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Diego Becerra

1,445

Bold Points

2x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

I aspire to create a positive impact in people's lives through the power of meaningful design with a focus on sustainability. I am an artist and designer currently attending graduate school for architecture. I mainly design and build furniture and shoot film photography, while I am just starting my endeavor in the world of building design.

Education

University of Southern California

Master's degree program
2024 - 2027
  • Majors:
    • Architecture and Related Services, Other

University of California-Santa Barbara

Bachelor's degree program
2021 - 2024
  • Majors:
    • Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation
    • Fine and Studio Arts

Los Angeles Harbor College

Associate's degree program
2018 - 2020
  • Majors:
    • Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
    • Natural Sciences
    • Fine and Studio Arts
    • Psychology, General

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Design

    • Dream career goals:

      Castillo Scholarship
      Design has always played a big part of my life since childhood, where I would draw endlessly and paint intricate patterns on found objects like rocks. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in architectural design while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As an artist and creative, I am passionate about architecture because I know it has the ability to change and positively impact people's lives for the better while triumphing artistic expression and creativity, which are the defining characteristics of my identity and make me who I am. Art and design have no doubt shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me so much about the important things in life while affording me the privilege to inspire others and help bring about a positive change in my community. Sustainability is a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on. I prioritize sustainability by using only salvaged or sustainably forested wood in my furniture projects and develop my film with coffee and other natural substances instead of using harsh and toxic chemicals. I am also a recently certified LEED Green Associate and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. As a disabled Latino from an immigrant family, I also emphasize accessibility and cultural heritage in design. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do. This scholarship would help get me one step closer to achieving this by helping pay for the high price of tuition at the prestigious University of Southern California, ultimately allowing me to attend this school and further develop my skills on my creative career path. I deserve this scholarship not only for my academic achievements or prospects, but also because of the adverse and traumatic life events I have experienced and overcome which shaped me into a unique individual with a clear purpose to help positively impact my community and the world. I have fought everyday for several years just to be able to do normal, daily tasks and be an independent adult in spite of the several challenges I have faced and continue to face on a daily basis. I see my educational merit and accomplishments as tiny, but necessary mere steps that amount to little personally compared to the many near death experiences I have overcome that reshapes your entire being and the way you live your life. To me, it is more important what you do with your education once you have acquired this new knowledge and skill set in order to serve other people. In this way, I feel that I deserve this scholarship due to my clear focus on my purpose, my undeterred ambition to achieve it, and my unique outlook and strengths shaped by adverse experiences.
      Journey 180 Planner Changemaker Scholarship
      Design has always played a big part of my life since childhood, where I would draw endlessly and paint intricate patterns on found objects like rocks. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in design while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As an artist and creative, I am passionate about design because I know it has the ability to change and positively impact people's lives for the better while triumphing artistic expression and creativity, which are the defining characteristics of my identity and make me who I am. Art and design has taught me so much about the important things in life while affording me the privilege to inspire others and help bring about a positive change in my community. One way I have done this is through my service at church and local elementary school, where I volunteered as an art teacher, teaching students and children how to design and paint simple things that spread a bigger positive message. This experience is one of many that taught me the importance of serving others and the power of art and visual culture on our communities and world at large. Most of my accomplishments are educational, although the ones I am most proud of are not. These accomplishments consist of two gallery exhibitions I have done at my University's art gallery as well as personal accomplishments by overcoming adversity and traumatic life events. My gallery exhibitions consisted of a solo retrospective show and a group show that exhibited my fine furniture, film photography, sound art, and multimedia sculptures. I have also overcome 4 brain surgeries and relearning how to walk and move the left side of my body over several years after suffering a nearly fatal AVM rupture that left me paralyzed on my left side. These surgeries also affected my vision, which was already impaired since the age of 8 when a parasite ate out the retina in my left eye causing total blindness in that eye. Because of these events, I am unable to drive and do many things normal people can. On top of this I have overcome many other near death experiences related to car and bike accidents as well as family and interpersonal trauma which I will not discuss here. These events I have survived and overcome redefined who I am and helped shape me into a better person than I was before. As for educational accomplishments, I have attained 4 AA degrees, an AS degree, IGETC certification, LEED green associate certification, and I'm about to get 2 bachelor degrees from UCSB! Then I'm off to USC for an M.Arch. I have also been on the president's and Dean's honors list for several years, receiving the President's honor award. I deserve this scholarship not only for my academic achievements or prospects, but also because of the adverse and traumatic life events I have experienced and overcome which shaped me into a unique individual with a clear purpose to help positively impact my community and the world. I view my educational merit/accomplishments as mere steps that amount to little personally compared to the many near death experiences I have overcome that reshapes your entire being and the way you live your life. To me, it is more important what you do with your education once you have acquired this new knowledge in order to serve other people. I deserve this scholarship due to my clear focus on my purpose, my undeterred ambition to achieve it, and my unique outlook and strengths shaped by adverse experiences.
      John Young 'Pursue Your Passion' Scholarship
      Design has always played a big part of my life since childhood, where I would draw endlessly and paint intricate patterns on found objects like rocks. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in design while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As an artist and creative, I am passionate about design because I know it has the ability to change and positively impact people's lives for the better while triumphing artistic expression and creativity, which are the defining characteristics of my identity and make me who I am. Art and design have no doubt shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me so much about the important things in life while affording me the privilege to inspire others and help bring about a positive change in my community. Sustainability is a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on. I prioritize sustainability by using only salvaged or sustainably forested wood in my furniture projects and develop my film with coffee and other natural substances instead of using harsh and toxic chemicals. I am also a recently certified LEED Green Associate and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. As a disabled Latino from an immigrant family, I also emphasize accessibility and cultural heritage in design. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do. This scholarship would help get me one step closer to achieving this by helping pay for the high price of tuition at the prestigious University of Southern California, ultimately allowing me to attend this school and further develop my skills on my creative career path. I deserve this scholarship not only for my academic achievements or prospects, but also because of the adverse and traumatic life events I have experienced and overcome which shaped me into a unique individual with a clear purpose to help positively impact my community and the world.
      Powering The Future - Whiddon Memorial Scholarship
      Most of my accomplishments are educational, although the ones I am most proud of are not. These accomplishments consist of two gallery exhibitions I have done at my University's art gallery as well as personal accomplishments by overcoming adversity and traumatic life events. My gallery exhibitions consisted of a solo retrospective show and a group show that exhibited my fine furniture, film photography, sound art, and multimedia sculptures. I have also overcome 4 brain surgeries and relearning how to walk and move the left side of my body over several years after suffering a massive AVM rupture that left me paralyzed on my left side. These surgeries also affected my vision, which was already impaired since the age of 8 when a parasite ate out the retina in my left eye causing total blindness in that eye. Specifically, the surgeries caused a visual field cut in my right eye (the only one I see out of) that cut my peripheral vision in half, leaving me with only slightly worse central vision and my right peripheral field. Because of this, I am unable to drive and do many things normal people can. On top of this I have overcome many other near death experiences related to car and bike accidents as well as family and interpersonal trauma which I will not discuss here. These events I have survived and overcome redefined who I am and helped shape me into a better person than I was before, giving me a new and clear purpose in life that I have begun to fulfill through education. My educational accomplishments consist of 4 AA degrees, an AS degree, IGETC certification, LEED green associate certification, 2 bachelor degrees from UCSB. Now I'm off to USC for an M.Arch. I have also been on the president's and Dean's honors list for several years, receiving the President's honor award. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in architecture and environmental science while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As a disabled Latino from an immigrant family, I emphasize accessibility and cultural heritage in design as equally as sustainability. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do. Being financially independent from my parents for over 3 years, I make ends meet with my SSI disability benefits, EBT for groceries, and under the table jobs to cover additional expenses. This barely allows me to cover living expenses and now I will most likely be even more financially burdened with loan payments unless I am able to gather external funding such as this scholarship. Receiving this award would help me get one step closer to achieving my goals by helping pay for the high price of tuition at the prestigious University of Southern California, ultimately allowing me to continue my education and further develop my skills on my creative career path. I deserve this scholarship not only for my academic achievements or prospects, but also because of the adverse and traumatic life events I have experienced and overcome which shaped me into a unique individual with a clear purpose to help positively impact my community and the world.
      WCEJ Thornton Foundation Low-Income Scholarship
      Most of my accomplishments are educational, although the ones I am most proud of are not. These accomplishments consist of two gallery exhibitions I have done at my University's art gallery as well as personal accomplishments by overcoming adversity and traumatic life events. My gallery exhibitions consisted of a solo retrospective show and a group show that exhibited my fine furniture, film photography, sound art, and multimedia sculptures. I have also overcome 4 brain surgeries and relearning how to walk and move the left side of my body over several years after suffering a massive AVM rupture that left me paralyzed on my left side. These surgeries also affected my vision, which was already impaired since the age of 8 when a parasite ate out the retina in my left eye causing total blindness in that eye. Specifically, the surgeries caused a visual field cut in my right eye (the only one I see out of) that cut my peripheral vision in half, leaving me with only slightly worse central vision and my right peripheral field. Because of this, I am unable to drive and do many things normal people can. On top of this I have overcome many other near death experiences related to car and bike accidents as well as family and interpersonal trauma which I will not discuss here. These tragic and life-altering events I have survived and overcome redefined who I am and helped shape me into a better person than I was before. They taught me so many things, but especially about the brevity and delicate preciousness of life that can be taken in the matter of a split second and our duty to spread love and serve others while we are here. As for educational accomplishments, I have attained 4 AA degrees, an AS degree, IGETC certification, LEED green associate certification, and 2 bachelor degrees from UCSB. Now I'm off to USC for an M.Arch. I have also been on the president's and Dean's honors list for several years, receiving the President's honor award. Sustainability is a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. As a disabled Latino from an immigrant family, I also emphasize accessibility and cultural heritage in design. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do. This scholarship would help get me one step closer to achieving this by helping pay for the high price of tuition, allowing me to further develop my knowledge/skills on my creative career path. I deserve this scholarship not only for my academic achievements or prospects, but also because of the adverse and traumatic life events I have experienced and overcome which shaped me into a unique individual with a clear purpose to help positively impact my community and the world. I have fought everyday for several years just to be able to do normal, daily tasks and be an independent adult in spite of the several challenges I have faced and continue to face on a daily basis. I see my educational merit and accomplishments as tiny, but necessary mere steps that amount to little personally compared to the many near death experiences I have overcome that reshapes your entire being and the way you live your life. To me, it is more important what you do with your education once you have acquired this new knowledge and skill set in order to serve other people. In this way, I feel that I deserve this scholarship due to my clear focus on my purpose, my undeterred ambition to achieve it, and my unique outlook and strengths shaped by adverse experiences.
      WCEJ Thornton Foundation Music & Art Scholarship
      Winner
      Currently, I design and build fine concept furniture at my university's woodshop which I have been doing for exactly a year now. Before this I have been perfecting my woodworking skills by working under a master carpenter helping him build furniture for his clients and taking classes at community college. In total I have been designing furniture for over 3 years now and am just starting to bring my designs to life through skilled craftsmanship. Besides this, my artistic focus has been saturated by film photography and photographic design, which I have been honing my skills in for over 5 years. The intensive, and creative process of developing film and making prints in a darkroom has always intrigued me, being such a surreal, meditative process which you control the final design and outcome of. I have also dabbled in graphic design, but am now just starting my creative pursuit in architectural design which I have begun by practicing and learning 3D modeling and CAD software. Sustainability is a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on. I prioritize sustainability by using only salvaged or sustainably forested wood in my furniture projects and develop my film with coffee and other natural substances instead of using harsh and toxic chemicals. I am also a recently certified LEED Green Associate and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. As a disabled Latino from an immigrant family, I also emphasize accessibility and cultural heritage in design. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do. This scholarship would help get me one step closer to achieving this by helping pay for the high price of tuition, allowing me to further develop my knowledge/skills on my creative career path.
      FLIK Hospitality Group’s Entrepreneurial Council Scholarship
      Design has always played a big part of my life since childhood, where I would draw endlessly and paint intricate patterns on found objects like rocks. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in design while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As an artist and creative, I am passionate about design because I know it has the ability to change and positively impact people's lives for the better while triumphing artistic expression and creativity, which are the defining characteristics of my identity and make me who I am. Art and design have no doubt shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me so much about the important things in life while affording me the privilege to inspire others and help bring about a positive change in my community. Sustainability is a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on. I prioritize sustainability by using only salvaged or sustainably forested wood in my furniture projects and develop my film with coffee and other natural substances instead of using harsh and toxic chemicals. I am also a recently certified LEED Green Associate and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. As a disabled Latino from an immigrant family, I also emphasize accessibility and cultural heritage in design. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do. This scholarship would help get me one step closer to achieving this by helping pay for the high price of tuition at the prestigious University of Southern California, ultimately allowing me to attend this school and further develop my skills on my creative career path. I deserve this scholarship not only for my academic achievements or prospects, but also because of the adverse and traumatic life events I have experienced and overcome which shaped me into a unique individual with a clear purpose to help positively impact my community and the world. I have fought everyday for several years just to be able to do normal, daily tasks and be an independent adult in spite of the several challenges I have faced and continue to face on a daily basis. I see my educational merit and accomplishments as tiny, but necessary mere steps that amount to little personally compared to the many near death experiences I have overcome that reshapes your entire being and the way you live your life. To me, it is more important what you do with your education once you have acquired this new knowledge and skill set in order to serve other people. In this way, I feel that I deserve this scholarship due to my clear focus on my purpose, my undeterred ambition to achieve it, and my unique outlook and strengths shaped by adverse experiences.
      SigaLa Education Scholarship
      Design has always played a big part of my life since childhood, where I would draw endlessly and paint intricate patterns on found objects like rocks. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in design while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As an artist and creative, I am passionate about design because I know it has the ability to change and positively impact people's lives for the better while triumphing artistic expression and creativity, which are the defining characteristics of my identity and make me who I am. Art and design have no doubt shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me so much about the important things in life while affording me the privilege to inspire others and help bring about a positive change in my community. Sustainability is also a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on. I prioritize sustainability by using only salvaged or sustainably forested wood in my furniture projects and develop my film with coffee and other natural substances instead of using harsh and toxic chemicals. I am also a recently certified LEED Green Associate and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. As a disabled Latino from an immigrant family, I also place great emphasis on accessibility and functionality in design. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do. This scholarship would help get me one step closer to achieving this by helping pay for the high price of tuition at the prestigious University of Southern California, ultimately allowing me to attend this school and further develop my skills on my creative career path. I deserve this scholarship not only for my academic achievements or prospects, but also because of the adverse and traumatic life events I have experienced and overcome which shaped me into a unique individual with a clear purpose to help positively impact my community and the world. I have fought everyday for several years just to be able to do normal, daily tasks and be an independent adult in spite of the several challenges I have faced and continue to face on a daily basis. I see my educational merit and accomplishments as tiny, but necessary mere steps that amount to little personally compared to the many near death experiences I have overcome that reshapes your entire being and the way you live your life. To me, it is more important what you do with your education once you have acquired this new knowledge and skill set in order to serve other people. In this way, I feel that I deserve this scholarship due to my clear focus on my purpose, my undeterred ambition to achieve it, and my unique outlook and strengths shaped by adverse experiences.
      Emma Jane Hastie Scholarship
      Design has always played a big part of my life since childhood, where I would draw endlessly and paint intricate patterns on found objects like rocks. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in design while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As an artist and creative, I am passionate about design because I know it has the ability to change and positively impact people's lives for the better while triumphing artistic expression and creativity, which are the defining characteristics of my identity and make me who I am. Art and design have no doubt shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me so much about the important things in life while affording me the privilege to inspire others and help bring about a positive change in my community. One way I have done this is through my service at church and local elementary school, where I volunteered as an art teacher, teaching students and children how to design and paint simple things that spread a bigger positive message. This experience is one of many that taught me the importance of serving others and the power of art and visual culture on our communities and world at large. Most of my accomplishments are educational, although the ones I am most proud of are not. These accomplishments consist of two gallery exhibitions I have done at my University's art gallery as well as personal accomplishments by overcoming adversity and traumatic life events. My gallery exhibitions consisted of a solo retrospective show and a group show that exhibited my fine furniture, film photography, sound art, and multimedia sculptures. I have also overcome 4 brain surgeries and relearning how to walk and move the left side of my body over several years after suffering a nearly fatal AVM rupture that left me paralyzed on my left side. These surgeries also affected my vision, which was already impaired since the age of 8 when a parasite ate out the retina in my left eye causing total blindness in that eye. Because of these events, I am unable to drive and do many things normal people can. On top of this I have overcome many other near death experiences related to car and bike accidents as well as family and interpersonal trauma which I will not discuss here. These events I have survived and overcome redefined who I am and helped shape me into a better person than I was before. As for educational accomplishments, I have attained 4 AA degrees, an AS degree, IGETC certification, LEED green associate certification, and I'm about to get 2 bachelor degrees from UCSB! Then I'm off to USC for an M.Arch. I have also been on the president's and Dean's honors list for several years, receiving the President's honor award. I deserve this scholarship not only for my academic achievements or prospects, but also because of the adverse and traumatic life events I have experienced and overcome which shaped me into a unique individual with a clear purpose to help positively impact my community and the world. I view my educational merit and accomplishments as mere steps that amount to little personally compared to the many near death experiences I have overcome that reshapes your entire being and the way you live your life. To me, it is more important what you do with your education once you have acquired this new knowledge in order to serve other people.
      Harry & Mary Sheaffer Scholarship
      Design has always played a big part of my life since childhood, where I would draw endlessly and paint intricate patterns on found objects like rocks. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in design while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As an artist and creative, I am passionate about design because I know it has the ability to change and positively impact people's lives for the better while triumphing artistic expression and creativity, which are the defining characteristics of my identity and make me who I am. Art and design have no doubt shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me so much about the important things in life while affording me the privilege to inspire others and help bring about a positive change in my community. Currently, I design and build fine concept furniture at my university's woodshop which I have been doing for exactly a year now. Before this I have been perfecting my woodworking skills by working under a master carpenter helping him build furniture for his clients and taking classes at community college. In total I have been designing furniture for over 3 years now and am just starting to bring my designs to life through skilled craftsmanship. Besides this, my artistic focus has been saturated by film photography and photographic design, which I have been honing my skills in for over 5 years. The intensive, and creative process of developing film and making prints in a darkroom has always intrigued me, being such a surreal, meditative process which you control the final design and outcome of. I have also dabbled in graphic design, but am now just starting my creative pursuit in architectural design which I have begun by practicing and learning 3D modeling and CAD software. Sustainability is a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on. I prioritize sustainability by using only salvaged or sustainably forested wood in my furniture projects and develop my film with coffee and other natural substances instead of using harsh and toxic chemicals. I am also a recently certified LEED Green Associate and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do. In this way, I will help build a more empathetic and understanding global community. This scholarship would help get me one step closer to achieving this by helping pay for the high price of tuition at the prestigious University of Southern California, ultimately allowing me to attend this school and further develop my skills on my creative career path.
      John Young 'Pursue Your Passion' Scholarship
      Design has always played a big part of my life since childhood, where I would draw endlessly and paint intricate patterns on found objects like rocks. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in design while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As an artist and creative, I am passionate about design because I know it has the ability to change and positively impact people's lives for the better while triumphing artistic expression and creativity, which are the defining characteristics of my identity and make me who I am. Art and design have no doubt shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me so much about the important things in life while affording me the privilege to inspire others and help bring about a positive change in my community. Currently, I design and build fine concept furniture at my university's woodshop which I have been doing for exactly a year now. Before this I have been perfecting my woodworking skills by working under a master carpenter helping him build furniture for his clients and taking classes at community college. In total I have been designing furniture for over 3 years now and am just starting to bring my designs to life through skilled craftsmanship. Besides this, my artistic focus has been saturated by film photography and photographic design, which I have been honing my skills in for over 5 years. The intensive, and creative process of developing film and making prints in a darkroom has always intrigued me, being such a surreal, meditative process which you control the final design and outcome of. I have also dabbled in graphic design, but am now just starting my creative pursuit in architectural design which I have begun by practicing and learning 3D modeling and CAD software. Sustainability is a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on. I prioritize sustainability by using only salvaged or sustainably forested wood in my furniture projects and develop my film with coffee and other natural substances instead of using harsh and toxic chemicals. I am also a recently certified LEED Green Associate and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do.
      KIL N.Y.C. Scholarship for the Jewelry Arts
      Design has always played a big part of my life since childhood, where I would draw endlessly and paint intricate patterns on found objects like rocks. As I've grown older, I've developed my passion and interest in design while becoming increasingly more aware of the impact it has on our lives. As an artist and creative, I am passionate about design because I know it has the ability to change and positively impact people's lives for the better while triumphing artistic expression and creativity, which are the defining characteristics of my identity and make me who I am. Art and design have no doubt shaped me into the person I am today and has taught me so much about the important things in life while affording me the privilege to inspire others and help bring about a positive change in my community. Currently, I design and build fine concept furniture at my university's woodshop which I have been doing for exactly a year now. Before this I have been perfecting my woodworking skills by working under a master carpenter helping him build furniture for his clients and taking classes at community college. In total I have been designing furniture for over 3 years now and am just starting to bring my designs to life through skilled craftsmanship. Besides this, my artistic focus has been saturated by film photography and photographic design, which I have been honing my skills in for over 5 years. The intensive, and creative process of developing film and making prints in a darkroom has always intrigued me, being such a surreal, meditative process which you control the final design and outcome of. I have also dabbled in graphic design, but am now just starting my creative pursuit in architectural design which I have begun by practicing and learning 3D modeling and CAD software. Sustainability is a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on. I prioritize sustainability by using only salvaged or sustainably forested wood in my furniture projects and develop my film with coffee and other natural substances instead of using harsh and toxic chemicals. I am also a recently certified LEED Green Associate and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do.
      Ultrafabrics Inc. Scholarship Award
      Currently, I design and build fine concept furniture at my university's woodshop which I have been doing for exactly a year now. Before this I have been perfecting my woodworking skills by working under a master carpenter helping him build furniture for his clients and taking classes at community college. In total I have been designing furniture for over 3 years now and am just starting to bring my designs to life through skilled craftsmanship. Besides this, my artistic focus has been saturated by film photography and photographic design, which I have been honing my skills in for over 5 years. The intensive, and creative process of developing film and making prints in a darkroom has always intrigued me, being such a surreal, meditative process which you control the final design and outcome of. I have also dabbled in graphic design, but am now just starting my creative pursuit in architectural design which I have begun by practicing and learning 3D modeling and CAD software. Sustainability is a big part of my work which I constantly educate myself and focus on. I prioritize sustainability by using only salvaged or sustainably forested wood in my furniture projects and develop my film with coffee and other natural substances instead of using harsh and toxic chemicals. I am also a recently certified LEED Green Associate and if I'm able to gather funding for graduate school, I will earn a certificate in sustainability and focus my architectural practice in sustainability and green building, which I value most. My mission is to positively impact others lives through purpose driven art, design, and architecture. This is what I hope to contribute to my community and the world at large. I don’t simply want to make plans for buildings and recreate what has already been done, but rather incorporate the knowledge and skills I may attain at university into a multidisciplinary, creative career path that produces innovative, environmentally conscious, and once again, meaningful work that may positively impact others lives. To change the world through the art of meaningful design. That is what I aspire to do.