When I started my senior year of high school I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. All my peers seemed to have life figured out with where they wanted to go to school and the careers they wanted to pursue. I thought about becoming an English as a second language teacher because my Chinese teacher recommended it, but I was unsure if that'd be something that I was even interested in. I took visual art and design class in my senior year of high school, art was something I always loved growing up so taking these two classes excited my inner child. The first collage piece I created called The Bottled Woman opened my eyes and furthered my curiosity about art. Once my visual arts teacher graded my work she insisted that I submit it to an art gallery at Rutgers and asked if I had any interest in pursuing art in college. At the time, I still wasn't quite sure, I thought to myself "Sure I managed to create one great piece, but do I have the ability to make more than one amazing piece?". Feelings of uncertainty rained upon me, however, my art teacher came to my rescue with an umbrella and words of encouragement. She said to me "You have to learn to trust the process and practice, Rome wasn't built in a day." Her words of inspiration and motivation instilled courage and hope in me. Every step of the way she became one of my biggest supporters admiring my art style and my creativity. She made me realize that I want to become an art teacher and help others feel the same way. I want to help others and encourage them to find themselves and express themselves through art. The art we create aids in us finding ourselves and what we like, art is fundamental in self-discovery. The art we create doesn't necessarily have to be through paint or pencil on paper, but singing, dancing, acting or even writing. Art also helps us heal when we put our emotions and heart into it. Taking different art classes like drawing, painting, art history, and ceramics make me realize more and more my love and admiration for this subject. The exposure makes me want to pursue this career even more. Being involved with different mediums helps me learn a lot about myself, and I want to show others that they too can learn more about themselves through art.

The Bottled Woman is a collage piece I created during my senior year of high school. This piece depicts a woman with a blank stoic face. She endures a lot of pain and suffering, but she holds it in and continues to keep to herself and suffer in solitude. Melancholy and loneliness litter her thoughts, she's constantly at war with her mind battling these thoughts that make her blue. She's afraid to ask for help, vulnerability is her biggest predator. The blue bottle represents all the tears and emotions she's held in, while her hair is scattered with many words that compose her thoughts and feelings she’s too afraid to express. She yearns to be invisible so she can cry and release all her pent-up emotions, hence why she blends in with the background. However, the black line which outlines her makes her stand out, it represents her worth, how she isn't meant to camouflage in with everyone else. When I first created this piece I was a senior in high school, I created it toward the middle of the semester. That time I spent in my solitude holding in and stifling my emotions. I was depressed seeing all my peers moving forward and having set paths, I became somewhat sad and jealous. I refused to express feelings of sadness and jealousy all I could say was congratulations. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do, questions like what do I want to do with my life? What do I want to major in? who do I want to be? Who should I be? What if I change my mind? What if my parents don’t approve? Hit me like a tornado. I felt lost and isolated, almost like I was on a desert island, but refused to use my flare gun to signal for help due to embarrassment. For me, making this piece in my visual arts class was a form of therapy, art became my safe haven, I loved the fact that whatever I created wasn't right or wrong, because it was how I felt. The mere fact that I could channel and make my emotions tangible through different mediums captivated me. My art teacher graded my work and suggested I submit The Bottled Woman to an art show at Rutgers Camden. I took her advice and submitted my work which was then showcased and grasped the attention of one of the curators. "This is amazing, I don't see many people your age doing art like this it's refreshing to see," one of the curators said. At that moment, all the burning questions I had were answered. I was inspired, and I found myself escaping the desert island. I decided at that moment I want to become an art teacher, I want to teach others how they can find themselves by creating. I want them to recognize that anyone can be an artist as long as they pour their heart and emotions into their work, and show people who they are. This piece will always be my favorite because it created a path for me I didn't think was possible.