Driven by a passion for creativity and commitment to make a difference, I have embraced every opportunity to combine my love for graphic design with my work towards my community and school. I am a senior at Mahopac High School, a first-generation daughter of Dominican heritage and a shy but optimistic young adult who always strives to improve oneself. I love to be around my family and friends, read, create art, crochet, rollerskate, game, and discover new music. I am currently gaining hands-on experience through my school's internship program at a local graphic design agency where I am honing my technical skills and exploring innovative approaches to design. I am an honors student who's in the National Honors Society; National English, and Spanish Honors Society. In addition to serving as the treasurer of my school's Glamour Gals club, I am also a member of my school's yearbook, bio, and spanish club. I have also been mentoring at my local elementary schools’ Teens-n-Kids Mentoring after school program, attended the High School Human Rights Institute (HHREC) selective annual convention, and participated at my local museums’ (Katonah Museum) Young Artists Graphic workshop. I also volunteered for the New York Creative HeARTS organization, at my town's Garden Club as a staff member for their annual anniversary celebration; and at my local public library. My passion for graphic design has led me to pursue a degree in Graphic Design to ultimately inspire and connect people together through impactful visual design. In the future, I plan to apply my graphic design skills to bridge communication gaps across the globe. Whether it’s through branding, advertising, or designing for social causes, I want my work to be applicable and inspiring, where concepts become lasting impressions. Receiving this scholarship would be a crucial step towards reaching this life achievement as receiving funding for my college tuition would allow me to apply all my focus in my work without worries about my independent responsibility of paying for tuition. As a first-generation Hispanic student, I take pride in my heritage and am motivated to be the first- if not second, member in my family to graduate and earn a degree in college. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be considered for this scholarship as it would not only help me achieve my educational and career goals but also allow me to give back to my community by creating meaningful designs that resonate with diverse audiences. Thank you.

Whether I realized it or not, my interests outside of school have always influenced what I wanted to do in the future. As my high school career progressed, I envisioned myself working in a field that would provide the ability to utilize my creativity while also impacting others. Graphic design spoke to me as it would allow me to do just that by creating innovative designs to either express or enhance specific messages. A recent but major factor that has propelled my decision to make my passion for graphic design a career choice is my engagement with the music genre, Kpop. The music itself wasn’t what influenced me, it was the physical albums the industry traditionally produced with the release of all their albums, EPs and singles. Kpop groups always take into consideration unique concepts that would guide their whole production of music and albums. A particular set of albums that inspired my passion for graphic design is The Dream Chapter from a boy group called TOMORROW X TOGETHER, aka TXT. TXTs albums come in chapters, their first set of three being The Dream Chapter: Star, Magic and Eternity. TXT’s overall concept tackles the themes of the trials and tribulations that coexist with growing up. TXTs fleshed out storyline is communicated with not just their songs but simple, yet thoughtful album designs. The first time I saw the logo for TXTs The Dream Chapter: Star, I found charm in its clean yet enigmatic design- two overlapping geometric shapes that created 90° angles, composed of a sky blue, yellow and white color palette. Externally, the logo appeared simple, but as I researched the album's storyline, I realized how it captures the youthful wonder and simplicity of childhood immersed in the music. This discovery introduced me to the power of graphic design: it’s ability to convey entire narratives, concepts and evoke emotions through minimum visual elements. It wasn’t just a logo, it was a pathway to a heartening tale. The passion behind TXTs creative arts team is displayed through the quality and craftsmanship of both the albums and packaging. Their work has made me want to hold my own projects to such high standards and create work that resonates with others just as much as Kpop visual designs have had with me. Kpop albums have also made me realize how design can become a tactile experience for its users because of its inclusions (photocards, posters, stickers) that come along with the essential CDs. I continue to explore and analyze Kpop albums to discover new ways to create immersive experiences with design as I pursue my own voyage into the graphic design industry.