Art has always been the constant in my life. Throughout my life, I have struggled with my depression and ADHD. In school, I have an IEP and while my accommodations help me, I have always felt out of place. When I’m frustrated or disappointed, I have used art to help me express myself in ways that words can’t. My ADHD has allowed me to hyperfocus on my art. I experience emotions intensely which has helped me express myself on a more profound level through art. As I listen to music, I think of stories in my head. Listening to Radiohead inspires stories of tragedy and sadness ,while The Altons helps me relax and get into the zone. My upbringing has further inspired me to draw a range of characters and create stories that all people could relate to. Oftentimes I will spend about 20 hours a week just animating. I do digital designs that I then post on my art Instagram page and I draw by hand storyboards and illustrations. My journey in animation began in 8th grade which has now evolved to doing more intricate pieces. My work consists of animatics which consists of listening to music, and then drawing what resonates with me. A lot of my time is spent on character design whether that’s from commission work or from the people in my life who inspire me. Growing up in East Los Angeles, I have witnessed poverty and the influence of the Latino community. Being Mexican-American has further shaped my artistic voice allowing me to explore my sense of identity and belonging. My voice is one that is representative of my cultural heritage and identity as a person with a disability. This college field will help me explore new opportunities in higher education that I have had no exposure to up to this point. As a first generation college student, I hope to learn about the different opportunities they have to offer in art. Given that art is a competitive field, I want to explore a diverse range of colleges that can help me achieve my dream of becoming an animator. Without this scholarship, I would not be able to attend given that my parents are low income. Currently my mom does not have a job and my dad works 12 hours a day to help sustain our household of a family of 4 siblings, mom, and grandparents.

Art has always been the constant in my life. Throughout my life, I have struggled with my depression and ADHD. In school, I have an IEP and while my accommodations help me, I have always felt out of place. When I’m frustrated or disappointed, I have used art to help me express myself in ways that words can’t. My ADHD has allowed me to hyperfocus on my art. I experience emotions intensely which has helped me express myself on a more profound level through art. As I listen to music, I think of stories in my head. Listening to Radiohead inspires stories of tragedy and sadness ,while The Altons helps me relax and get into the zone. My upbringing has further inspired me to draw a range of characters and create stories that all people could relate to. Oftentimes I will spend about 20 hours a week just animating. I do digital designs that I then post on my art Instagram page and I draw by hand storyboards and illustrations. My journey in animation began in 8th grade which has now evolved to doing more intricate pieces. My work consists of animatics which consists of listening to music, and then drawing what resonates with me. A lot of my time is spent on character design whether that’s from commission work or from the people in my life who inspire me. Growing up in East Los Angeles, I have witnessed poverty and the influence of the Latino community. Being Mexican-American has further shaped my artistic voice allowing me to explore my sense of identity and belonging. My voice is one that is representative of my cultural heritage and identity as a person with a disability. This college field will help me explore new opportunities in higher education that I have had no exposure to up to this point. As a first generation college student, I hope to learn about the different opportunities they have to offer in art. Given that art is a competitive field, I want to explore a diverse range of colleges that can help me achieve my dream of becoming an animator. Without this scholarship, I would not be able to attend given that my parents are low income. Currently my mom does not have a job and my dad works 12 hours a day to help sustain our household of a family of 4 siblings, mom, and grandparents.

Art has always been the constant in my life. Throughout my life, I have struggled with my depression and ADHD. In school, I have an IEP and while my accommodations help me, I have always felt out of place. When I’m frustrated or disappointed, I have used art to help me express myself in ways that words can’t. My ADHD has allowed me to hyperfocus on my art. I experience emotions intensely which has helped me express myself on a more profound level through art. As I listen to music, I think of stories in my head. Listening to Radiohead inspires stories of tragedy and sadness ,while The Altons helps me relax and get into the zone. My upbringing has further inspired me to draw a range of characters and create stories that all people could relate to. Oftentimes I will spend about 20 hours a week just animating. I do digital designs that I then post on my art Instagram page and I draw by hand storyboards and illustrations. My journey in animation began in 8th grade which has now evolved to doing more intricate pieces. My work consists of animatics which consists of listening to music, and then drawing what resonates with me. A lot of my time is spent on character design whether that’s from commission work or from the people in my life who inspire me. Growing up in East Los Angeles, I have witnessed poverty and the influence of the Latino community. Being Mexican-American has further shaped my artistic voice allowing me to explore my sense of identity and belonging. My voice is one that is representative of my cultural heritage and identity as a person with a disability. This college field will help me explore new opportunities in higher education that I have had no exposure to up to this point. As a first generation college student, I hope to learn about the different opportunities they have to offer in art. Given that art is a competitive field, I want to explore a diverse range of colleges that can help me achieve my dream of becoming an animator. Without this scholarship, I would not be able to attend given that my parents are low income. Currently my mom does not have a job and my dad works 12 hours a day to help sustain our household of a family of 4 siblings, mom, and grandparents.

Growing up in East Los Angeles, I have witnessed poverty and the influence of the Latino community. Being Mexican-American has further shaped my artistic voice allowing me to explore my sense of identity and belonging. My voice is one that is representative of my cultural heritage and identity as a person with a disability. This college field will help me explore new opportunities in higher education that I have had no exposure to up to this point. As a first generation college student, I hope to learn about the different opportunities they have to offer in art. Given that art is a competitive field, I want to explore a diverse range of colleges that can help me achieve my dream of becoming an animator. Without this scholarship, I would not be able to attend given that my parents are low income. Currently my mom does not have a job and my dad works 12 hours a day to help sustain our household of a family of 4 siblings, mom, and grandparents. Art has always been the constant in my life. Throughout my life, I have struggled with my depression and ADHD. In school, I have an IEP and while my accommodations help me, I have always felt out of place. When I’m frustrated or disappointed, I have used art to help me express myself in ways that words can’t. My ADHD has allowed me to hyperfocus on my art. I experience emotions intensely which has helped me express myself on a more profound level through art. As I listen to music, I think of stories in my head. Listening to Radiohead inspires stories of tragedy and sadness ,while The Altons helps me relax and get into the zone. My upbringing has further inspired me to draw a range of characters and create stories that all people could relate to. Oftentimes I will spend about 20 hours a week just animating. I do digital designs that I then post on my art Instagram page and I draw by hand storyboards and illustrations. My journey in animation began in 8th grade which has now evolved to doing more intricate pieces. My work consists of animatics which consists of listening to music, and then drawing what resonates with me. A lot of my time is spent on character design whether that’s from commission work or from the people in my life who inspire me.

Art has always been the one constant in my life. While I have struggled with depression and ADHD for as long as I can remember, art has been the place where I finally felt understood. In school, even with an IEP and accommodations, I often felt out of place—like I was moving through a system not built for me. When words failed me, art became my language. It allowed me to express frustration, sadness, and hope in ways I never could by speaking. My ADHD, while challenging, has also become one of my greatest strengths. It allows me to hyperfocus for hours at a time, fully immersing myself in animation and storytelling. I experience emotions intensely, and instead of being overwhelmed by them, I channel them into my work. Music plays a huge role in this process. Listening to Radiohead fills my mind with stories of loss and tragedy, while The Altons help me slow down and find calm. Each song becomes a doorway into a new story, a new character, or a new feeling waiting to be animated. Growing up in East Los Angeles has deeply shaped how I see the world. I have witnessed poverty, resilience, and the strength of the Latino community firsthand. Being Mexican-American has influenced my artistic voice, allowing me to explore themes of identity, belonging, and representation. I draw characters inspired by my culture, my family, and the people around me stories that reflect real emotions and real lives. As a person with a disability, I want my work to represent voices that are often overlooked, including my own. My journey in animation began in eighth grade and has grown into a serious commitment. I spend nearly 20 hours a week animating, creating animatics inspired by music, designing characters, drawing storyboards by hand, and posting digital designs to my art Instagram page. What started as a coping mechanism has evolved into a passion and a goal: to become an animator who tells honest, emotional stories that others can see themselves in. As a first-generation college student, pursuing higher education feels both exciting and intimidating. I have had limited exposure to the opportunities available in the art world, yet I am determined to explore them. Art is a competitive field, but my lived experiences have given me resilience, empathy, and purpose. This scholarship would allow me to pursue my dream despite financial hardship. My mother is currently unemployed, and my father works twelve-hour days to support our household of four siblings, my parents, and my grandparents. Without financial assistance, attending college would not be possible. My mental health has shaped not only who I am, but who I aspire to become. Through art, I have learned how to understand myself, connect with others, and make sense of the world around me. With the support of this scholarship, I hope to continue growing as an artist, storyteller, and individual using animation to give voice to emotions, cultures, and experiences that deserve to be seen.

Art has always been the constant in my life. Throughout my life, I have struggled with my depression and ADHD. In school, I have an IEP and while my accommodations help me, I have always felt out of place. When I’m frustrated or disappointed, I have used art to help me express myself in ways that words can’t. My ADHD has allowed me to hyperfocus on my art. I experience emotions intensely which has helped me express myself on a more profound level through art. As I listen to music, I think of stories in my head. Listening to Radiohead inspires stories of tragedy and sadness ,while The Altons helps me relax and get into the zone. My upbringing has further inspired me to draw a range of characters and create stories that all people could relate to. Oftentimes I will spend about 20 hours a week just animating. I do digital designs that I then post on my art Instagram page and I draw by hand storyboards and illustrations. My journey in animation began in 8th grade which has now evolved to doing more intricate pieces. My work consists of animatics which consists of listening to music, and then drawing what resonates with me. A lot of my time is spent on character design whether that’s from commission work or from the people in my life who inspire me. Growing up in East Los Angeles, I have witnessed poverty and the influence of the Latino community. Being Mexican-American has further shaped my artistic voice allowing me to explore my sense of identity and belonging. My voice is one that is representative of my cultural heritage and identity as a person with a disability. This college field will help me explore new opportunities in higher education that I have had no exposure to up to this point. As a first generation college student, I hope to learn about the different opportunities they have to offer in art. Given that art is a competitive field, I want to explore a diverse range of colleges that can help me achieve my dream of becoming an animator. Without this scholarship, I would not be able to attend given that my parents are low income. Currently my mom does not have a job and my dad works 12 hours a day to help sustain our household of a family of 4 siblings, mom, and grandparents.

Art has always been the constant in my life. Throughout my life, I have struggled with my depression and ADHD. In school, I have an IEP and while my accommodations help me, I have always felt out of place. When I’m frustrated or disappointed, I have used art to help me express myself in ways that words can’t. My ADHD has allowed me to hyperfocus on my art. I experience emotions intensely which has helped me express myself on a more profound level through art. As I listen to music, I think of stories in my head. Listening to Radiohead inspires stories of tragedy and sadness ,while The Altons helps me relax and get into the zone. My upbringing has further inspired me to draw a range of characters and create stories that all people could relate to. Oftentimes I will spend about 20 hours a week just animating. I do digital designs that I then post on my art Instagram page and I draw by hand storyboards and illustrations. My journey in animation began in 8th grade which has now evolved to doing more intricate pieces. My work consists of animatics which consists of listening to music, and then drawing what resonates with me. A lot of my time is spent on character design whether that’s from commission work or from the people in my life who inspire me. Growing up in East Los Angeles, I have witnessed poverty and the influence of the Latino community. Being Mexican-American has further shaped my artistic voice allowing me to explore my sense of identity and belonging. My voice is one that is representative of my cultural heritage and identity as a person with a disability. This college field will help me explore new opportunities in higher education that I have had no exposure to up to this point. As a first generation college student, I hope to learn about the different opportunities they have to offer in art. Given that art is a competitive field, I want to explore a diverse range of colleges that can help me achieve my dream of becoming an animator. Without this scholarship, I would not be able to attend given that my parents are low income. Currently my mom does not have a job and my dad works 12 hours a day to help sustain our household of a family of 4 siblings, mom, and grandparents.