When I mention my mom, I tend to go on a tangent about how I believe she's the best person I know. Although, I never forget to mention that she is most definitely the hardest working person I know. At the time I'm writing this, my mom has five jobs to fund not only my family but my career in the arts. My mom has sacrificed so much to make sure that I go to college, and I make sure that it never goes to waste. Before my freshman year at Savannah College of Art and Design, my mom had eight jobs at the same time to be sure I had enough money for tuition and housing fees, as well as making sure I had enough money for essentials when I was on campus. Those jobs would be back to back every day, 25/8, and sometimes I wouldn't see her until nine o'clock at night. My mom has sacrificed her own free time, her own social life, and her own spare money to support me and I could never thank her enough for that. My mom is so passionate and eager for me to be in college because she didn't have the opportunity to. Ever since she came to the U.S. she's worked. She wanted to make sure that I could do what she couldn't at her age, and it didn't matter to her what I did, as long as I was pursuing what I wanted and got the right education, she was there to support me. I've always had an interest in the arts, specifically animation. When I learned how to do traditional frame-by-frame animation, I was so fascinated. I've kept every little sketch or doodle I've made because I always thought that there was always a story to tell behind it. I would make storyboards for music I liked, I would paint and practice drawing different kinds of people, at one point I even studied the anatomy behind a Chinese tradition called foot binding. I found art everywhere, and I wanted to make that my job. For a little bit, my mom was confused and uncertain about me pursuing art as a career, but that was because she didn't fully understand it. It was when she went out of her way to understand the animation industry, the careers that artists can have, that my mom sacrificed as much as she could for me. When I learned that my mom studied what the animation industry was, I was so happy. It wasn't because my mom was interested in what I wanted to do, but because she wanted to understand and help my dream of being an animator. I can't thank her enough for what she does for me, and I am forever in her debt and will do everything I can to graduate to not only fulfill her dream but mine as well.

My artistic vision is to express complex stories through animations. I see myself working for a major animation company, creating stories that haven't been told or aren't recognized. I want to be able to create what others cannot. I've always had an interest in animation, but I started practicing it as an outlet to escape the unfortunate situation of my childhood abuse. I'm proud to say that I am the person and artist I am today because I saw the opportunity of expressing what isn't shown behind closed doors. Practicing my animation skills as an outlet improved what I once thought was difficult, and knowing that I have the skills now to truly tell a story inspires me to reach my goal of creating shows and animations.

This piece is one of my favorite pieces of artwork. It is a movie poster dedicated to an artist that I look up to, Hirohiko Araki. Araki is a Japanese manga artist that is mostly known for his series, "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure". Araki is one of the most important artists to me as an aspiring animator because of his way of storytelling and art style. This poster was done on PhotoShop, utilizing Araki's own work as the main subject. Within the text bubbles is a quote from an interview with Araki, discussing the reasoning behind his unique art style, specifically his color palettes. it reads "I was taken aback when asked 'You don't use the same colors each time?' to which I thought, 'does it have to be?'". Creating this poster was a reminder as to why I want to become an animator and create shows for people to enjoy. Araki's series "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure" follows the Joestar bloodline in a complex but audience-engaging story. In each part or chapter, a new character is introduced and the complexity of the story grows as does the intriguing aspects about it. Every time I look at the piece I am reminded that I am doing what I love to do and enjoy and that one day I will be able to be an artist like Hirohiko Araki.

When I first discovered my sexuality, I was 14. I was the only one in my family that I knew was queer, and I didn't know how to express it. For 6 months I kept this a secret. When I came out to my mom, it wasn't good. She yelled and screamed at me, telling me that I was lying and that God hated me for making this decision. She told my brothers without consent, and I was mortified. I was left alone, abandoned by my own family. I always thought "If they didn't love me, how can I love myself?" Yet, I knew that I was bisexual no matter what. For an entire year, I struggled to love and accept myself and to be open around my family. My family refused to acknowledge my existence for two weeks. I had no help for anything. This applied to food, transportation to school, anything that I needed was now my own problem. My mom made me feel like I lost everything while presenting it right in front of my face at the same time. I wanted some kind of control back. One thing that my mom cared about was my hair. She wanted me to have long hair to grow out throughout high school. I told her I wanted to cut it. My mother was stubborn, so she agreed as long as I paid for it, but I know deep down she didn't want me to. I sat in the stylist's chair as she chopped off six inches from my hair, leaving me with a bob cut. My mom couldn't help but turn around in disbelief. Despite that, I felt like I got some of my life back in control. For the next year, my mom and brothers went back to treating me normally, as a family member. I spent the year accepting who I was and being passionate about it. I was happy, even with the fact that my family didn't see me the same way. Then one day, my mom asked me if I wanted to get breakfast with her and I agreed. On the drive there, she waited until we stopped at a red light. She told me that she was sorry for everything she said a year ago, and how she shouldn't have done that. She talked to my brothers and said that this is who I am, and they can't change that. I had been waiting for some kind of apology for so long, and I was so happy she apologized. I wanted to cry but held it in because I didn't want her to know that the actions she did still affected me. We hugged as the light turned green, but stayed in that same spot with no one behind us. 2016 molded me into the person I am today, and I'm proud to say that not only do I love myself for being a 19-year-old bisexual female of color, but so does my family.

When I create art, I usually don't think about what I am creating. I let my hand decide where the blank page is going. However, my main motivation for creating art is an opportunity. When I have a blank sheet of paper in from of me, I think of so many things that I can create. I always decide that whatever I create, correlates with something I've created in the past but has its own characteristics to be deemed as its own and a new piece of art. This scholarship will remind me that there is always more room for the opportunity of potential to present itself in an unintentional way. I aspire to be an animator and eventually having my own show. I always think about how I want that show to be diverse and inclusive so that the cultures, communities, and groups that are overlooked get the recognition that they need. Even if that show might not be a reality, I want to be able to use what I've learned and create something that well represents everyone. This overall prompt is important to me because I fall under the "Female Hispanic LGBT+" community. Representation is what want to create, but it's not what inspires me due to the fact that art can be created out of anything. It's about how the pice is perceived and what it means.

My name is Angelica Chavez and I attend Savannah College of Art and Design. I am pursuing an Undergraduate Bachelors Degree in 2D Animation and Graphic Design. Going to SCAD and getting my education in 2D Animation and Graphic Design are essential to me because it gives courage and pride. I am the first person in my family to attend college full time and pursuing a degree in the arts. Growing up I was told that I needed a degree in something that fell under the STEM guidelines, but I didn't want to do that. I was and am talented in the arts, and I want to prove to not only my family but those around me that with enough work I am able to pursue a dream of mine. At first, I wanted to study 2D Animation and Graphic Design because it was what I could do good. One day, I had someone ask me what I wanted to study and I explained to them that it was a dream of mine to become an animator and designer. That person didn't believe that a career in the arts was worth enough. Ever since that conversation, my encouragement towards an education in the arts has been that conversation. I want to prove to not only that person, but to other people that might be misunderstood that a career in the arts plays a big role in everyday life. It is not something that should be overlooked. It should be something that is not only acknowledged but encouraged by educators all around.