Crying Out. A piece I created during one of the most emotional times of my high school career. Now, some might think high school is an emotional time in general, but when it came to severe online bullying, it made everything else seem like nothing. I was bullied so badly through social media, my parents had to fly home from Jamaica, multiple school principals got involved, and I could barely bring myself to come to school. Crying out is a charcoal drawing of an eye with a tear falling down. This piece of art fed my love for charcoal. The dark, messy, and delicate material often matched my expressions. You have to be willing to possibly get it on your clothes and have your hands stained for the next few days. I liked to get messy. It's as if I accepted the mess as part of my process. I felt that the darkness of the charcoal and its dust represents all of the deep and discouraging thoughts that I'm dealing with. But the beautiful thing about that is that through those thoughts and through the black pigmented charcoal, I was able to make something incredible. During that time in my life, art became my only escape, and often, my only friend. I look back at that drawing most days and remind myself how far I've come. I hope to inspire others to reach out into the creative world and find that same companionship I have found throughout my art journey.

In my life, art has become a trusted companion that shapes how I interpret the world around me. It allows me to explore possibilities past the ordinary and more deeply display my emotions and thoughts. One of the hurdles I’ve had to overcome was the trauma of cyberbullying. It was so bad the principals of two high schools had to get involved. Thankfully, my family and a small handful of others surrounded me with love. Art was my escape and sometimes the only friend I had. It allowed me to transform my hurt and frustration into artwork. I want to use my talent for more than just personal experience and connections, but also for giving others the visual representation of their own emotions and dreams not yet unraveled. With the help of this scholarship, I can continue my journey of art to inspire and transform the world. Another challenge has been the financial constraints. Although I have graciously received college funds from my great aunt and grandmother, the funding runs out after my sophomore year, which is next year. This scholarship would ease the financial burden on my parents for the rest of my college education at Gardner-Webb University. Since I am majoring in photography and minoring in art, I look forward to learning from experienced professors and professionals to further develop my craft there. Art brings people together. It displays a world of the unique and unimaginable, showing what the world could be, rather than what it is. I want to be a part of expressing that.