In the summer of 2022, I was hired as an art and graphic design intern for the community garden, Blodgett Urban Garden. I was excited and honored to be selected as a 16-year-old with no prior job experience. However, I knew with enough effort I would succeed in the position; what I didn’t know was how much hardship I would encounter. One day in a meeting, my intern lead asked me if I wanted to spearhead a mural project. And being the ambitious, naive artist I was, all I needed to hear was Mural, and I was in. I accepted the project to gain the title of muralist without considering the mission, purpose, or community for which the mural was intended. I had no idea how to paint a mural, manage a project, or volunteers. So you can imagine that the plan for my project had more holes than you can imagine. And I was made clear on this by my lead, Dr. Kimberly Addams. She told me repeatedly that I would run into too many issues painting a 600-square-foot mural and instructing around 40 volunteers. However, I was too caught up in my own head and ego to listen to her as well as work with other more experienced artists, managers, volunteers, etc. The first day of the mural project was a disaster. I was unorganized, at a loss, and tripping over my own mistakes. Of course, in life, there is always balance, and each day I learned, adjusted, and grew, but I still struggled immensely. Midway through the project and with me having a mental breakdown, Dr. Addams said something that changed my attitude toward the project, my future, and myself. "Destiny, your biggest enemy is yourself". I am the one who didn’t listen to my mentor; I am the one who lost the mission of the non-profit and the purpose of my position. And yes, I risked my job as an intern, but I also risked the opportunity to show the people of the third ward, one of the most low-income areas in Texas, that they have a safe and inclusive place to get fresh fruits and vegetables. But that did not mean it was over. I took a step back and reassessed where my heart was and how much effort and preparation I should put into a project that was never for me but for the community. and On November 6, 2022, I and two others finished a 600-square-foot mural. But the weeks before that included me hiring other artists, a volunteer coordinator, and assistants to start working as a team. As I and others finished up the painting, tons of community members driving past stopped to admire and appreciate the mural and how much of themselves they saw in my design. I am now volunteering at different organizations to help our climate, youth and elders. My favorite part about it is knowing I am working toward a mission to help everyday people. After college, I hope to become a clinical psychologist and be able to provide free mental healthcare to my community. With my past and growing experience, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be able to make real changes for those around me.

Art heals. My mom is the one who taught me how to be creative. In our tiny one-bedroom home, she taught me how to draw a nose, showed me how powerful colors can be, and showed me how beautiful the colors we use to draw our own faces were. And so silently, we agreed to share the sacredness of art and our own purpose for art. To share love. So when she would get off of work, we would spend the evening drawing whatever our hearts wanted to show each other how our love for each other inspired our art. My mother's sacrifice to make sure I would have a good education, to choose having a safe home over a nuclear one, to truly understand how I had to be loved uniquely, and most importantly, to show me that I am beautiful and I could do anything I put my mind to. There was a time when I stopped creating art, but the spark reappeared. In 2020, my mom became disabled. Someone who was lively, cheerful, positive, and creative was no longer there; there was no space for art; her disease took up our entire home. I now had to take on most of the responsibilities she carried as a single mom. Cook, clean, bathe her, bathe me, wake myself up for school, create a new way to survive, create a world without my old mom, and create a world without art. Art was no longer a way of showing love but a reminder of what I lost. However, one day I read a book called "Trayvon Generation" about the use of art by black youth to channel their pain in times of oppression. I was most moved by the book's explanation of how art affects the morale of the people. It reminded me of what I and my mother did with art all those nights. We boosted our morale by drawing people who looked like us doing the things we believed we could do. And I realized that if I could utilize art as a weapon to combat my mental health, I could boost my morale in my situation. And an even more radical thought: I could use art as a therapy tool to help improve the mental health of the youth in my community. This thought has shaped my purpose as a person to become a psychologist and understand the relationship between art and behavioral science. Using the therapeutic, healing, and thought-provoking aspects of art to fulfill my vision of a better future for homes with single mothers. I am so thankful for the power of art. I am especially thankful for the strength of my mother, a single mom, to support my dreams. To have the patience to guide me in my creativity and healing. To show me that her love, just like God's is a form of art in itself.

1. How has your financial situation affected your education? My financial situation has affected my education by preventing me from receiving recourses needed for my success such as textbooks, a computer, and money for attending career advancement events. I currently work as a tutor to support not only myself but my mother. As a youth caretaker, it is challenging to try to pay for for degree and essentials for me and my mom. The stress and time that my financial situation exerts has resulted in stress and tension that results in a difficult state for me to learn in. 2. How will a scholarship lead you to achieving your dream? The Veerakasturi and Venkateswarlu Ganapaneni Memorial Scholarship would give me the financial support I need in order to begin to create a more stress-free education. I would be able to cut back on hours for the following semester and pay off the financial balance that I owe. If given the opportunity to receive the scholarship I will be able to focus more on my studies and engaging in activities aligned with my career. I will able to become closer to receiving my degree all while allowing me to have more time to volunteer, apply to internships, read, and take care of my mom. 3. How will that dream have a positive effect on society? The flexibility that this scholarship will provide to me will allow me to dedicate more time to volunteering with my local community in the school club I started, Unite and Inspire. Here I will be able to create more programs that will focus on fundraising to bring educational resources to younger children and curating library programs to free tutoring to the youth. Through the help of this scholarship would enable me to contribute positively to society by gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to the youth in my Houston community. I am on the track to receiving a psychology degree that will help me become a social worker. As a social worker I hope to help make decisions for children in need of stability to help them create or find an environment that will foster growth and happiness. I will use my background in psychology to address mental health challenges and create spaces for the youth to learn how to manage stress, anxiety, and depression so they to can be able to engage in more community service and their education.

Ever since I was younger, I have always found joy in creating something out of nothing and getting lost in my curiosity. The first time I was able to explore that in the context of community was when I painted a mural for my first volunteer experience at Blodgett Urban Garden. It was in the Greater Third Ward community in Houston, Texas, that I was able to witness how art could bring pure bliss and joy to the hearts of others. Right outside Texas Southern University, I was able to not only create art but also materialize my dreams and aspirations for the future of my education. As a 17-year-old high school student, I had no idea the impact the Third Ward community would have on me as I served them. For a month, I was touched by every single college student, elder, planter, mother, and child that I encountered and marveled at the artwork. After the experience I found myself looking for a career where I could serve my Houston community, one centered around art and increasing others' peace, love, joy, and curiosity. As a Black woman, I see many in my community hold stigmas towards therapy, but I also see them immersed in the healing abilities of art. From music, visual arts, culinary arts, video games, dancing, etc., Black people from the past and present have used art as a way to express, channel, and understand their emotions. I hope to learn the scientific measurements and biological background of art to form myself into an art psychologist. Now attending college, I plan to receive a Bachelor's, later a Master's, of Science in Psychology and minor in art, on the track to become an art therapist. I hope to offer art therapy to BIPOC communities to improve their mental health. Receiving a degree will allow me to work as a licensed therapist in practices that lack Black therapists and can help provide underrepresented people of color mental health services in a way that will make them feel safe. I have continued to balance my life, holding true that volunteering grounds me. The volunteering spirit has followed me as I performed climate policy research, created graphic designs for children's educational podcasts, did advocacy work for victims of domestic abuse, made genuine connections with community elders, event planned non-profit events, and worked at my school's food pantry. And I will not stop; I will continue to give back to my community as they have given to me. In the meantime, I am currently creating artwork shops at libraries, fostering the artistic minds of children, and creating my own art as a way to help boost the morale of those who look like me and may suffer from similar mental experiences. I hope to continue my volunteer spirit and provide a space to foster more love, peace, curiosity, and joy.

Ever since I was younger, I have always found joy in creating something out of nothing and getting lost in my curiosity. The first time I was able to explore that in the context of community was when I painted a mural for my first internship at Blodgett Urban Garden. It was in the Greater Third Ward community in Houston, Texas, that I was able to witness how art could bring pure bliss and joy to the hearts of others. Right outside Texas Southern University, I was able to not only create art but also materialize my dreams and aspirations for the future of my education. As a 17-year-old high school student, I had no idea the impact the Third Ward community would have on me as I served them. For a month, I was touched by every single college student, elder, planter, mother, and child that I encountered and marveled at the artwork. After the experience I found myself looking for a career where I could serve my Houston community, one centered around art and increasing others' peace, love, joy, and curiosity. As a Black woman, I see many in my community hold stigmas towards therapy, but I also see them immersed in the healing abilities of art. From music, visual arts, culinary arts, video games, dancing, etc., Black people from the past and present have used art as a way to express, channel, and understand their emotions. I hope to learn the scientific measurements and biological background of art to form myself into an art psychologist. Now attending college, I plan to receive a Bachelor's, later a Master's, of Science in Psychology and minor in art, on the track to become an art therapist. I hope to offer art therapy to BIPOC communities to improve their mental health. Receiving a degree will allow me to work as a licensed therapist in practices that lack Black therapists and can help provide underrepresented people of color mental health services in a way that will make them feel safe. In the meantime, I am currently creating artwork shops at libraries, fostering the artistic minds of children, and creating my own art as a way to help boost the morale of those who look like me and may suffer from similar mental experiences. I hope to continue my volunteer spirit and provide a space to foster more love, peace, curiosity, and joy.

Art heals. My mom is the one who taught me how to be creative. In our tiny one-bedroom home, she taught me how to draw a nose, showed me how powerful colors can be, and showed me how beautiful the colors we use to draw our own faces were. And so silently, we agreed to share the sacredness of art and our own purpose for art. To share love. So when she would get off of work, we would spend the evening drawing whatever our hearts wanted to show each other how our love for each other inspired our art. My mother's sacrifice to make sure I would have a good education, to choose having a safe home over a nuclear one, to truly understand how I had to be loved uniquely, and most importantly, to show me that I am beautiful and I could do anything I put my mind to. There was a time when I stopped creating art, but the spark reappeared. In 2020, my mom became disabled. Someone who was lively, cheerful, positive, and creative was no longer there; there was no space for art; her disease took up our entire home. I now had to take on most of the responsibilities she carried as a single mom. Cook, clean, bathe her, bathe me, wake myself up for school, create a new way to survive, create a world without my old mom, and create a world without art. Art was no longer a way of showing love but a reminder of what I lost. However, one day I read a book called "Trayvon Generation" about the use of art by black youth to channel their pain in times of oppression. I was most moved by the book's explanation of how art affects the morale of the people. It reminded me of what I and my mother did with art all those nights. We boosted our morale by drawing people who looked like us doing the things we believed we could do. And I realized that if I could utilize art as a weapon to combat my mental health, I could boost my morale in my situation. And an even more radical thought: psychologists, the government, educators, etc. could utilize art in public policy to boost the morale of everyone and change our future. This thought has shaped my purpose as an artist and future art therapist. In my portraiture I create subjects through the view of contemporary discourse, the future, and expression. I find healing in the ability to represent my imagination and create something beautiful. Analyzing the standards of beauty by creating what is reality and not what we wish to see. My choice of bold chromatic colors in my style is an approach to life. Boldly and joyously the colors of my pieces are all unique, but come together as one harmonious creation representing the intricate and beautiful parts of us as humans. My art is a dedication of uniquely bold mixed media work to fulfill the hearts of those who embrace joy, curiosity, love and peace. I am so thankful for the power of art. I am especially thankful for the strength of my mother, a single mom, to support my dreams. To have the patience to guide me in my creativity and healing. To show me that her love is a form of art in itself.

When creating a self-portrait in the past I have found resistance in my ability to recreate myself in reality rather than in delusion. Today there is an increased amount of people who suffer from body dysmorphia and self-consciousness. For women, people of color, and the disabled, the societal standards on what is conventional and beautiful play a big part in the misconstrued views of ourselves. Research done by Leslie A. Becerra, Self-Portraits: Literal Self-Portraits, Mandals, and Free Drawing too Reduce Stress, sought to address this when she discovered the relationship between the emotional impact of art and creating a self-portrait generally reduced anxiety. Before testing this method out for myself I drew inspiration from Harmonia Rosales, an artist with classical and baroque inspired work that takes exclusively white depictions of soft, feminine, and beautiful women and depicts them as black. The question I wished to reveal with the creation of my art piece is how drawing a self-portrait could be an act of rebellion and liberation from beauty standards. I used the results found from both the research study and Harmonia Rosales to create a self-portrait titled “The Destiny of Madonna”. The famous depiction of Madonna, the beautiful, feminine, soft and motherly woman who nurtures her child is generally white. However In my piece she looks like me, the opposite of the original figure. I am a draped figure mimicking the Madonna Figure and holding a shimmering flower to represent my innocence as a teenager. The completion of the piece revealed the previous struggle I faced with recreating something that actually looked like me instead of what I wanted it to look like. In the end, I gained acceptance for what I looked like and felt empowered and liberated from the constraints of beauty standards. I am uniquely beautiful. And I am art just like every other individual. In my portraiture I create subjects through the view of contemporary discourse, the future, and expression. I find healing in the ability to represent my imagination and create something beautiful. Analyzing the standards of beauty by creating what is reality and not what we wish to see. My choice of bold chromatic colors in my style is an approach to life. Boldly and joyously the colors of my pieces are all unique, but come together as one harmonious creation representing the intricate and beautiful parts of us as humans. My art is a dedication of uniquely bold mixed media work to fulfill the hearts of those who embrace joy, curiosity, love and peace.

Art heals. My mom is the one who taught me how to be creative. In our tiny one-bedroom home, she taught me how to draw a nose, showed me how powerful colors can be, and showed me how beautiful the colors we use to draw our own faces were. And so silently, we agreed to share the sacredness of art and our own purpose for art. To share love. So when she would get off of work, we would spend the evening drawing whatever our hearts wanted to show each other how our love for each other inspired our art. My mother's sacrifice to make sure I would have a good education, to choose having a safe home over a nuclear one, to truly understand how I had to be loved uniquely, and most importantly, to show me that I am beautiful and I could do anything I put my mind to. There was a time when I stopped creating art, but the spark reappeared. In 2020, my mom became disabled. Someone who was lively, cheerful, positive, and creative was no longer there; there was no space for art; her disease took up our entire home. I now had to take on most of the responsibilities she carried as a single mom. Cook, clean, bathe her, bathe me, wake myself up for school, create a new way to survive, create a world without my old mom, and create a world without art. Art was no longer a way of showing love but a reminder of what I lost. However, one day I read a book called "Trayvon Generation" about the use of art by black youth to channel their pain in times of oppression. I was most moved by the book's explanation of how art affects the morale of the people. And I realized that if I could utilize art as a weapon to combat my mental health, I could boost my morale in my situation. This thought has shaped my purpose as an artist. In my portraiture I create subjects through the view of contemporary discourse, the future, and expression. I find healing in the ability to represent my imagination and create something beautiful. Analyzing the standards of beauty by creating what is reality and not what we wish to see. My choice of bold chromatic colors in my style is an approach to life. Boldly and joyously the colors of my pieces are all unique, but come together as one harmonious creation representing the intricate and beautiful parts of us as humans. My art is a dedication of uniquely bold mixed media work to fulfill the hearts of those who embrace joy, curiosity, love and peace. I am so thankful for the power of art. I am especially thankful for the strength of my mother, a single mom, to support my dreams. To have the patience to guide me in my creativity and healing. To show me that her love is a form of art in itself.

Art heals My mom’s love taught me how to be creative. In our tiny one-bedroom home, she taught me how to draw a nose and showed me how beautiful the colors we use to draw our own faces were. And so silently, we agreed to share the sacredness of art and our own purpose for art. To share love. When she would get off of work, we would spend the evening drawing whatever our hearts wanted to show each other. My mother's sacrifice to make sure I would have a good education, to choose having a safe home over a nuclear one, to truly understand how I had to be loved uniquely, and most importantly, to show me that I am beautiful and I could do anything I put my mind to. It was all channeled into our artwork. One day I read a book called "Trayvon Generation" about the use of art by black youth to channel their pain in times of oppression. I was most moved by the book's explanation of how art affects the morale of the people. It reminded me of what I and my mother did with art all those nights. We boosted our morale by drawing people who looked like us doing the things we believed we could do. And I realized that if I could utilize art as a safety net for life , I could bring art to others and do the same. In my portraiture I create subjects through the view of contemporary discourse, the future, and  expression. I find healing in the ability to represent my imagination and create something beautiful. Analyzing  the standards of beauty by creating what is reality and not what we wish to see. My choice of bold chromatic colors in my style is an approach to life. Boldly and joyously the colors of my pieces are all unique, but come together as one harmonious creation representing the intricate and beautiful parts of us as humans. My art is a dedication of uniquely bold mixed media work to fulfill the hearts of those who embrace joy, curiosity, love and peace.  I am so thankful for the power of art. I am especially thankful for the strength of my mother, a single mom, to support my dreams. To have the patience to guide me in my creativity and healing. To show me that love is a form of art in itself.

I think that research and governmental policy are where I belong in the struggle for mental health. Being a research psychologist and collaborating with lawmakers to identify and develop the most effective public policies for regional communities, I think I can affect change. As a college student, I founded the spring branch chapter of Unite and Inspire at Houston Community College. I and the other six officials will develop programs here that benefit the people of Houston. I am particularly excited to begin a lobbying project that will teach students on campus how to contact local representatives and ask them to support legislation that would enhance mental health in our communities. The Lower Healthcare Act and the Mental Health Services for Students Act are two bills that we would educate them on and show them how they can see them come to fruition. Additionally, many of my peers are not educated on policy issues that involve mental healthcare. We must provide 18-year-olds with the tools they require to acquire palatable knowledge about public officials who support and oppose mental health programs. The best thing about the club's officers is that we all have different majors and backgrounds, allowing us to apply our personal experiences to various groups in Houston's many diverse neighborhoods. Additionally, I would like to highlight initiatives that aim to teach students about mental health, including how to control their emotions, how to obtain insurance for therapy, which kind of therapy could be most beneficial for them, and when they should know to seek out a mental healthcare professional. Aside from my contributions to Unite and Inspire. I want to conduct qualitative undergrad research on the effects of art at universities. This study will look at how unrepresentative art affects the mental health and academic performance of individuals of color. To determine whether the lack of representational art in these schools correlates to BIPOC students' academic performance or general mental health; I will examine the artwork, architecture, and portraiture in primarily white universities. After conducting my study, I hope that my research paper will be accessible to the general public, and I will work to get it read by the students at my local community college rather than just being published in a journal. I hope that they can ponder on the findings and see how art can influence how we see ourselves. Most importantly, they realize when the type of art they consume is affecting their mental health and when art can also be used to heal it and improve their mental health.

If I could get everyone in the world to read just one book it would be ‘The Science of Getting Rich’. This is because it has changed the way I view money and wealth. Is the book that teaches the healthiest relationship between work and the pursuit of money. No other book describes the true nature between the two despite. It also has taught me that getting not just money but the value of life, comes from the value you provide to the mass. I want to become a researcher and provide information to the common people. The science of getting rich says that because I want to be of value to our society and because I will give more than I take I will gain true value and happiness from life. I also would say that the book is straight to the point so those who don’t want to read a long book with fluff don’t have to. The science of of getting rich has very actionable directions. It is not just a motivational book that makes you feel good, you can actually do what the book tells you to do. You will absolutely change your life if you follow the directions of this book. I have used the advice that the author of this book has offered and I am now on a more clear path and I can view money as a tool I can utilize and not something I have to struggle to get and survive.

After college and university, I see myself in research and public policy, then as a professor after grad school. Specifically, I want to one, do research on the therapeutic nature of art and how we can use it to practically integrate it into our classrooms, jobs, families, relationships, etc. in the community, Two, perform research studies on our society and for it to be used for policymaking on a national level in America. To be able to provide communities all over the world with the tools needed to live truly free—mentally, emotionally, and physically. I want to use my passion for learning and understanding humans and how we interact with each other to improve the lives of people. My very first job at 16 was an internship for Blodgett Urban Garden, a community garden in Houston's Third Ward community. I planned non-profit events, managed volunteers, and even painted a 600-square-foot mural. My desire to give back to the community grew in this setting. I got to interact with women of all different nationalities, from 5 to 60 years old. I learned that using my skills in art, communication, and research could help women live more happy lives. On a local level, no matter how small I thought what I was doing was, it was huge. Later, I got another internship with the non-profit organization, Arts for Change. It was here that I created a lobbying project for students to voice how they felt about their current and future environment to their local representatives. This project taught me a lot about public policy and showed me that the real way to make change is through changing our public policies. I currently use my lobbying project as a template for other schools, and I will soon be using it on my classmates at Houston Community College. Here, I will give other female students the training they need to lobby and make their voices heard in their local government. In addition, I am currently researching the possibility of healthy living for women to create solutions to any problems that may arise. At Houston Community College, I am now launching a club that is associated with the organization, Unite and Inspire. To give my peers and other women, the chance to get practical experience in their field and give back to their community. We will conduct a lot of community service in this club using our skills from our majors—nursing, psychology, computer engineering, music, art, etc. I also hope that with my colleagues, we will conduct research on our neighborhood to better understand its problems and develop projects to address them. It is through all these contributions to my community that I now know my place in advocating for the fruition of women’s freedom. In the short term, the Barbara J. DeVaney Memorial Scholarship Fund would be funding the cost of future projects from the community volunteer club I created at Houston Community College. This would launch projects that will help disabled women, minority women, and homeless women in need. In the long term, the Barbara J. DeVaney Memorial Scholarship Fund would be sponsoring the work of someone who will one day change more lives than anyone in history. I will use the money to fund the next four years of my college tuition and books to continue changing the world through research and changing important systems in our society.

After college, I will reside in research and public policy, then as a professor after grad school. Specifically, I want to one, do research on the therapeutic nature of art and how we can use it to practically integrate it into our classrooms, jobs, families, relationships, etc. in the community, Two, perform research studies on our society and for it to be used for policymaking on a national level in America. To be able to provide communities all over the world with the tools needed to live truly free—mentally, emotionally, and physically. I want to use my passion for learning and understanding humans and how we interact with each other to improve the lives of people. My very first job at 16 was an internship for Blodgett Urban Garden, a community garden in Houston's Third Ward community. my tasks were to complete, such as event planning, volunteer management, gardening, and even painting a 600-square-foot mural. My desire to give back to the community grew in this setting. I got to interact with community members of all different nationalities, from 5 to 60 years old. I learned that using my skills in art, communication, and research could help those who struggled. On a local level, no matter how small I thought what I was doing was, it was huge. Later, I got another internship with Non-Profit Arts for Change. It was here that I created a lobbying project for students to voice how they felt about their current and future environment to their local representatives. This project taught me a lot about public policy and showed me that the real way to make change is through changing our public policies. I currently use my lobbying project as a template for other schools, and I will soon be using it on my classmates at Houston Community College. Here, I will give other minority students the training they need to lobby and make their voices heard. In addition, I am currently researching the possibility of healthy living for communities of color to create solutions to any problems that may arise. At Houston Community College, I am now launching a club that is associated with the organization, Unite and Inspire. To my peers and people of color, the chance to get practical experience in their field and give back to their community. We will conduct a lot of community service in this club using our skills from our majors—nursing, psychology, computer engineering, music, etc. I also hope that with my colleagues, we will conduct research on our neighborhood to better understand its problems and develop projects to address them. It is through all these contributions to my community that I am advocating for the fruition of my passion for societal change. To continue the work I wish to do and change my community through research and changing important systems in our society I need to be able to fund my education. The Bright Lights scholarship would be funding my book cost for the next four semesters. The Bright Lights scholarship would be sponsoring the work of someone who will one day change more lives than anyone ever in history.

In the gloom of an epidemic, I searched the internet for volunteer positions in the arts to use my artistic talents, only to discover something even better: an internship. And after a tough interview, I got a much-needed win in the form of being accepted for the internship. My assignment was to produce graphic designs for the website of Blodgett Urban Garden, a community garden in Houston's Third Ward community. That was my job initially, but later on, I was given more difficult tasks to complete, such as event planning, volunteer management, gardening, and even painting a 600-square-foot mural. My desire to give back to the community grew in this setting. I got to interact with community members of all different nationalities, from 5 to 60 years old. I learned that using my skills in art, communication, and research could help those who struggled. On a local level, no matter how small I thought what I was doing was, it was huge. After my internship with Blodgett, I got another internship with Non-Profit Arts for Change. It was here that I created a lobbying project for students to voice how they felt about their current and future environment to their local representatives. This project taught me a lot about public policy and showed me that the real way to make change is through changing our public policies. I currently use my lobbying project as a template for other schools, and I will soon be using it on my classmates at Houston Community College. Here, I will give other minority students the training they need to lobby and make their voices heard. I am also currently researching the possibility of healthy living for communities of color for the same organization. At Houston Community College, I am now launching a club that is associated with the organization, Unite and Inspire. To my peers and people of color, the chance to get practical experience in their field and give back to their community. We will conduct a lot of community service in this club using our skills from our majors—nursing, psychology, computer engineering, music, etc. I also hope that with my colleagues, we will conduct research on our neighborhood to better understand its problems and develop projects to address them. Ultimately, I see myself in research and public policy, then as a proffesor after grad school. Specifically, I want to one, do research on the therapeutic nature of art and how we can use it to practically integrate it into our classrooms, jobs, families, relationships, etc. in the community, Two, perform research studies on our society and for it to be used for policymaking on a national level in America. To be able to provide communities all over the world with the tools needed to live truly free—mentally, emotionally, and physically. No matter how ambitious it sounds I want to continue the work of the Combahee River Collection and free as many as I can from the struggles of oppression. I want to use my passion for learning and understanding humans and how we interact with each other to improve the lives of people.

In the gloom of an epidemic and I searched the internet for volunteer positions in the arts to use my artistic talents, only to discover something even better: an internship. And after a tough interview , I got a much-needed win in the form of being accepted for the internship. My assignment was to produce graphic designs for the website of Blodgett Urban Garden, a community garden in Houston's Third Ward community. That was my job initially, but later on, I was given more difficult tasks to complete, such as event planning, volunteer management, gardening, and even painting a 600 square foot mural. My desire to give back to the community grew in this setting. I got to interact with black people of all different nationalities, from 5 to 60 years old. I learned that using my skills in art, communication, and research could help those who struggled. On a local level, no matter how small I thought what I was doing was, it was huge. After my internship with Blodgett, I got another internship with Non-Profit Arts for Change. It was here that I created a lobbying project for black students to voice how they felt about their current and future environment to their local representatives. This project taught me a lot about public policy and showed me that the real way to make change is through changing our public policies. I currently use my lobbying project as a template for other schools, and I will soon be using it on my classmates at Houston Community College. Here, I will give other black students the training they need to lobby and make their voices heard. I am also currently researching the possibility of healthy living for communities of color for the same organization. At Houston Community College, I am now launching a club that is associated with the organization, Unite and Inspire. To my classmates, black and other people of color, the chance to get practical experience in their field and give back to their community. We will conduct a lot of community service in this club using our skills from our majors—nursing, psychology, computer engineering, music, etc. I also hope that with my colleagues, we will conduct research on our neighborhood to better understand its problems and develop projects to address them. Ultimately, I see myself in research, public policy, and clinical settings after undergrad. Specifically, I want to one, do research on the therapeutic nature of art and how we can use it to practically integrate it into our classrooms, jobs, families, relationships, etc. in the black community, Two, prefrom research studies on our society and for it to be used for policymaking on a national level in America. To be able to provide black communities all over the world with the tools needed to live truly free—mentally, emotionally, and physically. No matter how ambitious it sounds I want to continue the work of the Combahee River Collection and free as many as I can from the struggles of oppression. I want to use my passion for learning and understanding humans and how we interact with each other to improve the lives of my people.

In the summer of 2022, I was hired as an art and graphic design intern for the community garden, Blodgett Urban Garden. I was excited and honored to be selected as a 16-year-old with no prior job experience. However, I knew with enough effort I would succeed in the position; what I didn’t know was how much hardship I would encounter. One day in a meeting, my intern lead asked me if I wanted to spearhead a mural project. And being the ambitious, naive artist I was, all I needed to hear was Mural, and I was in. I accepted the project to gain the title of muralist without considering the mission, purpose, or community for which the mural was intended. I had no idea how to paint a mural, manage a project, or volunteers. So you can imagine that the plan for my project had more holes than you can imagine. And I was made clear on this by my lead, Dr. Kimberly Addams. She told me repeatedly that I would run into too many issues painting a 600-square-foot mural and instructing around 40 volunteers. However, I was too caught up in my own head and ego to listen to her as well as work with other more experienced artists, managers, volunteers, etc. The first day of the mural project was a disaster. I was unorganized, at a loss, and tripping over my own mistakes. Of course, in life, there is always balance, and each day I learned, adjusted, and grew, but I still struggled immensely. Midway through the project and with me having a mental breakdown, Dr. Addams said something that changed my attitude toward the project, my future, and myself. "Destiny, your biggest enemy is yourself". I am the one who didn’t listen to my mentor; I am the one who lost the mission of the non-profit and the purpose of my position. And yes, I risked my job as an intern, but I also risked the opportunity to show the people of the third ward, one of the most low-income areas in Texas, that they have a safe and inclusive place to get fresh fruits and vegetables. But that did not mean it was over. I took a step back and reassessed where my heart was and how much effort and preparation I should put into a project that was never for me but for the community. and On November 6, 2022, I and two others finished a 600-square-foot mural. But the weeks before that included me hiring other artists, a volunteer coordinator, and assistants to start working as a team. As I and others finished up the painting, tons of community members driving past stopped to admire and appreciate the mural and how much of themselves they saw in my design. I am now volunteering at different organizations to help our climate, youth and elders. My favorite part about it is knowing I am working toward a mission to help everyday people. After college, I hope to become a clinical psychologist and be able to provide free mental healthcare to my community. With my past and growing experience, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be able to make real changes for those around me.

My mom is the one who taught me how to be creative. In our tiny one-bedroom home, she taught me how to draw a nose, showed me how powerful colors can be, and showed me how beautiful the colors we use to draw our own faces were. And so silently, we agreed to share the sacredness of art and our own purpose for art. To share love. One day I read a book called "Trayvon Generation" about the use of art by black youth to channel their pain in times of oppression. I was most moved by the book's explanation of how art affects the morale of the people. It reminded me of what I and my mother did with art all those nights. We boosted our morale by drawing people who looked like us doing the things we believed we could do. And I realized that if I could utilize art as a weapon to combat my mental health, I could boost my morale in my situation. And an even more radical thought: psychologists, the government, educators, etc. could utilize art in public policy to boost the morale of everyone and change our future.  This thought has shaped my purpose as an artist. To become an artist, professor of the arts, and researcher of the relationship between art and behavioral science. Using the therapeutic, healing, and thought-provoking aspects of art to fulfill my vision of a better future. I am so thankful for the power of art. I am especially thankful for the strength of my mother, a single mom, to support my dreams. To have the patience to guide me in my creativity and healing. To show me that her love is a form of art in itself. And my purpose in life is to share that love through my art.

Art heals.  My mom is the one who taught me how to be creative. In our tiny one-bedroom home, she taught me how to draw a nose, showed me how powerful colors can be, and showed me how beautiful the colors we use to draw our own faces were. And so silently, we agreed to share the sacredness of art and our own purpose for art. To share love. So when she would get off of work, we would spend the evening drawing whatever our hearts wanted to show each other how our love for each other inspired our art. My mother's sacrifice to make sure I would have a good education, to choose having a safe home over a nuclear one, to truly understand how I had to be loved uniquely, and most importantly, to show me that I am beautiful and I could do anything I put my mind to. There was a time when I stopped creating art, but the spark reappeared. In 2020, my mom became disabled. Someone who was lively, cheerful, positive, and creative was no longer there; there was no space for art; her disease took up our entire home. I now had to take on most of the responsibilities she carried as a single mom. Cook, clean, bathe her, bathe me, wake myself up for school, create a new way to survive, create a world without my old mom, and create a world without art. Art was no longer a way of showing love but a reminder of what I lost. However, one day I read a book called "Trayvon Generation" about the use of art by black youth to channel their pain in times of oppression. I was most moved by the book's explanation of how art affects the morale of the people. It reminded me of what I and my mother did with art all those nights. We boosted our morale by drawing people who looked like us doing the things we believed we could do. And I realized that if I could utilize art as a weapon to combat my mental health, I could boost my morale in my situation. And an even more radical thought: psychologists, the government, educators, etc. could utilize art in public policy to boost the morale of everyone and change our future.  This thought has shaped my purpose as an artist. To become an artist, professor of the arts, and researcher of the relationship between art and behavioral science. Using the therapeutic, healing, and thought-provoking aspects of art to fulfill my vision of a better future for homes with single mothers.  I am so thankful for the power of art. I am especially thankful for the strength of my mother, a single mom, to support my dreams. To have the patience to guide me in my creativity and healing. To show me that her love is a form of art in itself.

My aunt Ruby stood out as the only successful and accomplished person in our family. As a wife, mother, and doctor in psychology, she had achieved what seemed impossible. I was particularly drawn to her career as a therapist, which seemed to provide her with financial stability, the freedom to travel, and a luxurious lifestyle. It was my admiration for her success, rather than a genuine interest in the field, that initially sparked my desire to become a therapist. I never knew how hard she had to work to become one of the most in-demand black female psychologists in Texas. Nonetheless, my experiences growing up had given me a strong sense of empathy, stemming from my mother's disability, my queer girlfriends, and my own identity as a woman of color. This empathy became a defining characteristic of my personality and ultimately influenced my decision to pursue a career in social psychology. During my internship at Arts for Change, a climate change organization, I was responsible for creating a lobbying project that helped me learn an important lesson about the correlation between change and public policy. Essentially, to effect positive change, it is necessary to locate the root cause of a problem and then initiate change at the local government level, one step at a time. In fact, during the project, I found that the research aspect was the most gratifying, specifically identifying the concerns of everyday women and discovering that many of these issues are social problems. I aimed to find a solution to these issues and to create a project that would empower officials to affect change. For my project, I decided to create a student lobbying art project that would influence our representatives to make environmental changes. In this way, I hope to help women find the solutions they need and implement new policies, laws, and reparations that will improve their mental, emotional, and social health in the long run. I have a strong desire to see the women in my community healed, not only physically but mentally, emotionally, and socially. I am motivated to achieve this by my vision of women in the future. A world with no table for women to sacrifice everything to be a part of, no patriarchy, no racist laws, no wage gas, and no restrictions on our bodies. This healing process could be achieved through the implementation of effective solutions, new public policies, laws, and reparations. My ultimate dream is to establish public mental healthcare services that can have a significant impact on our women by addressing social issues related to mental health. I will continue my efforts to advocate for public policies while also pursuing my education as a researcher who can work closely with others to design and evaluate policies and programs aimed at improving mental health. Through my work, I aspire to take small yet meaningful steps toward changing the world for the better.

My experiences growing up had given me a strong sense of empathy, stemming from my mother's disability, my LGBTQ friends, my father's immigrant status, and my own identity as a woman of color. This empathy became a defining characteristic of my personality and ultimately influenced my decision to pursue a career in social psychology. My first internship with the non-profit Blodgett Urban Gardens has been the most challenging part of my life by far. I was assigned to spearhead a mural project for a 600 square feet container that would display a painting that represented the third-ward community. I had never had a job before let alone managed a project, led 50 volunteers, or even designed or painted a mural before. So, you can imagine I struggled tremendously. And a large part of it was because I did not listen to my intern lead. There were many times she told me I was unprepared, not organized, and too stubborn and I did not listen to her. I put my own pride before my community and in return made my life 10 times harder and jeopardized my communities needs. It wasn’t until after the mural was complete and I saw the way the community connected to the piece I truly realized that my behavior did not reflect that the mural was not for my gain of fame but so that they felt seen in a city that was trying to push them out and gentrify their neighborhoods. It was at that moment I found my place and purpose in community service. During my second internship at Arts for Change, a climate change organization, I was responsible for creating a lobbying project that helped me learn an important lesson about the correlation between change and public policy. Essentially, to effect positive change, it is necessary to locate the root cause of a problem and then initiate change at the local government level, one step at a time. In fact, during the project, I found that the research aspect was the most gratifying, specifically identifying the concerns of everyday Americans and discovering that many of these issues are social problems. I aimed to find a solution to these issues and to create a project that would empower officials to affect change. For my project, I decided to create a student lobbying art project that would influence our representatives to make environmental changes. In this way, I hope to help people find the solutions they need and implement new policies, laws, and reparations that will improve their mental, emotional, and social health in the long run. I have a strong desire to see my community healed, not only physically but mentally, emotionally, and socially. This healing process could be achieved through the implementation of effective solutions, new public policies, laws, and reparations. My ultimate dream is to establish public mental healthcare services that can have a significant impact on our communities by addressing social issues related to mental health. I will continue my efforts to advocate for public policies while also pursuing my education as a researcher who can work closely with others to design and evaluate policies and programs aimed at improving mental health. Through my work, I aspire to take small yet meaningful steps toward changing the world for the better.

My aunt Ruby stood out as the only successful and accomplished person in our family. As a wife, mother, and doctor in psychology, she had achieved what seemed impossible. I was particularly drawn to her career as a therapist, which seemed to provide her with financial stability, the freedom to travel, and a luxurious lifestyle. It was my admiration for her success, rather than a genuine interest in the field, that initially sparked my desire to become a therapist. Nonetheless, my experiences growing up had given me a strong sense of empathy, stemming from my mother's disability, my LGBTQ friends, my father's immigrant status, and my own identity as a woman of color. This empathy became a defining characteristic of my personality and ultimately influenced my decision to pursue a career in social psychology. During my internship at Arts for Change, a climate change organization, I was responsible for creating a lobbying project that helped me learn an important lesson about the correlation between change and public policy. Essentially, to effect positive change, it is necessary to locate the root cause of a problem and then initiate change at the local government level, one step at a time. In fact, during the project, I found that the research aspect was the most gratifying, specifically identifying the concerns of everyday Americans and discovering that many of these issues are social problems. I aimed to find a solution to these issues and to create a project that would empower officials to affect change. For my project, I decided to create a student lobbying art project that would influence our representatives to make environmental changes. In this way, I hope to help people find the solutions they need and implement new policies, laws, and reparations that will improve their mental, emotional, and social health in the long run. I have a strong desire to see my community healed, not only physically but mentally, emotionally, and socially. This healing process could be achieved through the implementation of effective solutions, new public policies, laws, and reparations. My ultimate dream is to establish public mental healthcare services that can have a significant impact on our communities by addressing social issues related to mental health. I will continue my efforts to advocate for public policies while also pursuing my education as a researcher who can work closely with others to design and evaluate policies and programs aimed at improving mental health. Through my work, I aspire to take small yet meaningful steps toward changing the world for the better.

My name, Destiny, was given to me because “I was Destined to be great one day”. Those who were teenagers in 2020 will recall the red LED lights we turned on at night 20 years from now. The lights we all got lost in while listening to music that were played backwards and slowly, and transported us to our small island. There, we built the most exciting cultures and ideas. We also suffered a great deal from the isolation and forced introspection. I created "The Coming of Destiny," a three-part coming-of-age art portfolio. Each a representation of my overcoming of mental health. Bluest Monday, Image 1 (15 years old). is an 18 by 24 graphite and charcoal drawing that showcases me in the bathroom, strained face, my freedom bird caged and singing loudly, vines wrapped around the room. The artwork presents burnout from an intersectional perspective. I find the healing power of art to be fascinating. I spend all of my tutoring money on art books that teach me how art has and can address mental, social, political, and economic difficulties. In my own essence, I feel that art is a means of salvation. And when I finished, I had a new found interest in researching of ways in which art can be therapeutic for minority groups. And this interest has never stopped, in fact I do not think it ever will. Image 2. Run (age 16). A 17 x 14 mixed media piece that captures a recurring dream of me rushing down a dark street. All of my dreams include me being pursued by something I don't understand, but do not want to face.. I'm not sure why, and I'm not a fan of Sigmund Freud's dream manifestation theory. Dreams are dreams, just dreams. However, but, comma—there was the worry I had every day as I became aware of my aging. I even made progressively fewer efforts to get ready for my future. My grief for my childhood immobilized me. Hello, responsibilities, bills, relationships, adulting, my future as a triple minority. I questioned if we even had a future. Are our public policies set up for us to thrive? I don’t believe so. But, I do think that I can get us there. I believe that my psychological research on the connection bet Destined, age 18. Final image. My face is depicted in this 17 by 14 color pencil sketch as it is facing a light while being surrounded by vibrant flowers. I had to redraw this piece after I believed the original looked crappy, so I did some weird stuff to it and made it look horrendous. Like I do most of the time, I questioned myself because I always feel incompetent. But after trashing my artwork and reversing my progress, I understood that I do this every time I doubt my skills. I must have confidence in myself if I wish to guide and assist others. I must believe that I can achieve greatness or I will never live up to the purpose that sanctioned my name.

My mixed-media artwork titled "Destiny" is a visual representation of my journey to find hope during moments of darkness, with the guiding influence of my ancestors, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that I fulfill my true purpose. When the pandemic first began, I was completely unaware and lost in my own thoughts. My perspective was clouded by concerns about the steady decline in the population and the hostility towards people of my gender and race. It led me to ponder whether people of color and women have a future in such a society. The uncertainty and lack of clarity about what lies ahead troubled me deeply. I became fascinated with the idea of "Afro-futurism," a philosophy that argues for the existence of a distinct and promising future for people of African descent. I realized that my emotions and feelings were not entirely my own, as many minorities throughout history have been made to believe that they have no future and are trapped in oppressive circumstances. This belief has been used as a tool of mental abuse to demoralize and dissuade people from striving toward a better future. The concept of Afro-futurism offers hope and empowerment by rejecting the notion that certain groups of people are inherently limited in their capacity for growth and progress. Instead, it suggests that these individuals and communities have the potential to build a bright and prosperous future for themselves and for future generations. By embracing this philosophy, I gained a sense of agency and control over my own life and destiny. After a couple of weeks, my research on various painters led me to discover Kadir Nelson's artwork. What stood out to me about his work was the consistent feeling of hope and brightness that radiated from every image. It was this sense of optimism that resonated with me, inspiring me to create a self-portrait. As I gazed into the future with my paintbrush in hand, I felt a powerful connection to Kadir's work and his ability to capture a sense of possibility in every stroke of his brush. The flowers in the back are a representation of my ancestors, who are still with me now and are witnessing my development. I was in awe at how I was able to free myself from the mental restraints that this society had imposed on us. The intensity of the colors, with their intensely saturated hues, is a representation of the deep feelings that accompany my new faith. Ironically, my name happens to be Destiny. Although I've never felt particularly connected to the meaning of my name, I now realize how unique it is. My aspiration is to become a social psychologist who researches therapeutic art. Making the world a better place while trying to develop legislation that will better support the community's mental health so that they can envision their futures as well.

My aunt Ruby stood out as the only successful and accomplished person in our family. As a wife, mother, and doctor in psychology, she had achieved what seemed impossible. I was particularly drawn to her career as a therapist, which seemed to provide her with financial stability, the freedom to travel, and a luxurious lifestyle. It was my admiration for her success, rather than a genuine interest in the field, that initially sparked my desire to become a therapist. Nonetheless, my experiences growing up had given me a strong sense of empathy, stemming from my mother's disability, my LGBTQ friends, my father's immigrant status, and my own identity as a woman of color. This empathy became a defining characteristic of my personality and ultimately influenced my decision to pursue a career in social psychology. During my internship at Arts for Change, a climate change organization, I was responsible for creating a lobbying project that helped me learn an important lesson about the correlation between change and public policy. Essentially, to effect positive change, it is necessary to locate the root cause of a problem and then initiate change at the local government level, one step at a time. In fact, during the project, I found that the research aspect was the most gratifying, specifically identifying the concerns of everyday Americans and discovering that many of these issues are social problems. I aimed to find a solution to these issues and to create a project that would empower officials to affect change. For my project, I decided to create a student lobbying art project that would influence our representatives to make environmental changes. In this way, I hope to help people find the solutions they need and implement new policies, laws, and reparations that will improve their mental, emotional, and social health in the long run. I have a strong desire to see my community healed, not only physically but mentally, emotionally, and socially. This healing process could be achieved through the implementation of effective solutions, new public policies, laws, and reparations. My ultimate dream is to establish public mental healthcare services that can have a significant impact on our communities by addressing social issues related to mental health. I will continue my efforts to advocate for public policies while also pursuing my education as a researcher who can work closely with others to design and evaluate policies and programs aimed at improving mental health. Through my work, I aspire to take small yet meaningful steps toward changing the world for the better.

When I was six years old, my rheumatoid arthritis was diagnosed. People would always ask, "Isn't that for old people?" when I said this to them. But I quickly discovered that illness is not ageist and has no regard for passing time. Not when I was 6 and all I wanted was to be able to walk pain-free; not now that my hands are swollen when I wake up; and not for the past four years since my mother was diagnosed with arthritis and I had to take care of her. What impact does my autoimmune condition have on my life? By increasing my medical expenses, limiting my ability to share my passion for cross-country, and placing the burden of caring for my mother on me. In contrast to me, my mother is severely disabled due to arthritis; she is unable to cook, clean, bathe herself, or move without excruciating agony. She is a single mother, and I look after her because I am her only child. I gave up my ideal school, my teenage years, and my opportunities so that I could care for her the way she had cared for me. But this doesn't imply that I've given up on my future. I've taken every step I could to prepare for college: I became a mentor for students in grades K–11, completed community service internships, and ensured my academic achievement. Time is not important to the sickness. Time is not important to the sickness. My autoimmune condition has affected every aspect of my life, including the present and future. But, my disability turned into the driving force behind my purpose when I saw the psychological effects of disability, environmental changes, fatphobia, etc. on people at a local level. It sparked interest in public affairs, advocacy, and developing and locating solutions for the social and emotional advancement of communities. However, the expense of going to college still haunts me as much as the expense of having rheumatoid arthritis. You quickly learn that every dollar counts, and the "More than Conqueror" scholarship from the She Rose program will be utilized to cover one of my first-year classes. Saving me from the monster of debt and having to drop out of school. Rheumatoid arthritis has no known cure. The time and opportunities I have lost to illness are irreversible. And while it may affect my future, RA will never have any control over it. So even though it does not care for time, it is still working on my time.

In 2020, I was 14 years old and ready for the start of my adolescent experience. I was eager to begin engaging in all the activities typical of teenagers. But when my mama became disabled and I had to care for her, all of my hopes and dreams came to an abrupt end. Now that I had to be homeschooled, remain indoors all day, and mature, my life was no longer my own. I do no have any teen memories. It may sound incredibly self-serving and first-world of me to say this, but having to take on the job of a caregiver while seeing my mother's condition decline made me feel like I was dying alongside her. And I was, that aspect of myself—a young child who could simply be. My mother's and my own mental health also suffered as a result. We were miserable; she was depressed in pain, and I was frozen in time. I yearned to completely abandon the circumstance and my life here on earth. It wasn’t until I saw an article by Forbes that I put a name to my situation: child caretaker, and there are millions of us. And I gained a fresh perspective on my predicament when I realized I'm not the only one who wants to harm myself and that there aren't enough options available to help. And so I became determined to fight for the collective that is in high-stress situations and find ways to give us healing. In order to find out how our society and government can best support people who have lost a piece of themselves, I made the decision that I wanted to pursue a career in social psychology research. In the meantime, I have become a tutor and help my pupils with the support they need through therapeutic techniques of educating and supporting them. Even now, having to care for my mother has taken priority over my desire to attend my dream college. But there is still hope for me that I can make it possible for my descendants. I am thankful that I have endured loss, grief, sadness, and suicidal thoughts because now I offer myself to ensure that future black teen girls can go to prom, get a job, and have fun so that they can live and feel alive. They have the option to be whole and follow their ambitions wherever they may lead.

I have serious beef with the year 2020. I want to fight that year more than Hurricane Harvey, and Harvey destroyed my house, so you know it's serious. COVID was terrible and yes the riots gutted me, but, it was also the year my mother became disabled and I became a caregiver at 15. Who knew taking care of someone you love, sacrificing your life would be so isolating, painful, and distracting. You loose yourself in that person and you forget the things that breathed life into you. I will spare you the depressing details of my mom's pain, the life we wanted but couldn't have, my own thoughts, or the crying from us both. I will just say that it sucked, being depressed sucks, not being able to afford anything sucks; being an only child sucks, having one parent sucks. Life sucks and it just keeps on sucking the life out of you until you grapple onto something that severs you from it's hold. "Well what is that something?" My mom introduced me to art when I was six . Her hands would move across the page so gracefully it would make my eyes swell with tears. Her hands are what made me want to make art. March 15, 2020 I picked up a pencil and drew my reflection. And somehow that made me a little bit more alive. It was like a rush of color that ran through my head and I began making art all 2020. Now, all I want to do is make art and help other people heal through art as well. After getting out of my funk last year, I became an intern for a community garden. I aid in spreading awareness for the garden, and creating educational events about healthy eating by using my artistic skills. It is here I am learning how to cater and connect with my community. I have even been given the opportunity to lead my own mural painting project this fall semester. Now it is like I am hungry to volunteer. I also am currently a graphic designer, LGBTQ intergenerational connecter, and studio artist for other non-profit organizations. My plan after graduating high school this spring is to attend a school that will accommodate my financial needs. In order to fulfill my dreams of becoming an art therapist, I will double major in psychology and art. I will also continue my work with Blodgett Urban Gardens and find more ways to help my community. Any and all scholarships I receive will be dedicated to helping me graduate college without debt and stress. I show my mom all my artwork, hoping that she sees her own love in my drawings. That she knows that even though her hands don't work anymore, that mine can be graceful for the both of us. I will be helping people through art until I die and my heart gives out. Until my hands aren't graceful and art can't make me live any longer. PS. 2020, you may be the hub for where I found my true self, but I still dislike you dearly.

It wasn't until 2020 when I was listening to Janelle Monae's Dirty Computer and I was scrolling on Pinterest when I saw what I believed was a Goddess. "Harvest" by Harmonia Rosales displayed a woman with glowing midnight skin and surrounded by a variety of colorful children that clung to her for safety. And that day, that moment, two things happen. One, I started stalking the work of Mrs. Rosales and two, I found part of my artistic purpose. Harmonia is a contemporary artist that takes classical artworks and replaces the subject of the narrative to depict black people as royalty, as beautiful, feminine, and graceful. Her work is much more than a parody, she paints as though she is creating truth, as though the painting was already there just hidden beneath years of white supremacy. And for this, she boosts the morale of thousands of her people. Making us be more than marveled, but beautiful and seen. That, is something I strive to do with every painting. My second favorite artist is actually an author. I read the Trayvon generation by Elizabeth Alexander for what reason I don't know, but what I found completed what I call my artist purpose puzzle. The book gave my second objective to making art, to record. The imprint art makes on history and the human cognition has moved me deeply. So many questions that could be asked in the future sprung into head after reading her book. What was intersectionality like for a teenager in 2020? What did freedom mean to a 16 year old in 2021? What did being a queer black woman in 2022 look like? Well, I am glad you asked, and I am happy to show everyone with my art. In 2022 I have been able to be a graphic design intern at a local community garden, Blodgett urban Garden in Third Ward, Texas. It is here I have been assigned to be a project manager for a mural project as well as a designer of the mural's image. Using my purpose of motivating the community I have created a design that would depict the community of third ward in their very own garden. Attached below is the photo design of the mural.

My mom introduced me to art when I was six . Her hands would move across the page so gracefully and created images that were something to marvel at. My love of art started with my love of her. Then I made it to 6th grade saw people more talented than me and felt like my art was insignificant. Art was no longer about my mama when Susan and Peter were drawing art that was something more marvelous. It wasn't until 2020 when I was listening to Janelle Monae's Dirty Computer and I was scrolling on Pinterest when I saw what I believed was a Goddess. "Harvest" by Harmonia Rosales displayed a woman with glowing midnight skin and surrounded by a variety of colorful children that clung to her for safety. And that day, that moment, two things happen. One, I started stalking the work of Mrs. Rosales and two, I found part of my artistic purpose. Harmonia is a contemporary artist that takes classical artworks and replaces the subject of the narrative to depict black people as royalty, as beautiful, feminine, and graceful. Her work is much more than a parody, she paints as though she is creating truth, as though the painting was already there just hidden beneath years of white supremacy. And for this, she boosts the morale of thousands of her people. Making us be more than marveled, but beautiful and seen. That, is something I strive to do with every painting. I know it says artist as in one, but who actually has just one favorite artist? I don't. My second favorite artist is actually an author. I read the Trayvon generation by Elizabeth Alexander for what reason I don't know, but what I found completed what I call my artist purpose puzzle. The book gave my second objective to making art, to record. The imprint art makes on history and the human cognition has moved me deeply. So many questions that could be asked in the future sprung into head after reading her book. What was intersectionality like for a teenager in 2020? What did freedom mean to a 16 year old in 2021? What did being a queer black woman in 2022 look like? Well, I am glad you asked, and I am happy to show everyone with my art. I show my mom all my artwork, hoping that she sees her own love in my drawings. That she knows that even though she doesn't draw anymore I make art for the both of us. For people who look like us. I will be helping people through art until I die and my heart gives out. Until my hands aren't graceful and art can't make me live any longer.

I have serious beef with the year 2020. I want to fight that year more than Hurricane Harvey, and Harvey destroyed my house, so you know it's serious. COVID was terrible and yes the riots gutted me, but, it was also the year my mother became disabled and I became a caregiver at 15. Who knew taking care of someone you love, sacrificing your life would be so isolating, painful, and distracting. You loose yourself in that person and you forget the things that breathed life into you. I will spare you the depressing details of my mom's pain, the life we wanted but couldn't have, my own thoughts, or the crying from us both. I will just say that it sucked, being depressed sucks, not being able to afford anything sucks; being an only child sucks, having one parent sucks. Life sucks and it just keeps on sucking the life out of you until you grapple onto something that severs you from it's hold. "Well what is that something?" My mom introduced me to art when I was six . Her hands would move across the page so gracefully it would make my eyes swell with tears. Her hands are what made me want to make art. March 15, 2020 I picked up a pencil and drew my reflection. And somehow that made me a little bit more alive. It was like a rush of color that ran through my head and I began making art all 2020. Now, all I want to do is make art and help other people heal through art as well. After getting out of my funk last year, I became an intern for a community garden. I aid in spreading awareness for the garden, and creating educational events about healthy eating by using my artistic skills. It is here I am learning how to cater and connect with my community. I have even been given the opportunity to lead my own mural painting project this fall semester. Now it is like I am hungry to volunteer. I also am currently a graphic designer, LGBTQ intergenerational connecter, and studio artist for other non-profit organizations. My plan after graduating high school this spring is to attend a school that will accommodate my financial needs. In order to fulfill my dreams of becoming an art therapist, I will double major in psychology and art. I will also continue my work with Blodgett Urban Gardens and find more ways to help my community. Any and all scholarships I receive will be dedicated to helping me graduate college without debt and stress. I show my mom all my artwork, hoping that she sees her own love in my drawings. That she knows that even though her hands don't work anymore, that mine can be graceful for the both of us. I will be helping people through art until I die and my heart gives out. Until my hands aren't graceful and art can't make me live any longer. PS. 2020, you may be the hub for where I found my true self, but I still hate you dearly.

Empathy. It is something that lived in my home as my other sibling as an only child. My mother housed empathy not only in our home, but in her body. In her feet, in her heart, in her smile. Empathy is something that has always been simple to grasp and utilize until I got hit with the reality that everyone else did not always care for it. And for that reason, I feel as though we live in such distress and violence. I wish to see immense amounts of empathy in the hearts of everyone in the world. Understanding one's laughs, pain, cries, anger, and fear is the foundation for kindness. The shared emotions in any situation will facilitate a loving behavior or thinking. My theory: Empathy=restoration of humanity and the end to world suffering. Empathy is what will help those who are disconnected from varying ways of life have a place in there heart for grace for others. I want people to treat each other with much more gentleness, mercy, and patience. And we might not be able to force the feelings of love, but empathy is an emotional/cognitive response that anyone can learn. It is also something that anyone can benefit from. Empathy is what helped my understand my mother's experience as a fat black woman. Empathy is what helped her understand my experience as a black queer teenager. I wish to make mental healthcare affordable for low income BIPOC and for young LGBTQ. My empathy for my people's mental pain is what drives my own need to make change. I had this revelation in 2020 after I came out to my mother about being pansexual. I kept it a secret so long that it took a tole on my mental health, yet has led me down the path of mental healthcare and social change in the black/LGTBTQ community. I hope that through having empathy in my own heart it will transfer onto those who come into contact with me. I will be emulating the definition of definition for the of my life, until the whole world lets go of their ego and wickedness.

My best back to school tip is to advocate for your own education. It is important that when you are struggling in school that you take time to ask for help. That means standing up and telling your teachers you are not understanding lessons, or that you need them to invest more time into your learning. This not only aids in your educational progress, but also makes your teacher's job easier because then they know they aren't the only one who care about your education. You winning the fight for your success is YOUR fight. My instagram is @destinyfagbohun

During the summer of 2021, art wrapped her arms around my body and breathed life back into me. The start of my junior year I became a home schooled student in hopes to help support my disabled mother. It was strenuous and lonely and caused my mental health to go in a direction I didn’t plan on. But in those hours of isolation I found art and the ways in which it healed me. I found the light through the therapeutic feeling of painting, reading, and writing. And I slowly found a reason to make a change in my life. At the time the reason was just to make beautiful art. But now, it’s deeper than that. See I read this book, Eloquent Rage by Brittney Cooper in which she states, “I actually think it’s irresponsible to wreck shop in peoples world without giving them the tools to be filled. It’s fine to call Audrey Lord to people and tell them, the Master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. The hard work is helping people find better tools to work with” (Cooper 273). I found my tools in my sadness and I also found my purpose, to help others find their tools to make changes to their lives. After getting out of my funk last year I have become an intern for a community garden, Blodgett Urban Garden. As a once intern now employee I aid in spreading awareness for the garden, and creating educational events about healthy eating. It is here I am learning how to cater and connect with my community. I have also been given the opportunity to lead my own mural painting project this fall semester. My plan after graduating high school this spring is to attend a school that will accommodate my financial needs. Any and all scholarships I receive will be dedicated to helping me graduate college without debt and stress. In order to fulfill my dreams of becoming an art therapist I will major in Psychology and minor in art. I will also continue my work with Blodgett Urban Gardens and find more ways to help my community. The best part is that the whole goal of being an art therapist is to help people. Sometimes I think I was saved by art only to be used for its own purpose, maybe I am just the paint brush and it the painter. I will be helping people until I die and my heart gives out. Until my fingers can’t paint and I can flip pages. Until art can’t make me live any longer.

The greatest challenge my family faced when coming to the US is understanding happiness. When my father came to American from Nigeria he sacrificed everyday in order to provide for me and my three siblings. He knows the struggle, so much so that when my sister said that she wanted to be a publicist I actually think hell froze over and pigs flew over my head. It was world war 3 and he was angrier than I’d ever seen him. I knew in that moment I definitely wasn’t gonna tell him I wanted to be an art therapist. Later I talked to him and that’s when I realized that his anger was rooted in the fear that my sister would struggle. I simply replied “She’s happy”. He was still bitter with a scowl on his face. My poor father was making me and my three siblings unhappy because he was scared we would become unhappy doing what our hearts wanted. I do believe that stability and practicality is important and should be considered for the sake of surviving. But the most important thing is that you are not wasting your life going down a road that God didn’t ask you to travel. This is the thought process of my African father: become a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Work until you a tired, and work in a field you don’t want to be in. Just so that you can have enough money to not; struggle. I hate that word. I don’t want to struggle, I don’t want to be poor. But, I also want to listen to God and become the art therapist he is calling me to be. My mother, African American, told me something that cemented my decisions, “Happiness resides in God’s extolment”. I will never make decisions in my life based on fear because God does give me a spirit of fear but peace and a sound mind. I am courageous because I am stepping out on faith and walking with happiness. Art and psychology are my passion and I will not let anything stop me from my dreams. My sister graduated with the degree she wanted, and she is happy. She may struggle a little post graduation, but I mean we’re Nigerian, she will figure it out. As for me, I hope my father has calmed down from my sister’s announcement because I’m about to rock his world just one more time.

During my freshman year, while I attended a brick and mortar school, I participated in my school’s photojournalism group capturing the lives of students in a genuine and honest point of view. By my sophomore year COVID- 19 made its way through my education and it was very difficult to find organizations that were inviting volunteers. Finally, my junior and senior year I am being homeschooled. Still, during my three years of high school, I worked hard enough to place myself in the top ten percent of my class with a grade point average of 4.23. I have taken seven college classes and have been able to have a college GPA of 3.5. This was not easy as I was also taking care of my mother who is disabled. I did not have time during those years to do anything outside of schoolwork, juggling dual college courses, and taking care of my mom. So my past volunteer work does not extend past taking care of my home. But this summer, my junior year, I was able to do other activities which led me to become an intern for Blodgett Urban Gardens. At Blodgett Urban Gardens, I have been honored to learn more on how to appeal to my community, and how to center my audience in my work. I work diligently to make sure that those who are in need know that they have organic foods open to them. I have also used my talents in creativity and communication to create and conceptualize schedules, social media posts, and events. The goal of my job is to increase the awareness of a garden center for locals and help those in the area know they feel like they are cared for. Being an intern at Blodgett has helped me get closer to my plans of creating art psychology practices in low income communities after college graduation. Currently I have been assigned to spearhead an art project at Blodgett that will help attract community members. This entails me and a few other of my colleagues creating a mural that will be showcased behind Texas Southern University in Greater Third Ward. Right now I am an incoming senior and I hope to attend University of Houston in the fall of 2023. And fortunately, I have been offered to stay with Blodgett Urban Garden Center as long as they will have me. With my new opportunities, non-profit experiences, and hopefully scholarships, I will be able to go to college and gain the necessary education to fulfill my hope to continue to serve my community.

A person who has supported me the most to reach my educational goals is my mama. I always say that I grew up in the suburbs whereas my mama did just good enough so that we could be poor in the suburbs. She wanted me to go to the best school, and get the best education in Texas. And God those suburban teachers were not ready for Michelle Mozelle Mayberry (country name, I know). If I came home and told her I was struggling she would call the teacher and prove that they needed to put time and effort into assisting me; that I was worth the time spent. She made me feel special like I’m gonna be someone great one day. Whenever I needed help in school it didn’t matter if she couldn’t afford it she would make a way to get me a tutor. She would sell her clothes to get me books. She invested in me. Not just because I’m her daughter but because she believed in my intelligence and creativity. She supported me by creating a village of people around us and filling in parental positions where “others” lacked. I grew up without one parent but she always made sure I never felt like I was lacking anyone in my life. She also let me be free to be who I want to be. She never pressured me to be anybody but Destiny. And these free reins has allowed me to know the educational path I wanna take after high school. When I told her I wanted to be an art therapist she smiled big and gave me the biggest kiss on the cheek and said “Okay. Let’s make it happen”. She has helped me get all the opportunities that I could in regards to extracurriculars and taken the stress of house duties and money away from me so that I could focus on creating a great academic history in high school. She’s the reason why I’m graduating top 10% of my class with a 4.28 GPA with more college credits than I can count. It’s fair to say that she dotted on me too much growing up. Maybe even told me too many great things about myself just to make me feel good. However that benefited my work ethic, and self motivation because now there is nothing I can’t and won’t do. Because my mama said so.

An ex boyfriend once told me that all my art was was just “little” scribbles on paper. He said that “they won’t mean anything” with his eyebrows raised high. In all fairness the drawing was not my best work, and art had not fully introduced itself to me yet. I wish I could go back and tell him this testimony you are reading right now because oh my, he was so wrong…Last summer i read a book by Britteny Cooper called eloquent rage. It was a book exploring black feminism and the accumulated emotions of black women due to their identity. I had no passion just yet. That was until I read this, “I actually think it’s irresponsible to wreck shop in peoples world without giving them the tools to be filled. It’s fine to call Audrey Lord to people and tell them, the Master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. The hard work is helping people find better tools to work with.” My tools for Remodeling my home has been my various ventures of art this whole time. When my father didn’t want to be my father poetry consumed my life. When my mother became disabled and I woke up to her screaming in pain. Art became my hope. When I was a lonely freshman in high school. Photography ruled my world. When I felt uncomfortable in my own body from the growth to adulthood. Books became my shelter. In the black community it is very difficult to break away the walls of the masters house let alone rebuild a new one. But I did, I used art to break down my anti blackness and with the readings of black feminist, anti racists theorists, art therapist, queer authors, and spiritual guides I have constructed my new home. One I will be able to be in as a new adult, a black adult, an adult woman, a queer adult. And now I will continue to learn how to find tools for others in my community as an art psychologist. My passion for mental health and the ways of which people of color use art as a symbol of freedom, morale, and State of life has made me become an obnoxious, ambitious, loud young lady. I scream loud “ Art will heal my people”. There has been nothing more impactful, more freeing, more hope providing; than my “scribbles” on paper.

I have two major goals in life. The first is become an art psychologist. The second is to open low income therapy practices in places where mental healthcare is not free.

My name is Destiny Rose Fagbohun. I love my name because each part of it is a different part of me. Destiny: the whimsical, optimistic, comedian. Rose: the sensitive, book addicted, artist. And Fagbohun, given by my Nigerian father, the serious and ambitious high school senior from Texas. Each of them struggled with facing the future during my junior year. It was the first time I truly lost sight of myself and couldn't grapple with any part of me. I was burnt out from the previous years of taking care of my disabled mother while securing my spot of being top ten percent of my class. I was painting, reading, and writing more than studying. Fagbohun was long gone. I used art and books (romance) as a healing mechanism to my mother's health issues, broadcasted racism, sexism, and my impending encounter of these oppressions as a young black woman. Eventually, there is only so much romance you can read until you get bored and shift over to memoirs, which I did. And then it happened. I read this quote by Audre Lord in Brittney Cooper' Eloquent Rage, "I actually think it's irresponsible to wreck shop in people's world without giving them the tools to be filled. It's fine to call Audre Lord to people and tell them the master's tools will never dismantle the maser's house, The hard hard work is helping find better tools to work with". See, I knew what I was going through. I was aware I was indeed depressed and scared to be thrown into a world that doesn't like me. And of course now I would have to make my own doctor's appointments without my mommy helping me. But, I did not know that there was more out there because I did not know what I wanted from there. I wanted, I want, to help people find their own tools to work with and make it accessible to everyone. To be specific, I will be double majoring in art and psychology to become an art therapist. My final goal is to open psychology practices in low income neighborhoods to make therapy more accessible for even those without insurance. Everyday I am learning more about providing service to the community through interning at Blodgett Urban Garden non-profit organization. I am Learning the business and community side of being a non-profit owner. Absorbing as much information I can before graduation. With these grades I'm sure I will be accepted anywhere how I will pay for it as a low income student I don't know yet, but good thing I have Destiny to keep me hopeful.

Diabetes, heart attacks, and kidney failure. These three health issues are what has taken the lives of my family one by one starting with my grandmother. A low income mother of three did not have time to think about living healthy, but to just simply survive. Healthy lifestyles are important to me because to me it is the key to living a long and comfortable life. An Accessible healthy lifestyle is important to me is because I have empathy, and understanding that to just "live a healthy life" is not that easy. I recently became an intern for community garden, Blodgett Urban Garden, where I have been able to learn the reality that healthy living is a privilege. Food desserts, bad health education, and or easy access to cigarettes' or alcohol are common in poor areas. If the privilege of healthy living is not accessible to everyone then there will be more grandmothers who survive only to die with a preventable condition. Everyone, even those in poor or bad neighborhoods, are deserving of food security, knowledge of proper exercise, and the dangers of smoking.