Minecraft has a special place in my heart. It was one of the first games I had pursued with joy. Joining in 2012, I remember falling in love with the demo version. Seeing all the possibilities the game had to offer, I knew I had to go all in and purchase the game for good. I remember when I was younger, I couldn't wait for the school day to be over so that I could go home and play Minecraft with my sister. From mining, crafting, and building, the possibilities of the game are endless. Having a safe space within a game where I can pursue creativity is comforting. Building is the top of my list for things I can do within Minecraft. Whether it is in the game modes of survival, hardcore, or creative, building is something I absolutely enjoy. Having 100's of blocks to choose from, creativity knows no bounds when building begins. The vast expanse of Minecraft worlds allows players to have a space where they can freely express their creativity through building. Building not only harnesses the potential for unlimited creativity, but also allows players to express themselves through the game. The colors, patterns, textures, and sizes of the different blocks allow each and every player to tell their individual story. This creative expression and potential is inspiring for the dedicated Minecraft players. Multiplayer modes allow building to be done with the company of others. Having other people to build with is such a joyous activity, expressing and complimenting each other through the formation of blocks within Minecraft. Whether a group wants to build a kingdom or a small town, a race track or statues, the possibilities are endless. Minecraft truly offers that opportunity to express your creativity while forming new friendships. Seeing how the game has grown throughout the years has been bittersweet. Joining the game 12 years ago when it was still in the "vanilla" phase, seeing all the additions that Minecraft has added has really put things into perspective for me. Growing up, Minecraft has always had a huge impact on my life. I truly believe Minecraft has had a significant role on shaping who I am, and helping me choose what I want to do with my life. Having a creative mind, and wanting to pursue graphic design as my career, I believe Minecraft has helped shape that decision. Having the endless opportunities of creativity through building has shaped my perception on what potential there is to life. Why not express this creativity beyond the realm of Minecraft? Why not pursue my passion as a career where the same kind of creativity can be present? I thank Minecraft for influencing my younger self, showing her that there are no bounds to creativity and that anything is possible through envisioning and pursuing. "Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought." – Albert Einstein

Going throughout my higher education experience, my mental health has took a toll. From trying to balance all my classes, working my job to be able to save for my future and provide for myself, engaging and maintaining my personal relationships, and trying to find time for the hobbies I enjoy, my anxiety has risen quickly, like a thermostat on a hot summer's day. In addition to these responsibilities, I struggled with a crisis as I first began college. I have always been passionate about the arts, but my peers have tried to bring me down. "You're not good enough," "you can't make a living out of that," "find something more practical to do with your life." All these negative thoughts and opinions flooded my mind, eventually coming to the point where I started to believe them. Thankfully, my family and friends have been super supportive of my decision to follow through with my passion of pursuing the arts, which has helped my crisis and mental health greatly. Knowing that I have people out there who see my potential in the art industry fills me with joy. There are a list of things and routines I perform to keep my mental health at bay during this time of chaos and packed schedules. First, I always use the "schedule blocking" technique to make sure I am on track with my busy schedule. I am the type of person who needs a plan for everything or else I will start spiraling, so having this type of schedule is very useful. In addition to maximizing my productivity and getting the most out of the 24 hours we have graciously been given, I like to practice something that I call "hobby meditation." This means always making time for the hobbies I enjoy, no matter what my schedule looks like. This can include just 10 minutes of reading before bed or even an hour or so of drawing. One thing that always brings me peace whenever I am in the midst of mental trials and chaos is my personal relationships. Making sure I talk and spend quality time with my family, friends, and God, I can make sure my mental health stays at peace. Lastly, I like to always remind myself of a mantra I created, "We will not worry, we will not stress. Give it to God, and hope for the best!" It is possible to have one's mental health not deteriorate throughout their busy life. With the right practices and schedule, we can all find ways to be at peace in the midst of our busy and chaotic life. "Not all battles are visible and neither are the victories.” — Brittany Burgunder

Success to me involves reaching my goals, whether that be personal, academic, or occupational, all-the-while encouraging and supporting my community. Ever since I could remember, I've always had a passion for the arts. Through years of engaging in art as a hobby and developing my skills, the reinforced idea of wanting to pursue art as a career became even more apparent. I used to go through many doubtful thoughts, thinking "I am not good enough," "I can never make this into a career," or "I should just give up." On top of this, I had my peers also suggest the idea that I could not turn my hobby into something I would pursue as a career. These discouraging thoughts were strong throughout the beginning of my college experience, but my passion for the arts overcame them. I decided to take the risk, and truly pursue art as my career. Graphic design has always been my ultimate field of interest where I feel I could truly develop my skills and help my community. My parents are extremely supportive of my decision to pursue graphic design as my career choice. All the doubt that others had about my ability can be proved wrong when I am successful in the field. This scholarship opportunity would help me immensely. It would relieve some of the financial burden there is to funding my education. Being a part of an under-appreciated group in the career field, it is difficult to find scholarships that are willing to help me pursue my educational goals. I fear they don't see my potential in the industry. My ultimate career goal is to encourage and support my community through my skills in graphic design. I desire to work in the non-profit or ministry sector. I have always had an interest in the philanthropy field as well. I believe in this way, I can truly encourage and support my community. Art speaks to people in ways beyond words. The emotional reaction from viewers of a piece of art is what can truly inspire and impact people's live. Art can change people. I want to be able to inspire the viewers of my art and have them feel that emotion. I truly believe that with this scholarship, I am able to begin my journey to accomplishing that. I also believe that this scholarship could be an opportunity to show others in the under-appreciated art community that it is possible to pursue our dreams. I want the other students wishing to pursue a career in the arts that it is not hopeless for us; that there are people out there who see our potential to make a difference and positively impact the lives of others. Being an example for this would be a great privilege and honor. Through the opportunity to study my field of interest, with the aid of this scholarship opportunity, I know that great things will be achievable. I hope that the decision for this scholarship will see the potential of those like me, wanting to support and encourage those through their skills and abilities. Thank you for the opportunity. "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." -Edward Everett Hale

In the world that we live in, tainted by sin, Satan desires for God's creation to turn away from God and deny Him. Satan plants these lies in humans' heads, making the person think they are true. This is what it means to walk around thinking "my truth" is the "truth." But there comes a problem with this. How can so many different people have versions of "their truth" for it to even be regarded as the "truth?" After all, the sole definition of the word "truth" is "that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality" (Oxford Languages). If there are contradicting truths among people, then how can one even call it a "truth" if it is not in accordance with fact or reality? The answer lies in that people wander away and deny the actual Truth, the Truth that is from God revealed to us in the Bible. Scripture tells us that Jesus is "The Way, the Truth, and The Life" (John 14:6). Scripture also tells us, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). God, in His perfect character, cannot be dishonest, as that would corrupt His character. Truth is a core part of God's character, revealing His truth through Scripture by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Scripture states in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." The word of truth comes from God that was revealed to His people, meaning the Truth (plain sense of what is correct) is from God. John 1:17 goes further into explaining how the very sense of Truth comes from God: "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." 2 Timothy 3:16 talks about the truth of God's Word in Scripture in its infallibility: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." John 17:17 puts it plainly: "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." So then, what can we do knowing God's Word is the Truth? Scripture gives us hope, stating "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). God made the promise in Jeremiah 31:33, promising that He would write His Law on our hearts. This Truth was carried through by the promise of the Holy Spirit to those who believe. John 16:13 goes into this more, saying "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." The Holy Spirit within us bears witness to the actual Truth, guiding us in how we should conduct our lives to align with God's truth and for His glory. The difference between man's "truth" and God's Truth revealed through Scripture, is that man has a false, deceptive sense of truth, inspired by the "father of lies" and the "one who has no truth" who is Satan (John 8:44). God's Truth, on the other hand, is the actual Truth, revealed through Scripture that is good and righteous.

God has helped me so much in my life. Throughout my life, I have been passionate about the arts. My passion has often left me discouraged through the comments of others, saying, "I'm not good enough," "give up," "you can never make it." I have had many discouraged thoughts that have left me depressed and stressed. There have been many nights where I laid awake at night crying, feeling lost and as if I have no purpose in life. I truly started believing the lies Satan put into my head. Support from my family and friends helped me immensely when I worked through my thoughts, but God was the One who truly was there for me. On those nights where I would cry myself to sleep, He was there to be my shoulder to cry on. Whenever I need to be encouraged, He was right there to comfort and encourage me. Whenever I felt lost, He was there to remind me that I am His child. Whenever I needed to feel peace when my thoughts ran rampant, His Word brought me peace. Through continual prayer and trust in God, I was able to get a clear mind and a direction to go for my passion. He told me to not believe the lies of Satan, but to fully put my faith and trust in Him. The continual promise that His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path stayed with me as I continued to hold His hand and have Him guide me through my life. By keeping with the faith and trusting God when all seemed lost, He brought me clarity that I could've never thought of. Glory be to God! I believe that this faith will assist me with my career in many ways. Continuing to trust in God and submitting to His Will, I know that I won't be put to shame. I truly believe that God will guide me to a place that He sees fit for me for my career. I hope to be able to pursue my interests in a way that glorifies God. I want to continue to use my life, including my career, for His glory. Continual trust in Him is so important as I would be hopelessly lost without His guidance. Success can only come from the grace of God, and I earnestly pray that he will assist me as I go forward with my career. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

One of my favorite pieces I have created was a piece I made called "Depths of the Sea." I have recently broken into the realm of digital art, and this was one of my first ever pieces I created using that medium. My best friend, who is also a passionate artist, wanted me to do the "palette challenge" with her. She generated a color palette and we were allowed to create any kind of artwork within the colors of the generated palette. Since I was new to digital art, I decided I wanted to try this challenge using IBIS Paint X. This was a challenge for me as I was still new to digital art. I was figuring out all the tools and creating a piece in new territory. My finished piece, "Depths of the Sea," is about a mermaid who lurks in the depths of the sea because she is not viewed as "good enough" to be seen in the higher waters of the sea with the other mermaids. I really enjoyed this challenge because it allowed me to use new tools I have never used before and allowed me to practice in the digital art world.

Ever since I was young, I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in the arts. I really enjoyed creative pieces of art that I could share with others. I truly felt the happiest and most at peace whenever I created or designed something. The creativity is what kept me going in life, desiring to pursue this as a career. My passion didn't stop there. As I got older, I developed my skills in a variety of mediums: paper and pencil, paint and canvas, and digital art. Through the years, I have had many different people voice their opinions on pursuing art as a career. "You'll change your mind," "find something more useful to do with your life," "that won't pay the bills." These things have not only been said by my peers, but also some of my teachers. Throughout my middle school journey, art was always taught to be a hobby rather than something I could pursue as a career. Going through middle school was then a bit discouraging, because I was so passionate about pursuing art. Once I got to high school, that idea changed a bit. I took an art class in my freshman year and was truly inspired by my teacher. She was a full-time artist who was also passionate about her work. She was very encouraging to those who wanted to pursue art as their career and never tried to change our minds to focus on anything but art. My best friend is also really passionate about art, which also inspired me to pursue this as my career. She is always encouraging whenever I share my pieces of art with her, and is always optimistic about the future generation of artists that are breaking into the industry. Lastly, my family has inspired me immensely. Throughout my upbringing, creativity was always encouraged. I have been creating pieces of art ever since I can remember because my family has always supported me. They are some of my biggest supporters to pursue this as a career. When I was going through a crisis at the start of my college journey, having doubts about pursuing art as a career, they were the ones that wanted me to follow my interests. When I kept struggling between what I was truly passionate about, and what I had been told was "practical," they were the ones pointing me in the right direction. Even though I have had people in my life telling me that art is not stable as a career, I believe I can prove them wrong. "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." – Pablo Picasso.

My passion for graphic design started from when I was a child. Art had always been apart of my family and was strongly encouraged in my upbringing. I always knew ever since I was young that I would want to have a career in something related to the arts, but graphic design was always at the top of my list. Continuing to purse my art as a hobby, I developed my skills across different art mediums: pencil, paint and canvas, and digital art. I am at my happiest whenever I am designing. Joy and peace come over me as I hold my pencil and begin to make art on my canvas. When it came time to apply for college and choose a major, my heart was torn. My parents were super encouraging of my decision to pursue my passion of graphic design, but a part of me was trying to discourage me, saying I am not good enough nor is it practical. I continued to struggle with these thoughts as I went about my first year of college, but my passion for graphic design was too strong to not pursue. I decided to fully follow my passion and pursue graphic design. Even though there may be challenges that I need to overcome, both naturally and mentally, my passion for graphic design and my lovely support from my family and others can carry me through. I want to show the industry what I am capable of and contribute to the community as much I can with my skills and abilities. My desire is to work as a graphic designer in an industry for the community. Nonprofits or churches are at the top of my list, but wherever I can showcase my skill to encourage those is the goal. Being apart of an under-appreciated group, it is hard to find scholarships so when I saw this one, I felt encouraged. I hope more groups see this as an example of graphic designers' passions to careers, not just something to be done as a hobby. I will continue to pursue graphic design with confidence, knowing that people who are ambitious, passionate, and driven about the art of graphic design are out there. I want others to see me as an example of the possible; to not give up on their passions and dreams just because we are under-appreciated or we have discouraging thoughts about ourselves. Thank you for making an opportunity for students like me to be able to fund their education to pursue their passion. "The key to great ideas is not having them, it is executing them. And great ideas come from problems. As designers, we call problems briefs, and we call reactions to problems concepts." - Kate/Aries Moross