaken that idea within others and inspire them to be more compassionate to the elderly people of our world. Through the animation industry, I will be able to help bring these inspiring stories to life. To work with a team of like-minded individuals to engage with the next generation in new and exciting ways. While my work now is of a more fine and independent nature, I dream of working in animation for entertainment, graphic design, or even educational purposes. The task of designing cohesive projects that can bring about change in the world is a task I would like to uptake. My education means the world to me as I aspire to innovate and create media for everyone. Creating art is powerful. It is passionate. I want to combine my creative passion with my love for other worlds in order to inspire others in ways that I have been inspired. I want to be a part of the process that brings ideas to life, that turns imagination into reality. I want to learn and to grow alongside others who will continue to ignite my passion and help me succeed. I want to make an impact on people's lives, to not only entertain them, but bring them into a world that will stay with them throughout their lives. I want to use animation as a tool not only for entertainment but to invoke feelings within others and insight a change in perspective. Portfolio: https://noahgagnebin.myportfolio.com

Art has always been an escape for me ever since I was young. Growing up lower class, dealing with Child Protective Services, and being in and out of the court system, the only thing I had was my imagination to entertain and comfort myself through hard times. I spent the majority of my senior year debating whether or not I should go to art school despite my financial situation. I was 18 at the time and had just moved out of an abusive household. If I was in school, I was studying all day; when I was out, I worked all night. Despite everything telling me not to, I chose the Savannah College of Art and Design. There was never a time in my life when I wanted to be anything other than an illustrator. I knew I couldn’t waste my life without at least trying to achieve that dream. Choosing to pursue art was not just about passion. It was about survival, healing, and reclaiming my sense of self. As someone who grew up in the 2000s when queer media was practically nonexistent, I felt lost during my formative years, with no guidance or connection to help explain the identity crisis I was experiencing. All I had was my drawings, my safe place, free from judgment or limitations. My solace came from the characters and stories I created to comfort myself. By the time inclusive animated shows like The Owl House and Craig of the Creek came around, I was in high school and felt too old to fully enjoy them. But I was surrounded by elementary and middle schoolers who finally saw themselves through culture, race, and queerness reflected on screen. Those kids got to grow up knowing that their stories mattered, and that sense of visibility made the world feel less alienating. It made me realize just how deeply media can shape a child’s confidence, worldview, and emotional intelligence. One of the biggest criticisms of children’s entertainment today is that the industry tends to "dumb down" stories, underestimating children's ability to understand deeper meanings. But children are incredibly perceptive. When I was eight, my favorite Disney princess was Rapunzel from Tangled, not because of her long hair, but because she was navigating an emotionally abusive situation that mirrored my own. That connection gave me comfort, understanding, and a sense of awareness I couldn’t yet name. We often forget that children learn through emotional resonance. Seeing their experiences reflected on screen can be a powerful tool for growth, healing, and self-awareness. Authentic storytelling can be the difference between a child feeling invisible and a child feeling seen. With my illustration degree, I want to help create stories that children can truly connect with. My goal is to ensure that kids regardless of race, identity, queerness, or culture can see themselves represented in the media they love. To me, art is one of humanity’s most powerful tools not just for storytelling, but for expressing the individuality and diversity of every human being. And if I can help even one child feel less alone, then every struggle I’ve overcome will have been worth it.