My entire life my family has had exceedingly high expectations of me, especially, my mother who dedicates immense time and patience to ensure I'm furthering my education. My mother is the glue that holds me together. Even though, most times she is stressed with her own situations, she still manages to help me when I'm stressed out with school, anxiety, and my future. Unfortunately, there's only one side of me my family sees which is the girl who always manages to earn and sustain excellent grades in advanced classes. The girl who is destined for greatness by any means and the girl who spends hours involved in extracurriculars and community service. While this is all true, I endured a multitude of struggles in and outside of high school. Moreover, something that is truly common in an immigrant household is the pressure to succeed and do better than your parents. The pressure to preform exceptionally in and outside of school always loomed over my head. "Nothing less than an B+", is what my mother always said. Therefore, For years, I have always struggled with intense anxiety and the inner turmoil of my own mind. I am constantly overwhelmed and anxious about what my future entails and how I'm going to manage it. However, through all of this, I've learned that it's okay to express and undergo struggles. Not only does it push me to work harder to achieve my goals, but they also give me the opportunity to learn from my experiences. This is important to me. I want to accomplish greatness because I am a young black woman who wants to overcome the stigma and stereotypes within my community not only for myself but my peers. I aspire to improve the life of myself and my family who had endured countless financial and personal struggles. One outlet for me to escape my struggles is art. Art has always been a lifelong passion of mine and has given me the opportunity to alleviate stress in numerous ways. My family has a long history of migrating in search for educational and career opportunities.My mother came to the United States from Kingston, England when she just 13 years old- pulled away from her childhood and what she thought was for her better home. While my family originates from Barbados, my mother's parents moved to England in search of educational and career opportunities. Not only that but, my mother traveled thousands of miles without her father. Like many immigrant parents, my mother instilled in me the value of earring an education and Bajan( which is a another word for Barbadian) culture. Since I was a kid, my mother has instilled value of education and hard work, which is how my single mother has become my role model. Her endless dedication and perseverance speaks volume as she continues to take care of my twin sister and I as she transition into young woman. In this of this, if I could walk in someone's shoes for one day, it would be my brilliant mother. Not only has to earned an education at one go the top universities in the country, Northeastern, she takes cares of my sister and I by herself without financial help. If I could walk in her shoes, I'd truly experience the day-to-day life of being a single mother.

My name is Courtney Mills, and I am a sophomore at Howard University in Washington, D.C. I am a Graphic Design major and minor in Computer Science. Since a very young age, I have balanced my studies and responsibilities of taking care of my family and home. To this day, I still manage to assist my mother and do anything I can to ease her responsibilities as a single mother. Not only that but, as a child of immigrant parents, I have learned the value of earning an education and the importance of hard work. Taking this into consideration, I was passionate about attending an HBCU because being surrounded by young, black, beautiful minds would encourage me to continue my path to success. Aside from my values, I'm also truly passionate about STEM and community service. I have always wanted to work in the technology space, specifically, because it fascinates me that there is always an advancement with every generation, and with that, there is an opportunity for people to learn from each other. Furthermore, my career goal is to become an independent and notable artist. I want to contribute to the art world by inspiring people of all ages that design is a notable cause to pursue. Unfortunately, in the fine arts world, we often hear that what we're pursuing is a "hobby". However, from the product design of your favorite candy bar and the layout of your favorite online store graphic design is everywhere. Additionally, I have demonstrated leadership in my community by serving young black youth in Nashville, Tennessee. During my second semester at Howard University, I traveled with one hundred of my peers to visit various middle and elementary schools, where we primarily focused on educational initiatives. In the mornings, we organized college panels to provide guidance and insight on college/job opportunities in the real world, provided career advice, and answered any questions or concerns they had. Then, in the afternoon, we visited the "Boys and Girls Club", where we engaged with younger children, assisted them with their homework, and led team-building exercises. Furthermore, my career and educational goals within STEM are to further my passion for learning and obtain a master's degree in computer science to deepen my expertise and expand the number of opportunities that await me after college. Additionally, I want to become more engaged and involved with the STEM community in my school. Therefore, when I return to school, I want to join a handful of clubs and have the opportunity to network with my peers and individuals who are currently working in STEM. Technology has become the driving force behind the digital transformation across various industries. From artificial intelligence, animation, and automation. The advancements in technology are rising exponentially, thus while at university I want to take advantage of these circumstances. Lastly, I plan on using my education to leave an impact on the world by trying to invoke community and engagement. While technology has countless advantages, it also manages to make people distant from their friends, family, and social life. Therefore, with my education in graphic design and computer science, I aim to work with a diverse range of people, from gender, interests, and age, and find a commonality between them, which I believe to be art and tech. For example, a big dream of mine is to collaborate with Apple Inc. and give back to my community during back-to-school season, and teach the youth about the behind-the-scenes operations of running a successful company. Thank you!

My name is Courtney Mills, and I am a sophomore at Howard University in Washington, D.C. I am a Graphic Design major and minor in Computer Science. Since a very young age, I have balanced my studies and responsibilities of taking care of my family and home. To this day, I still manage to assist my mother and do anything I can to ease her responsibilities as a single mother. Not only that but, as a child of immigrant parents, I have learned the value of earning an education and the importance of hard work. Taking this into consideration, I was passionate about attending an HBCU because being surrounded by young, black, beautiful minds would encourage me to continue my path to success. Aside from my values, I'm also truly passionate about STEM and community service. I have always wanted to work in the technology space, specifically, because it fascinates me that there is always an advancement with every generation, and with that, there is an opportunity for people to learn from each other. Furthermore, my career goal is to become an independent and notable artist. I want to contribute to the art world by inspiring people of all ages that design is a notable cause to pursue. Unfortunately, in the fine arts world, we often hear that what we're pursuing is a "hobby". However, from the product design of your favorite candy bar and the layout of your favorite online store graphic design is everywhere. Additionally, I have demonstrated leadership in my community by serving young black youth in Nashville, Tennessee. During my second semester at Howard University, I traveled with one hundred of my peers to visit various middle and elementary schools, where we primarily focused on educational initiatives. In the mornings, we organized college panels to provide guidance and insight on college/job opportunities in the real world, provided career advice, and answered any questions or concerns they had. Then, in the afternoon, we visited the "Boys and Girls Club", where we engaged with younger children, assisted them with their homework, and led team-building exercises. Furthermore, my career and educational goals within STEM are to further my passion for learning and obtain a master's degree in computer science to deepen my expertise and expand the number of opportunities that await me after college. Additionally, I want to become more engaged and involved with the STEM community in my school. Therefore, when I return to school, I want to join a handful of clubs and have the opportunity to network with my peers and individuals who are currently working in STEM. Technology has become the driving force behind the digital transformation across various industries. From artificial intelligence, animation, and automation. The advancements in technology are rising exponentially, thus while at university I want to take advantage of these circumstances. Lastly, I plan on using my education to leave an impact on the world by trying to invoke community and engagement. While technology has countless advantages, it also manages to make people distant from their friends, family, and social life. Therefore, with my education in graphic design and computer science, I aim to work with a diverse range of people, from gender, interests, and age, and find a commonality between them, which I believe to be art and tech. For example, a big dream of mine is to collaborate with Apple Inc. and give back to my community during back-to-school season, and teach the youth about the behind-the-scenes operations of running a successful company. Thank you!

From an early age, I have described myself as creative and artistic. Slowly, I began to engage in art-related extracurriculars and at-home tutorial videos. The captivation of all forms of visual art can communicate a powerful message and evoke people, emotions, and opinions. My love for graphic design derives from intricately, manipulating differing images to make one seamless and cohesive design during my freshman year of high school. As my interests have evolved, my motivation has as well. Consequently, I can proudly say I'm currently attending Howard University majoring in graphic design and I aim to double major in computer science to enhance my skills and knowledge in the digital art space. During my attendance, I aim to engage in networking opportunities, foster my community of talented and creative individuals, and begin to professionally establish myself as an artist. Moreover, I am profoundly grateful for my ability to create and inspire because it has led me to amazing discoveries. In my junior year of high school, I suffered from intense anxiety and mild depression. Amid, overwhelming amounts of schoolwork and the complexities of my own emotions, art was the only way for me to overcome my intense emotions. Almost every day, I illustrated my emotions on any piece of blank slate, including junk mail envelopes, anywhere with space to compose or drawer my thoughts and feelings. Over the school year, this allowed me to return to the person who was not easily overwhelmed and stressed, but also the young lady who expressed and coped with the pandemic, death in the family, and uncertainty. Not only was this my “calling” in life, but I would be embarking on a field that I passionately love. Art is truly inspirational to me because art is everywhere, from the typography and layout in magazines, the graphics in movies, clothing design, and the animation in immersive cartoons. The world around me has been my muse. Innovative and creative ideas for new projects constantly flood my mind and I am very eager to begin whatever projects I can get my talented hands on. Since I have a keen eye for artistry, I notice the little things which enhance my artistic abilities. Therefore, with a bachelor's degree in fine arts, I will be able to fulfill my passion. Unfortunately, my family hasn't been as emotionally and financially supportive of my aspirations. The art world is all familiar with the idea that it isn't a lucrative career choice. Thus, I have learned to develop the drive and determination to become successful. Consequently, I must be a productive and committed student. Therefore, in the long term, I envision myself working for an amazing tech company while building my design company/agency, collaborating with other creative professionals, and continuing to learn and make a positive impact on the design and technology space. While my struggles have caused an emotional toll, they've given me more reason to pursue my education in the arts. In closing, The digital art space has allowed me to find my niche. Throughout high school and college, I have been surrounded by individuals who share similar interests and aspirations. I have an amazing community of artists where we express our ideas and experiences. Because of them, they have exposed me to the variety within the digital art space. Fortunately, I'm not just limited to creating posters and advertisements, I can create engaging book covers, and web and packaging designs. I aspire to attract views and customers to meet the needs of any business. Thus, bringing satisfaction to the consumer and producer.

I have always had a deep passion for visual arts. Since elementary school, I vividly remember being interested in various types of art forms. Throughout the years, I have immersed myself in a little bit of everything such as graphic design, animation, cartooning, and realism. Because of my profound interest, it was without hesitation that my career was going to be in graphic design. Technology is constantly advancing; therefore, I know with my innovative and imaginative mindset, I have plenty to offer in the graphic design field. My ultimate desire as a graphic designer is to develop top-notch design pieces that impress notable designers for technical and marketing companies. I am proficient in several graphic design software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. The most enjoyable part of the creative process is incorporating various pieces of completely different images to smoothly and intricately combine them into one seamless art piece. Not only was this my “calling” in life, but I would be embarking on a field that I passionately love. Art is truly inspirational to me because art is everywhere, from the typography and layout in magazines, the graphics in movies, clothing design, and the animation in immersive cartoons. The world around me has been my muse. Innovative and creative ideas for new projects constantly flood my mind and I am very eager to begin whatever projects I can get my talented hands on. Since I have a keen eye for artistry, I notice the little things which enhance my artistic abilities. Therefore, with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, I will be able to fulfill my passion. Through my passion for art, I have discovered more of my attributes, along it being a source of freedom of expression. In my junior year of school, I suffered from intense anxiety and mild depression. Amid, overwhelming amounts of schoolwork and the complexities of my own emotions, art was one of the ways for me to overcome my intense emotions. Almost every day I illustrated my emotions on any piece of blank slate, including junk mail envelopes, anywhere with space to compose or drawer my thoughts and feelings. Over the course of the school year, this allowed me to return to the person who was not easily overwhelmed and stressed, but also the young lady who expressed and coped with the pandemic, death in the family, and the uncertainty of, what’s next. Overall, there’s nothing more I have wanted than to pursue a career in digital media, even though some family members have attempted to persuade me into other fields. With my creative and innovative mind, I hope to push a company’s mission and agenda through art. There are plenty of ways to interpret art; therefore, in the future, I hope to inspire others to pursue art in the same empowering way it has impacted me.

by_courtneyyy

My childhood was very intense, to say the least. I grew up in a single-parent household with my twin sister in the busy city of Brooklyn, New York. My mother's long days at work, and not coming back till late hours of the night forced me to grow up much quicker than my peers. Regularly, I had to assist my sister with homework and projects, keep the house tidy, and cook dinner for my family. Therefore, I jokingly refer to myself as the glue of my family, Elmers, my mom calls me. While this responsibility lies heavily on me, I am happy to assist my family in any way necessary. I must behave this way because responsibilities need to be shared. My mother should not have to juggle all responsibilities on her own while making sure all her needs are met. As a result, of my mother's hectic schedule, this restricted the activities, I could participate in. She could not afford to place me in music lessons, sports, and other recreational activities, but I also had household duties I couldn't abandon. Aside from my childhood, I love the person I have become. Personality-wise, I am very friendly to my peers, family, and new individuals. I always introduce myself with a greeting smile. I pride myself on being a kind, respected individual because it makes me feel good. Unfortunately, I know what it's like to be surrounded by unfriendly and unpleasant which ultimately makes me uncomfortable and unwelcomed. I want everyone I meet to feel special and have a great day. Additionally, I have always had a deep passion for visual arts. Since elementary school, I vividly remember being interested in various types of art forms. Throughout the years, I have immersed myself in a bit of everything, such as graphic design, animation, cartooning, and realism. Because of my profound interest, it was without hesitation that my career was going to be in graphic design. Technology is constantly advancing; therefore, I know that with my innovative and imaginative mindset, I have plenty to offer in graphic design. My ultimate desire as a graphic designer is to develop top-notch design pieces that impress notable designers for technical and marketing companies. The most enjoyable part of the creative process is incorporating various pieces of completely different images to smoothly and intricately combine them into one seamless art piece. Furthermore, through my career, I hope to inspire the future generation that fine arts is a valued profession. I believe fine arts is one of the most overlooked career fields. In university, I commonly hear that my peers are pursuing careers in STEM and business, even though they have a passion for illustration and painting. Through observation and research, I've noticed that opportunities for black artists are incomparable to jobs in STEM. While determining my major, I heavily considered abandoning my passion because healthcare is a lucrative business and ensures that you will have an honest and good living. However, at the end of the day, I wanted a job that made me happy instead of miserable just for the sake of making a lot of money. After I earn my Bachelor of Fine Arts(BFA), I aspire to teach students the importance of art and creativity and provide opportunities for artists, such as jobs and internships. Overall, I want artists all over the world to be proud of their designs and continue to inspire others.

Healthy eating habits are important because it allows you have to a fulfilling and comfortable lifestyle. Even though eating junk food and fast food is enjoyable at the moment, it has negative lasting effects on the human body. They are the leading cause of diet-related health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Fast food and junk food contain a large quantity of sodium, calories, and sodium. Unfortunately, continuing unhealthy eating habits lessens the opportunity for people to feel confident about themselves. The benefits of healthy eating for adults and children are living longer, immunity boosts, and keeping eyes, teeth, and eyes healthy. Therefore, it results in individuals feeling clear-headed. Your body is your temple. You need to ensure you taking care of it to the best of your ability. Your body is constantly pumping blood to your heart and other essential organs, therefore it needs the energy to do so. Eating healthy doesn't have to be about having a strict and limiting diet. It's all about moderation, possibly switching to healthier options while eating the foods you love.m Unfortunately, I have endured struggles with self-confidence and healthy eating. Almost every day, I found myself buying high-calorie junk food from the convenience store across from my school. Ultimately, this led me to feel tired throughout the day because I was not having a balanced and nutritious meal, but I also felt tired of spending money every day for something that was only hurting my health and mood. So, halfway through the year, I made a serious change. I prohibited myself from buying food from nearby fast-food chains and convenience stores. A few weeks later, I began to briefly discover small changes in my mood and physical appearance. I was slimming down, I felt lighter and became happier with myself and the new changes. From then, I stopped buying food completely because I was not doing myself any good. I noticed that going up several flights of stairs to return to my classes became easier. I felt more alert during my lectures and less drained at the end of the day. As a result, I was doing better in school and my grades improved significantly. Most importantly, I noticed I began saving more money than I was spending. My mental health had improved significantly because I was not constantly worried about spending that I did not have. I am completely proud of myself for making the change to improve my diet and healthy lifestyle. From now on, I'm more conscious of what I intake and how I can improve.

My entire life my family has had exceedingly high expectations of me, especially, my mother who dedicates immense time and patience to ensure I'm furthering my education. My mother is the glue that holds me together. Even though, most times she is stressed with her own situations, she still manages to help me when I'm stressed out with school, anxiety, and my future. Unfortunately, there's only one side of me my family sees which is the girl who always manages to earn and sustain excellent grades in advanced classes. The girl who is destined for greatness by any means and the girl who spends hours involved in extracurriculars and community service. While this is all true, I endured a multitude of struggles in and outside of high school. For years, I have always struggled with intense anxiety and the inner turmoil of my own mind. I am constantly overwhelmed and anxious about what my future entails and how I'm going to manage it. However, through all of this, I've learned that it's okay to express and undergo struggles. Not only does it push me to work harder to achieve my goals, but they also give me the opportunity to learn from my experiences. This is important to me. I want to accomplish greatness because I am a young black woman who wants to overcome the stigma and stereotypes within my community not only for myself but my peers. I aspire to improve the life of myself and my family who had endured countless financial and personal struggles. One outlet for me to escape my struggles is art. Art has always been a lifelong passion of mine and has given me the opportunity to alleviate stress in numerous ways. Not only was this my “calling” in life, but I would be embarking on a field that I passionately love. Art is truly inspirational to me because art is everywhere, from the typography and layout in magazines, the graphics in movies, clothing design, and the animation in immersive cartoons. The world around me has been my muse. Innovative and creative ideas for new projects constantly flood my mind and I am very eager to begin whatever projects I can get my talented hands on. Since I have a keen eye for artistry, I notice the little things which enhance my artistic abilities. Therefore, with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, I will be able to fulfill my passion. In the fall, I will be attending the notable Howard University and majoring in graphic design. Finally, I would use this money to create a better life for myself, but most importantly my family because everything I do has consequences. By earning this money I would be significantly lessening the financial stress on my mother. Currently, for the next four years, my mother alone will be paying college tuition and additional expenses for myself and my twin sister. Overall, I want to focus my college years dedicated to my education. Being a college freshman is stressful enough, balancing my school work, and meeting new people on top of working a part-time job would be incredibly stressful for me. Earning this scholarship would make it possible for me to enjoy college and make my family proud.

I have always had a deep passion for visual arts. Since elementary school, I deeply remember being interested in various types of art forms. Throughout the years, I have immersed myself in a little bit of everything such as graphic design, animation, cartooning, and realism. Because of my profound interest, it was without hesitation that my ultimate career was going to be in graphic design. Technology is constantly advancing, so I know with my innovative and imaginative mindset, I have plenty to offer in the graphic design field. My ultimate desire as a graphic designer is to develop top-notch design pieces that impress notable designers for tech companies. I am proficient in several graphic design software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. The most enjoyable part of the creative process is incorporating various pieces of completely different images to smoothly and intricately combine them into one beautiful piece. As a child of a single parent, I have learned to become self-sufficient and accept an abundance of responsibilities in my household beginning at a very young age, to help where I could. In addition, as a young black woman who is slowly being introduced to “real life”, I have had to overcome my struggles related to self-identity and finance. Therefore, considering all these factors, I learned to embody the leadership characteristics and self-motivation to live the life I truly aspire to have. Like my mother, I express determination and the ability to remain motivated despite difficulties. Which is why I am deeply passionate about succeeding. Throughout high school, I have aspired to make favorable impressions on my teachers within my advanced, honors and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, leading to achievement and assisting my peers. Additionally, I do what I can to represent my school in the greatest light. I was involved in several clubs and extracurricular activities, which I believed contributed to shaping me today as a young, black woman. My most favored activity was the 4H club, which involved collaboration with other students and the rewarding aspect of community service. I also continue to further my proficiency in graphic design by attempting to showcase my artwork. In the past couple of years, I have entered various design and illustration competitions in my community. For instance, almost every year I entered Doodle for Googe, a competition where thousands of children of all ages compete for the opportunity to win a scholarship. Despite, never winning I always aspire to try something new and strive to embark on a new journey. Essentially, this scholarship will help me because college is expensive for my family and me to afford. At this moment, my mom and I are concerned as to how we're going to manage to pay for college. It is incredibly important for me to stray away from accumulating student loans because they would weigh heavily on me financially and emotionally. I strive to build a prosperous life for my family and me, so avoiding student loans would allow me to do this efficiently. As a twin, my sister and I will be attending university this upcoming fall so all of our expenses are doubled. My mother is solely responsible for my college finances, so I know that with motivation and due diligence, I can lessen the strain of college finances by obtaining scholarships. I have taken various design and art classes throughout high school, but college has a multitude of opportunities and lessons to expand my knowledge and experience. I aim to become a professional graphic designer who has plenty to offer in the design and advertisement space.

I have always had a deep passion for visual arts. Since elementary school, I vividly remember being interested in various types of art forms. Throughout the years, I have immersed myself in a little bit of everything such as, graphic design, animation, cartooning, and realism. Because of my profound interest, it was without hesitation that my career was going to be in graphic design. Technology is constantly advancing; therefore, I know with my innovative and imaginative mindset, I have plenty to offer the graphic design field. My ultimate desire as a graphic designer is to develop top-notch design pieces that impress notable designers for technical and marketing companies. I am proficient in several graphic design software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. The most enjoyable part of the creative process is incorporating various pieces of completely different images to smoothly and intricately combine them into one seamless art piece. Not only was this my “calling” in life, but I would be embarking in a field that I passionately love. Art is truly inspirational to me because art is everywhere, from the typography and layout in magazines, the graphics in movies, clothing designs, and the animation in immersive cartoons. The world around me has been my muse. Innovative and creative ideas for new projects constantly flood my mind and I am very eager to begin whatever projects I can get my talented hands on. Since I have a keen eye for artistry, I notice the little things which enhance my artistic abilities. Therefore, with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, I will be able to fulfill my passion. Through my passion for art, I have discovered more of my attributes, along with it being a source of freedom of expression. In my junior year of school, I suffered from intense anxiety and mild depression. Amid, overwhelming amounts of schoolwork and the complexities of my own emotions, art was one of the ways for me to overcome my intense emotions. Almost every day I illustrated my emotions on any piece of blank slate, including junk mail envelopes, anywhere with space to compose or drawer my thoughts and feelings. Over the course of the school year, this allowed me to return to the person that was not easily overwhelmed and stressed, but also the young lady who expressed and coped with the pandemic, death in the family, and the uncertainty of, what’s next. Overall, there’s nothing more I have wanted than to pursue a career in digital media, even though some family members have attempted to persuade me into other fields. With my creative and innovative mind, I hope to push a company’s mission and agenda through art. There are plenty of ways to interpret art; therefore, in the future, I hope to inspire others to pursue art in the same empowering way it has impacted me.

The biggest passion of my life is supported by my illustration and visual design skills. Since elementary, I have been self-taught by watching numerous tutorials on YouTube but took my passion a step further by enrolling in online and in-person art classes. In the future, I aspire to pursue my dream of becoming a successful graphic designer and having countless professional relationships with lucrative and well-known companies. This field just exuberates creativity and is embedded in our lives, from your favorite T-shirt’s design, the wallpaper in your renovated room, the webpage for your favorite restaurant, and, the advertisement for a Caribbean vacation, the list is endless. I'm immensely grateful to be accepted into Howard and Morgan State University, so intend to receive an education as a graphic design major while minoring in illustration at one of the two. While attending University, I also aspire to network with my peers and gain experience, which in turn will assist me in building a name for myself and producing admirable artwork. Graphic design is incredibly important to me and my lifestyle. So, five years from today I expect to be furthering my education by obtaining a master’s degree. A Master of Arts degree is one crucial way for me to be qualified for numerous job opportunities and earn a higher salary. Additionally, internships are incredibly important to me so, I intend on being accepted into an internship with a respected company such as FOX News and the NFL. Internships will give me the amazing opportunity to boost my resume and possibly earn a job offer. I need to further my education to have a job that fulfilling to me and accomplished my goals. Even though, my life five years from now will be incredibly stressful and demanding, my dedication to university and extracurriculars will only further my dream of becoming a graphic designer. Earning this scholarship will allow me to follow my artistic passion and lessen my financial worries about attending my first-choice undergraduate program. College is extremely expensive, so allowing my mom and me to not be burdened with the cost of college will will relieve us from student loans and stress. I need to stay focused on my education and not whether or not able I can afford one of my top schools. Howard is my dream school and I would love the opportunity to have the experience of attending the nation's #1 HBCU. When I visited the college I was amazed of what surrounded me, Black Excellence.

The biggest passion of my life is supported by my illustration and visual design skills. Since elementary, I have been self-taught by watching numerous tutorials on YouTube but took my passion a step further by enrolling in online and in-person art classes. In the future, I aspire to pursue my dream of becoming a successful graphic designer and having countless professional relationships with lucrative and well-known companies. This field just exuberates creativity and is embedded in our lives, from your favorite T-shirt’s design, the wallpaper in your renovated room, the webpage for your favorite restaurant, and, the advertisement for a Caribbean vacation, the list is endless. I'm immensively grateful to be accpted into Howard and Morgan State Univeristy, so intend to receive an education as a graphic design major while minoring in illustration at one of the two. While attending University, I also aspire to network with my peers and gain experience, which in turn will assist me in building a name for myself and producing admirable artwork. Graphic design is incredibly important to me and my lifestyle. So, five years from today I expect to be furthering my education by obtaining a master’s degree. A Master of Arts degree is one crucial way for me to be qualified for numerous job opportunities and earn a higher salary. Additionally, internships are incredibly important to me so, I intend on being accepted into an internship with a respected company such as FOX News and the NFL. Internships will give me the amazing opportunity to boost my resume and possibly earn a job offer. Even though, my life five years from now will be incredibly stressful and demanding, my dedication to university and extracurriculars will only further my dream of becoming a graphic designer. Even though I have big dreams and goals, I have always struggled with confidence and anxiety, which has always weighed heavy on me. This obstacle would eventually be one of my biggest hardships when I was employed as a concession stand worker at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. As an employee, I’d tend to hundreds of hungry sports fans anxiously waiting for their food. Throughout my six-hour shift, I experienced a couple of minor difficulties. After I processed a customer’s order, I immediately began to confuse the customer’s last items ordered. As a result, I confused myself and overcomplicated the situation. Was it a vanilla-chocolate twist in a cone or a chocolate ice cream in a cup, I thought? At this moment, it was evident to me that it was necessary to ask the customer to repeat their order one more time. However, to my surprise, the fan's response was friendly and appeared to be completely fine and patient with me which I greatly appreciated. The most rewarding part of this experience was overcoming the anxiety which I walked into my first fast-paced job with. Throughout high school, I’ve spent most of my time in the back of the class trying to prevent making eye contact with my teachers and unfamiliar peers, basically staying in my comfort zone. However, this experience empowered me to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. My mother wasn’t holding my hand, I didn’t receive a lengthy training; however, with confidence and the ability to succeed, I was proud of myself and dreaming of what other new possibilities are in the making.