Ever since I watched Star Wars I was captivated by how diverse and how the franchise managed to keep an otherworldly type of beauty about It. This is what set me off as a young artist, I was so inspired by the beauty and endless possibilities of art that I could create. I would sit for hours coming up with fantasy stories and sketching out every character till they were perfect. And through all of my years of high school, it remained that way. I had plenty of art teachers who encouraged my passions, yet none of them understood how drawn I was to the creation of today's films. I aspired desperately to become one of the artists who were in charge of creating all the intricate worlds that make up cinema. I would explain this falling that drives me to create, over and over, yet it felt like none of my teachers were listening. They couldn't fathom the joy I felt creating art of things that did not yet exist. The feeling of taking parts of the real world and placing them into something that could only exist in fantasy is what made me happy. But it seemed that I was the only one who experienced this kind of joy. My high school teachers were more focused on me being a good material artist rather than an experimental one. It was not until I attended the Moore College of Art and Design for a summer during my junior year. I realized there were other artists out there with the same passions as mine. And for the first time as an artist, I felt seen, especially by one of my professors, Professor Chris. He was different than my old art teachers because he tried to connect with each of his students including me. He took the time to listen to what each student said about their work and their passions. Now Chris himself was a bit of a nerd when it came to fantasy, especially Marvel and superheroes, just like me. He held the same passion for the fantasy worlds that I did. He was able to recognize what drove me, and he helped push me in the right direction. With his help and encouragement, I was able to see where I wanted to go with my art and how best to get there. Chris encouraged me to try new techniques and learn new skills that made my art what it is today. He helped me see that becoming an art director would be the best career for me. I can say with absolute certainty that I never had a more impactful professor than Chris.

In today's world, mental health is often overlooked and dismissed as a sign of weakness or laziness. However, the reality is that most people experience some form of mental illness at some point in their lives. But in my case, I realized that I wouldn't be witnessing my breaking point but rather my mother's. It felt as though she had become a different person. The mother I once knew, who loved to work out and host parties, had become a hollow shell of her former self. It was painful to see her throw me a fake smile; she seemed so lost. I struggled with my feelings, knowing I shouldn’t resent her—she was still my mom—but the distance between us made it difficult not to feel this way. Her depression slowly infected every aspect of my life, transforming my father and me into her unofficial therapists instead of allowing us to be a family. It was exhausting to come home from school each day to hear my dad say she hadn’t improved. Each day felt like a repeat of the last—reminding her what to do and assuring her that we were okay. No child should ever have to witness their parents going through something like this. Yet, it happens all too often, and rarely is it discussed. I've had no one to talk about this to other than my dad who is experiencing the same situation I am. I feel trapped in my head because of a lack of support. I don't know who to go to talk about my feelings. But this has made me more dedicated to helping my mom directly. I took over all the marketing for our family's small business since my mom was too anxious from her depression to do it. After doing this for so long I realized that this might be something I want to pursue as a career, becoming a social media manager and creating my interest in entrepreneurship. Although taking some of the pressure of working off of my mom's plate, she still wasn't doing too great. She began shutting everyone out, her parents, her friends, and her close family. Throughout all this, I have been encouraging her to attend therapy, but it is hard to find a therapist who will take her at the moment. Every person's mental health is important, but the mental health of older people especially parents seems to be underrepresented in the media and the news. Their stories need to be seen so that people like my mom can see that what they are going through is normal and not something that they should be ashamed of. I believe that the effects of parents' mental health on their children need to be studied more so that people can be made aware of this very real issue. As I prepare to move out to chase my dreams at college, I am afraid to leave since I worry that this will negatively affect my mom's mental state. I truly wish that people in situations like mine would speak up and shed some light on their experiences, and how they were able to push through. The lack of representation is what is keeping people like this from coming out and sharing their stories. By writing this essay I'm hoping for more than just a college scholarship, but to spread light on situations like mine, and to show people that they are not alone.

Minecraft —a wonderful time to be alive. I remember it like yesterday. On Christmas Day 2016, my brother and I opened the most life-changing present: an Xbox One S Minecraft edition. In our first world, when night fell we would bury ourselves completely in the dirt blocks to stay hidden from the mobs, this was before we found out how to craft beds of course. During those twenty minutes of staring at our dark TV and waiting for the sun to rise, the soundtrack drifted into my ears and found a permanent place in my mind. We must have created thousands of Minecraft worlds, each one was a new adventure, a new house, new pets, and new endings, but one thing always stayed the same: the music. It's not something you notice right away, especially when you're immersed in the excitement of creating a new world and exploring the latest updates. Over time, though, you begin to realize that every world you've built and every alternate path you've taken is connected by the music. Throughout your childhood, the songs have become a part of you, their sweet melodies playing in your mind over and over again. Minecraft evokes a sense of nostalgia because, no matter how old you become, hearing its soundtrack can instantly transport you back to your childhood. It wasn’t just a simple cube game; it was a world where your imagination could turn anything into reality, and everything was possible. However, I’m no longer staring at the cube world on a TV screen; I'm looking at my future in the real world. As I face the daunting reality of adulthood, I reflect on my childhood spent playing Minecraft, much like many others. I can still hear the music playing in my mind for what feels like the millionth time, and it reignites that same passion: the desire to create my own world.