To me, going to college means giving myself the opportunity to figure out who I want to become and working toward the future I want for myself. I believe that if you want something, you have to work for it, even if your path looks different from everyone else's. I currently attend community college, and sometimes I feel like people look down on me because I didn't go to my dream school. Some people might think I gave up on that dream, but the truth is that I knew I wasn't ready. It was my first year becoming more independent, and I still didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with my art. I've always loved art, and throughout high school, I was able to grow and succeed in something that meant so much to me. However, choosing what to study in college was difficult because there were so many different things I wanted to do with art. I didn't want to choose one thing without knowing if it was right for me. Instead of rushing into a decision, I chose community college so I could explore my interests and figure out what I truly wanted to pursue. I know that my path might be different from others, but I don't think that makes it any less meaningful. Now, I have a better understanding of what I want to accomplish. I want to become an art teacher because it would allow me to continue exploring different types of art while helping other students discover their own creativity. My high school art teacher played a big part in helping me realize what I wanted to become. She introduced me to new techniques and showed me how much more there was to learn about something I already loved. Because of her, I want to become that same kind of influence for my future students. I want to be someone who encourages them to keep creating, especially when they aren't sure what they want to do with their future. I know there are students who might feel lost or believe that they aren't good enough to pursue art as a career. I want them to understand that art is always an option, even if they haven't figured out exactly what they want to do with it yet. I want to show them that there are different ways to use their creativity and that they don't have to have everything figured out right away. My next goal is to transfer to a university so I can continue my education in art and work toward becoming a licensed art teacher. I want to keep improving my skills, learn new techniques, and gain the knowledge I need to teach others. To me, college isn't just about earning a degree. It's about growing as a person, learning from my experiences, and creating opportunities for myself that I can use to help others in the future. I may not have taken the path I originally imagined, but I'm learning that success doesn't have to happen all at once. What matters to me is that I'm working toward something I care about and becoming someone my younger self would be proud of.

Olivia Rodrigo's song “making the bed” resonates with me because the older I get, the more unsure I become of myself and who I'm turning into. Sometimes I think about the younger version of me and wonder if she would be happy with who I've become. I think about my successes, but instead of always feeling proud of myself, I sometimes feel like I'm not doing enough. I feel like my younger self had so many dreams, and sometimes I worry that I'm letting her down. The lyrics “Another day pretendin' I'm older than I am” and “Well, sometimes I feel like I don't wanna be where I am” stand out to me because I feel like growing up comes with so many expectations. I feel like I'm supposed to know what I want for my future and be happy with where I am in life, but the truth is, I'm still figuring things out. Sometimes I feel lost, even when I should be proud of myself. Another part that connects with me is when she sings about pushing people away and realizing that she's the one “making the bed.” To me, this means realizing that sometimes you're the reason you're unhappy, even when you don't mean to be. I tend to put other people's happiness before my own because I want everyone around me to be happy. I sometimes ignore my own feelings until I reach a point where I snap and become someone I don't want to be. I might say things out of frustration that don't reflect who I really am, and then latter feel bad about it. When I'm feeling sad about myself or my accomplishments, I sometimes just stay in bed and do nothing. Instead of appreciating how far I've come, I get stuck thinking about what I haven't done or what I wish were different. I think the song captures that feeling of being stuck in your own head and realizing that you aren't always helping yourself get out of it. Making the bed reminds me that growing up isn't always what you expect it to be. I'm still learning how to put myself first, deal with my feelings, and stop being so hard on myself. I might not be the person I thought I would be by now, but I'm still growing and figuring things out. I hope that my younger self would understand that, even when things get hard, I'm still trying my best.

Growing up, going to an elementary and middle school that didn't have art classes was pretty miserable for me because I have been passionate about art since I could walk. So when we had a surprise visit from an art teacher, it was probably the best three weeks. I remember the teacher teaching me things I already knew because I had taught myself everything I needed to know about art at the time. It wasn't until I attended high school that I started learning new techniques that I didn't know before. This made me realize how much more there was to learn about art and how important it is for students to have someone who can teach them new things and encourage their creativity. As an art teacher, I want to creatively teach and engage my students in ways that make them excited to learn. I want my students to become familiar with different types of art and understand that art isn't just drawing on a piece of paper. There are so many different ways to create art, and I want my students to have the chance to explore them. I want them to feel comfortable drawing whatever they want, trying new things, and going beyond their creative imagination without feeling embarrassed or scared of making mistakes. I know that not every student will have the same interests or skills, so I want to make sure everyone feels welcome in my classroom. I also want to make projects that students can actually use or enjoy outside of school. I know some parents get tired of their kids always bringing home another piece of paper, so I would like to introduce projects such as creating their own sticker designs, making cyanotype prints using sunlight, and using those prints to decorate T-shirts or other fabrics. I would also like to include 3D projects and different art trends that are popular on social media, as long as they are appropriate for the classroom. I think bringing these kinds of projects into the classroom would make students more interested because they would be creating things they might already enjoy or want to try. I would do my best to provide the supplies they need so they can experiment with different materials and learn new techniques. My high school art teacher is one of the biggest reasons why I want to become an art teacher myself. She introduced me to new techniques and helped me learn things I wouldn't have known if I had continued teaching myself. Because of her, I want to become a role model for my own students, just like she was for me. I want to be someone they can look up to and feel comfortable going to when they need help or inspiration. Most importantly, I want my students to enjoy coming to art class and see it as a place where they can express themselves freely. I want them to leave my classroom feeling proud of what they created and excited to keep learning and exploring their creativity.