Before I learned to read or write, I drew stories. I started drawing to express myself when I couldn’t do so verbally. With the characters and their narratives, I could communicate with the people around me and express my ideas. Drawing allowed me to think creatively and understand the world around me. It allowed me to bring the world of characters swirling in my mind into the outside world. Since then, storytelling has become an essential part of my identity. I spend a lot of time creating and drawing. I studied sculpture, painting, drawing, and both 2-D and 3-D digital art in high school and at a nearby community college. I joined Monterey Youth Art to gain more hands-on experience in an art studio. I formed connections with other aspiring artists and learned from more seasoned artists. At Reed College, I continue to take art classes. I am majoring in Film and Media Studies because of my passion for creating and visualizing stories. This year, I am a Zine intern, helping curate the college's collection of small-circulation, self-published publications and helping organize an annual Zine Fest. I also help students create and publish their zines. My art is focused on hand-drawn graphic novels and computer animation, and I am learning videography, editing, and digital and analog photography. I am fascinated with how stories are told through a camera lens. After Reed, I plan to enroll in a master's program focusing on creative writing, animation, and filmmaking, where I can learn and experiment with various storytelling techniques from conception to post-production.