I love to draw. I love art. And yet, I was TERRIFIED to pursue an art degree. Why? Because as a kid, I grew up hearing the phrase 'Starving artist', sacrificing security for passion. And I wanted both. And for a while, I pushed away the thought of being an artist because being starved of a secure life was the scariest thing to me. But...that wasn't even reality. I didn't know that not all artists were 'starving' or sacrificing their well being for a sliver of creative freedom. I grew up hearing the only way I could succeed in life was if I went into law school, medical school or took my chances playing basketball to get noticed. Thank you Abuela, for believing your 5'1 granddaughter could pursue a basketball career. And most kids in my neighborhood had that same mindset thrust upon them because our parents were also terrified, sacrificing spending time with their own kids just to put food on the table. The goal was to step away from that generational cycle, a stable family-work ratio. And so, it took a while for me to find out that I could have that, and still do what I love, and thrive in what I love. And help others my age figure out the same. I pursued my major due to my love for creative media, animation and the expanse of knowledge I knew I would be awarded by pursuing the career path of an experimental artist. Due to the versatility of such a major, Kinetic Imaging. Pursuing Kinetic Imaging at VCUarts introduced me to new paths within the art world, paths that I didn't know I could explore and build on the roots of for others to travel the same road, doubtlessly. I hope to get the most out of my educational opportunities, find connections that relate to my goals as an Animator and Art Director. While building up a network that best advocates for the brand I hope to offer for young adults that sponsors inclusive direction towards their interests, careers and financial goals and insightful resources that they can use to succeed throughout their lives. I’ve spent a great portion of my life as a workshop coordinator for many after-school enrichment programs, where I tutored, and aided directors in weekly sessions for low-income students that came for homework help and therapeutic art/painting workshops. I've spent most of high school in the education department and found my deep love for the field through my own joy for art and the attention that children gave to it. Offering an online, and multiple physical enrichment program locations in low-income areas, I can give others that grew up in a similar position as me, without the knowledge of artistic success and the therapeutic effects of the practice, a chance to know that there is more to any artist than a paintbrush or a pencil. I want to help others find their passion through resources that they can feel comfortable, challenged and considered in. I want to build for students that want to make their impacts, find their passions, and learn about career fields that revolve around more than just medicine and football. I call it the I.N.S.I.G.H.T campaign, because all of their goals are in sight, and possible.

I love to draw. I love art. And yet, I was TERRIFIED to pursue an art degree. Why? Because as a kid, I grew up hearing the phrase 'Starving artist', sacrificing security for passion. And I wanted both. And for a while, I pushed away the thought of being an artist because being starved of a secure life was the scariest thing to me. But...that wasn't even reality. I didn't know that not all artists were 'starving' or sacrificing their well being for a sliver of creative freedom. I grew up hearing the only way I could succeed in life was if I went into law school, medical school or took my chances playing basketball to get noticed. Thank you Abuela, for believing your 5'1 granddaughter could pursue a basketball career. And most kids in my neighborhood had that same mindset thrust upon them because our parents were also terrified, sacrificing spending time with their own kids just to put food on the table. The goal was to step away from that generational cycle, a stable family-work ratio. And so, it took a while for me to find out that I could have that, and still do what I love, and thrive in what I love. And help others my age figure out the same. I pursued my major due to my love for creative media, animation and the expanse of knowledge I knew I would be awarded by pursuing the career path of an experimental artist. Due to the versatility of such a path. Pursuing Kinetic Imaging at VCUarts introduced me to new paths within the art world, paths that I didn't know I could explore and build on the roots of for others to travel the same road, doubtlessly. I hope to get the most out of my educational opportunities, find connections that relate to my goals as an Animator and Art Director. While building up a network that best advocates for the brand I hope to offer for young adults that sponsors inclusive direction towards their interests, careers and financial goals and insightful resources that they can use to succeed throughout their lives. I’ve spent a great portion of my life as a workshop coordinator for many after-school enrichment programs, where I tutored, and aided directors in weekly sessions for low-income students that came for homework help and therapeutic art/painting workshops. I've spent most of high school in the education department and found my deep love for the field through my own joy for art and the attention that children gave to it. Offering an online, and multiple physical enrichment program locations in low-income areas, I can give others that grew up in a similar position as me, without the knowledge of artistic success and the therapeutic effects of the practice, a chance to know that there is more to any artist than a paintbrush or a pencil. I want to help others find their passion through resources that they can feel comfortable, challenged and considered in. I want to build for students that want to make their impacts, find their passions, and learn about career fields that revolve around more than just medicine and football. I call it the I.N.S.I.G.H.T campaign, because all of their goals are in sight, and possible.

I grew up diagnosed with a language delay. Although it was a misdiagnosis for a developmental stutter, I had a lot more trouble than most my age with putting meaning to words and recognizing certain phrases. And while I loved to read, I wasn’t as adept as I should’ve been at speaking aloud which in turn made me latch onto books, art, games and academic practices that drifted me away from building relationships with my peers. Getting over my stutter and becoming more comfortable with my own voice took so many more years than I was ever happy with, but I did it. Becoming someone other than timid and small, I found my voice after forcing it down because I was ‘used to it’. The hardest thing I feel anyone can do is getting out of their own way and building up to the things they want. And I wanted to be heard. And due to that goal, I felt it was necessary to build on my pursuit towards an art degree in college, a degree that gave me a sense of voice when I felt I had none. I wanted to help other kids that were like me, in feeling that they could find a voice similarly, but this time they’d learn from someone who not only understands but can guide them into making their own strides toward the voice they’d been searching for. Their own. I've spent a good portion of my high school life volunteering as an Art and Study workshop coordinator for multiple after-school enrichment programs, where I began tutoring, and aided the directors in organizing weekly sessions for low-income and speech therapy students to come in for homework help and therapeutic art/painting workshops. I have spent many years in the education department and found that I had a deep love for the teaching field through the joys of art and the attention that students gave to it. I apply this method of creativity through their studies and amplify their imaginative minds to encourage routine problem-solving and writing techniques. The best way to inspire knowledge was usually through their own interests and I tried to incorporate that when I could. As a Graphic Designer throughout high school, I learned to work for myself, developing a hard skill and starting a business on the side of my studies. I wanted to be able to work for myself before applying my energy to any corporation that would bring me away from my own goals. It was hard, but I’m proud that I was able to make the effort, build on it and begin to make bigger strides than many people my age. I want to help others find their passion, and their voice, through resources that they can feel comfortable, challenged and considered in. In ways that I wasn't. This scholarship would be made to contribute to a student that has the goal to bring a voice to those that feel they aren't ready to say anything yet. I want to build a program that can inspire learning hard skills, technical skills and language skills that can bring a better mindset towards the artistic mind, practice and success of our generation.