I was always perplexed by the idea of destiny. From the moment you’re born, it’s as if your free will is gone. I believe it’s this that makes me an artist and a designer. There’s no choice involved: it’s the universe using force to shape my future. In my design journey, I’ve recently begun designing graphics for the Dads N’ Dollars podcast, while also contributing some merchandise for Intelus Wealth Management. I also made an album cover for a musical project, along with designing thumbnails for YouTube. I love the act of creating something that is from your effort and expression, and design exemplifies this. It truly shows how you can make an idea come to life. Design can capture the essence of something, and directly show its value. I use that to inform every decision I take in the design process, so that there’s meaning behind every aspect of a project. It’s for these reasons that I am applying for this scholarship. The college I hope to attend is very expensive and my family can’t pay for it even with the scholarships I’ve received, I’d still be in debt coming out of college. The school is the only place which I find sufficient to grow as an artist and designer. SCAD could greatly help me reach my potential, and that’s what I believe education is meant to do. It’s not as if I can choose to switch professions or interests. This is who I am. This is my destiny.

Who could I be? The thought provokes an uneasy feeling within me, something I can’t escape, but can’t reach simultaneously. Youth, as I assume it to be, is just an elongated time period to answer the question. Being lost in your own mind seems to be too much of a novel and abstract statement to be truly understood, but it’s the only way I can diagnose my struggles early into my freshmen year. My life up to that point was characterized by finding what others value and attempting to forcefully fit myself into whatever that happened to be. I played football, hung out with sociable people, and lied to others about minute details because I was deeply aware of the hierarchy around me. Aspiring to be the best at everything, I correlated that with love and the highest attainable. This type of perfectionism (not ambition) led to an internal question frequently arising in my consciousness: “Who am I? And what does that truly mean?” In hindsight, these analyses seem simple, but the passing years tend to have that effect. Repression is an odd concept because it’s self-limitation, but why would someone ever do such a thing? Its functionality is in containing our desires so we don’t conflict with the broader society: such as regulating behavior in children, or knowing how to act in specific scenarios. The con is that we innately repress our true identities because we feel inadequate in the eyes of others. My personal conflict lied in such sentiment, as I possessed qualities and talents that I consciously hid from the world. Art was my calling: I taught myself how to draw, was infatuated with storytelling, and had a unique understanding of music and aesthetic. My self-limitation was so intense that I didn’t comprehend the scope at which these things existed within me. I felt blind towards myself, and what’s repressed will always manifest, either consciously or subconsciously. I began to feel as if I was lying about something, and that something was burning to be fully realized. To combat this, I watched videos about great people, and tried to emulate them, but I could never grasp whatever they seemed to possess. It was endless, and moments of peace felt hard to come by. At my lowest, I would turn off all the lights in my room and listen to songs that, in some way, spoke to my problems. Stories and films also started deeply affecting me; I learned vital lessons about the hero’s journey, culture, enduring, and that an effective character never progresses the narrative without progressing the internal narrative within themself. This was a revelation because it finally made me aware that to develop, I must change the way I think of my destiny. A story strictly mine, one that only I can write. I shifted in many aspects: stopped playing football (despite still enjoying the sport), cut my hair, and used my art and creativity to connect with what I found meaningful. Everything I choose to be now is connected with truth, whether it’s me speaking, expressing myself through the arts, or just writing about my struggles. Identity isn’t just an act or way of manipulating others into accepting you, it’s who you choose to be when the nights are long and quiet, when all that speaks is your potential…

Happiness and well-being are difficult things to stumble upon, as we’ve witnessed people with all the capital, fame, and talent still fall victim to feelings of misery. However, there’s been a consistent behavior that’s helped enable sustained success over long periods of time: maintaining good mental hygiene. From athletes like LeBron, Kobe Bryant, to entrepreneurs like Warren Buffet, or creatives such as Rick Rubin, they have consistently derived success from putting emphasis on their psychological welfare. They follow habitual practices, such as reading, meditation, and journaling, all things that seem to have a positive effect on mental health. Their success could’ve been caused by a myriad of things, but what matters is the lifespan of it. This creates something more meaningful than momentary success, but can result in a lasting legacy. In framing it this way, I hope to express that wellness is a clear long-term investment that can lead to consistent reward and accomplishment. I’m a writer through and through. It’s been my primary passion since age nine, and I’ve been very focused on areas where I can advance in the field. In that endless search, there were intense periods of obsession, but also of burnout, and I couldn’t figure out why I’d suddenly be struggling to come up with new ideas and not write for weeks at a time. It was in that phase of my life where I was pretty mentally distraught. My parents had recently divorced and I no longer felt comfortable sharing my emotional turmoil. I bottled up so much that it demotivated me from pursuing my passions. Becoming aware of this, I began journaling my thoughts and experiences. This provided me with the proper space to aleve me of my emotional burdens, and helped me to begin writing again. This process of focusing on my psychological well being allowed me to make a breakthrough with my writing, and I’m now in the process of making some of my best works yet. In the next five years, I want to leave a lasting impact on wellness in my community, by offering paid-for therapy sessions to those seeking it. I don’t want people to repress their emotions like I did, and so I want to invest in their psychological health as much as possible. I am also currently in the process of writing a manifesto on present cultural issues and how we should solve them. Through all of this, I hope that we recognize the importance of mental health as it’s that which can lead us to creating a real legacy.

I was always perplexed by the idea of destiny. How can the universe manage to carve out life without any consent? From the moment you’re born, it’s as if your free will to decide is gone. I believe it’s this that makes me an artist, to pick up a pencil and start drawing, or sit at my laptop and plan my next story. There’s no personal choice involved: I believe it’s the universe asserting force to shape my future. Being a jack of all trades, it was difficult to develop a plan for myself after college; however, through meticulous decisions-making, I’ve created a plan of action going forward. Firstly, I would like to be involved in graphic design to get some foothold in business operations. This provides an opportunity to be creative and, simultaneously, attain a stable income. To better prepare for this career, I plan to attend Savannah College of Art & Design, and major in graphic development. This is one of the best design schools in the southeast, and with their 99% employment rate, I would be put in ample position to succeed after college. Secondly, becoming a published author has always been a dream of mine, and that’s why I chose to minor in writing for the upcoming quarter. To enhance my resume, I also took up a position at Intelus Wealth Management writing blog posts for the owner’s podcast. It’s for these reasons that I am applying for this scholarship. The college I hope to attend is very expensive and my family can’t pay for it: the annual tuition is $39,105, per SCAD’s website, and even with the scholarships I’ve received, I’d still be in debt coming out of college. Especially as the year progresses, I am having less and less options of how my family can financially manage this. Despite that, the school is the only place which I find sufficient to grow as an artist. Their culture, work ethic, and creative atmosphere speaks to me in a way no other college does. This is the most important thing to me, as no other institution could provide knowledge of how to establish a creative career. SCAD could greatly help me reach my potential, and that’s what I believe education is meant to do. It’s not as if I can simply choose to switch professions or interests. This is who I am. This is my destiny.

Who could I be? The thought provokes an uneasy feeling within me, something I can’t escape, but can’t reach simultaneously. Youth, as I assume it to be, is just an elongated time period to answer the question. Being lost in your own mind seems to be too much of a novel and abstract statement to be truly understood, but it’s the only way I can diagnose my struggles early into my freshmen year. My life up to that point was characterized by finding what others value and attempting to forcefully fit myself into whatever that happened to be. I played football, hung out with sociable people, and lied to others about minute details because I was deeply aware of the hierarchy around me. Aspiring to be the best at everything, I correlated that with love and the highest attainable. This type of perfectionism (not ambition) led to an internal question frequently arising in my consciousness: “Who am I? And what does that truly mean?” In hindsight, these analyses seem simple, but the passing years tend to have that effect. Repression is an odd concept because it’s self-limitation, but why would someone ever do such a thing? Its functionality is in containing our desires so we don’t conflict with the broader society: such as regulating behavior in children, or knowing how to act in specific scenarios. The con is that we innately repress our true identities because we feel inadequate in the eyes of others. My personal conflict lied in such sentiment, as I possessed qualities and talents that I consciously hid from the world. Art was my calling: I taught myself how to draw, was infatuated with storytelling, and had a unique understanding of music and aesthetic. My self-limitation was so intense that I didn’t comprehend the scope at which these things existed within me. I felt blind towards myself, and what’s repressed will always manifest, either consciously or subconsciously. I began to feel as if I was lying about something, and that something was burning to be fully realized. To combat this, I watched videos about great people, and tried to emulate them, but I could never grasp whatever they seemed to possess. It was endless, and moments of peace felt hard to come by. At my lowest, I would turn off all the lights in my room and listen to songs that, in some way, spoke to my problems. Stories and films also started deeply affecting me; I learned vital lessons about the hero’s journey, culture, enduring, and that an effective character never progresses the narrative without progressing the internal narrative within themself. This was a revelation because it finally made me aware that to develop, I must change the way I think of my destiny. A story strictly mine, one that only I can write. I shifted in many aspects: stopped playing football (despite still enjoying the sport), cut my hair, and used my art and creativity to connect with what I found meaningful. Everything I choose to be now is connected with truth, whether it’s me speaking, expressing myself through the arts, or just writing about my struggles. Identity isn’t just an act or way of manipulating others into accepting you, it’s who you choose to be when the nights are long and quiet, when all that speaks is your potential…

I was always perplexed by the idea of destiny. How can the universe manage to carve out life without any consent? From the moment you’re born, it’s as if your free will to decide is gone. I believe it’s this that makes me an artist, to pick up a pencil and start drawing, or sit at my laptop and plan my next story. There’s no personal choice involved: I believe it’s the universe asserting force to shape my future. Being a jack of all trades, it was difficult to develop a plan for myself after college; however, through meticulous decisions-making, I’ve created a plan of action going forward. Firstly, I would like to be involved in graphic design to get some foothold in business operations. This provides an opportunity to be creative and, simultaneously, attain a stable income. To better prepare for this career, I plan to attend Savannah College of Art & Design, and major in graphic development. This is one of the best design schools in the southeast, and with their 99% employment rate, I would be put in ample position to succeed after college. Secondly, becoming a published author has always been a dream of mine, and that’s why I chose to minor in writing for the upcoming quarter. To enhance my resume, I also took up a position at Intelus Wealth Management writing blog posts for the owner’s podcast. It’s for these reasons that I am applying for this scholarship. The college I hope to attend is very expensive and my family can’t pay for it: the annual tuition is $39,105, per SCAD’s website, and even with the scholarships I’ve received, I’d still be in debt coming out of college. Especially as the year progresses, I am having less and less options of how my family can financially manage this. Despite that, the school is the only place which I find sufficient to grow as an artist. Their culture, work ethic, and creative atmosphere speaks to me in a way no other college does. This is the most important thing to me, as no other institution could provide knowledge of how to establish a creative career. SCAD could greatly help me reach my potential, and that’s what I believe education is meant to do. It’s not as if I can simply choose to switch professions or interests. This is who I am. This is my destiny.

Who could I be? The thought provokes an uneasy feeling within me, something I can’t escape, but can’t reach simultaneously. Youth, as I assume it to be, is just an elongated time period to answer the question. Being lost in your own mind seems to be too much of a novel and abstract statement to be truly understood, but it’s the only way I can diagnose my struggles early into my freshmen year. My life up to that point was characterized by finding what others value and attempting to forcefully fit myself into whatever that happened to be. I played football, hung out with sociable people, and lied to others about minute details because I was deeply aware of the hierarchy around me. Aspiring to be the best at everything, I correlated that with love and the highest attainable. This type of perfectionism (not ambition) led to an internal question frequently arising in my consciousness: “Who am I? And what does that truly mean?” In hindsight, these analyses seem simple, but the passing years tend to have that effect. Repression is an odd concept because it’s self-limitation, but why would someone ever do such a thing? Its functionality is in containing our desires so we don’t conflict with the broader society: such as regulating behavior in children, or knowing how to act in specific scenarios. The con is that we innately repress our true identities because we feel inadequate in the eyes of others. My personal conflict lied in such sentiment, as I possessed qualities and talents that I consciously hid from the world. Art was my calling: I taught myself how to draw, was infatuated with storytelling, and had a unique understanding of music and aesthetic. My self-limitation was so intense that I didn’t comprehend the scope at which these things existed within me. I felt blind towards myself, and what’s repressed will always manifest, either consciously or subconsciously. I began to feel as if I was lying about something, and that something was burning to be fully realized. To combat this, I watched videos about great people, and tried to emulate them, but I could never grasp whatever they seemed to possess. It was endless, and moments of peace felt hard to come by. At my lowest, I would turn off all the lights in my room and listen to songs that, in some way, spoke to my problems. Stories and films also started deeply affecting me; I learned vital lessons about the hero’s journey, culture, enduring, and that an effective character never progresses the narrative without progressing the internal narrative within themself. This was a revelation because it finally made me aware that to develop, I must change the way I think of my destiny. A story strictly mine, one that only I can write. I shifted in many aspects: stopped playing football (despite still enjoying the sport), cut my hair, and used my art and creativity to connect with what I found meaningful. Everything I choose to be now is connected with truth, whether it’s me speaking, expressing myself through the arts, or just writing about my struggles. Identity isn’t just an act or way of manipulating others into accepting you, it’s who you choose to be when the nights are long and quiet, when all that speaks is your potential…

Who could I be? The thought provokes an uneasy feeling within me, something I can’t escape, but can’t reach simultaneously. Youth, as I assume it to be, is just an elongated time period to answer the question. Being lost in your own mind seems to be too much of a novel and abstract statement to be truly understood, but it’s the only way I can diagnose my struggles early into my freshmen year. My life up to that point was characterized by finding what others value and attempting to forcefully fit myself into whatever that happened to be. I played football, hung out with sociable people, and lied to others about minute details because I was deeply aware of the hierarchy around me. Aspiring to be the best at everything, I correlated that with love and the highest attainable. This type of perfectionism (not ambition) led to an internal question frequently arising in my consciousness: “Who am I? And what does that truly mean?” In hindsight, these analyses seem simple, but the passing years tend to have that effect. Repression is an odd concept because it’s self-limitation, but why would someone ever do such a thing? Its functionality is in containing our desires so we don’t conflict with the broader society: such as regulating behavior in children, or knowing how to act in specific scenarios. The con is that we innately repress our true identities because we feel inadequate in the eyes of others. My personal conflict lied in such sentiment, as I possessed qualities and talents that I consciously hid from the world. Art was my calling: I taught myself how to draw, was infatuated with storytelling, and had a unique understanding of music and aesthetic. My self-limitation was so intense that I didn’t comprehend the scope at which these things existed within me. I felt blind towards myself, and what’s repressed will always manifest, either consciously or subconsciously. I began to feel as if I was lying about something, and that something was burning to be fully realized. To combat this, I watched videos about great people, and tried to emulate them, but I could never grasp whatever they seemed to possess. It was endless, and moments of peace felt hard to come by. At my lowest, I would turn off all the lights in my room and listen to songs that, in some way, spoke to my problems. Stories and films also started deeply affecting me; I learned vital lessons about the hero’s journey, culture, enduring, and that an effective character never progresses the narrative without progressing the internal narrative within themself. This was a revelation because it finally made me aware that to develop, I must change the way I think of my destiny. A story strictly mine, one that only I can write. I shifted in many aspects: stopped playing football (despite still enjoying the sport), cut my hair, and used my art and creativity to connect with what I found meaningful. Everything I choose to be now is connected with truth, whether it’s me speaking, expressing myself through the arts, or just writing about my struggles. Identity isn’t just an act or way of manipulating others into accepting you, it’s who you choose to be when the nights are long and quiet, when all that speaks is your potential…

My future self is competent and in an impactful position, but fully aware of where he can grow and evolve.

I was always perplexed by the idea of destiny. How can the universe manage to carve out life without any consent? From the moment you’re born, it’s as if your free will to decide is gone. I believe it’s this that makes me an artist, to pick up a pencil and start drawing, or sit at my laptop and plan my next story. There’s no personal choice involved: I believe it’s the universe asserting force to shape my future. Being a jack of all trades, it was difficult to develop a plan for myself after college; however, through meticulous decisions-making, I’ve created a plan of action going forward. Firstly, I would like to be involved in graphic design to get some foothold in business operations. This provides an opportunity to be creative and, simultaneously, attain a stable income. To better prepare for this career, I plan to attend Savannah College of Art & Design, and major in graphic development. This is one of the best design schools in the southeast, and with their 99% employment rate, I would be put in ample position to succeed after college. Secondly, becoming a published author has always been a dream of mine, and that’s why I chose to minor in writing for the upcoming quarter. To enhance my resume, I also took up a position at Intelus Wealth Management writing blog posts for the owner’s podcast. It’s for these reasons that I am applying for this scholarship. The college I hope to attend is very expensive and my family can’t pay for it: the annual tuition is $39,105, per SCAD’s website, and even with the scholarships I’ve received, I’d still be in debt coming out of college. Especially as the year progresses, I am having less and less options of how my family can financially manage this. Despite that, the school is the only place which I find sufficient to grow as an artist. Their culture, work ethic, and creative atmosphere speaks to me in a way no other college does. This is the most important thing to me, as no other institution could provide knowledge of how to establish a creative career. SCAD could greatly help me reach my potential, and that’s what I believe education is meant to do. It’s not as if I can simply choose to switch professions or interests. This is who I am. This is my destiny.

I was always perplexed by the idea of destiny. How can the universe manage to carve out life without any consent? From the moment you’re born, it’s as if your free will to decide is gone. I believe it’s this that makes me an artist, to pick up a pencil and start drawing, or sit at my laptop and plan my next story. There’s no personal choice involved: I believe it’s the universe asserting force to shape my future. Being a jack of all trades, it was difficult to develop a plan for myself after college; however, through meticulous decisions-making, I’ve created a plan of action going forward. Firstly, I would like to be involved in graphic design to get some foothold in business operations. This provides an opportunity to be creative and, simultaneously, attain a stable income. To better prepare for this career, I plan to attend Savannah College of Art & Design, and major in graphic development. This is one of the best design schools in the southeast, and with their 99% employment rate, I would be put in ample position to succeed after college. Secondly, becoming a published author has always been a dream of mine, and that’s why I chose to minor in writing for the upcoming quarter. To enhance my resume, I also took up a position at Intelus Wealth Management writing blog posts for the owner’s podcast. It’s for these reasons that I am applying for this scholarship. The college I hope to attend is very expensive and my family can’t pay for it: the annual tuition is $39,105, per SCAD’s website, and even with the scholarships I’ve received, I’d still be in debt coming out of college. Especially as the year progresses, I am having less and less options of how my family can financially manage this. Despite that, the school is the only place which I find sufficient to grow as an artist. Their culture, work ethic, and creative atmosphere speaks to me in a way no other college does. This is the most important thing to me, as no other institution could provide knowledge of how to establish a creative career. SCAD could greatly help me reach my potential, and that’s what I believe education is meant to do. It’s not as if I can simply choose to switch professions or interests. This is who I am. This is my destiny.