I moved to Georgia with my mom and little sister when I was young. I don’t remember the hustling streets or the loud honking cars of New York, but I imagine it was very beautiful. Like any place, not every nook and cranny of the charismatic state was attractive, but the picture in my mind of the city lights was enough to bring me great delight. New York, however, was not where I grew up; it was Georgia. The state was greatly known for the peach, although it was in the business of blueberries. Nothing was interesting about Georgia to me. It was my home and that was all. My dad worked countless hours so that we had something to eat, and my mom stayed home making sure that my siblings and I grew up to be decent human beings. While life for my parents was not easy, they always made sure that our stomachs were full. My parents were also very talented. In Pre-K, my dad drew a picture of Fred Flintstone from a video. The picture was so impressive that I shared it with my entire Pre-K class. Some students claimed it was not real, and others were amazed at the sight of his talent. I was just a proud daughter trying to embellish my dad’s skills. As time went on, embellishment became my own creations. In primary school, I began experimenting with different art styles. At one point, I would draw flowers with several intricate designs or 3-D houses with the cliche sun in the right-hand corner and tall green grass. However, there was nothing more beautiful to me than drawing humans. Human features, faces, skin colors, and personalities. Each one was created in the image of God, sharing His emotions and looks. Which is the beauty of art, its diversity. No one person draws the same; each person has a style that makes their art stand out. While I continue to search for the style that makes my art speak, numerous shows, books, and movies have influenced the way I draw. One of those is anime. For most of my primary school years, drawing was just a hobby. I would draw one thing, and then for the rest of the school year, I wouldn’t draw anything again. However, during quarantine, one of my friends asked me to watch anime with her. I was not intrigued nor excited; anime, in my opinion, was weird, and I didn’t want to have any association with it. Nonetheless, I loved my friend, so I decided to give it a try, and to my surprise, it was phenomenal. Not only the depth of the plots, but also the art. I began drawing characters from My Hero Academia, One Punch Hero, and my personal favorite, Demon Slayer. Watching anime made me want to excel in art just like the artists who worked on these complex animations. My dad also watched anime, and he really inspired me to keep on in my art journey. He challenged me to work hard, watch videos, and take classes that would help me do better in art. My dad will always be my biggest inspiration in my art journey.

Whether watching a movie, hanging out with loved ones, or listening to the radio, music, and art have always resonated with me. Music and art are two different ways to express yourself that portray different emotions and feelings, like sadness, pain, or even joy. When I was a child, my siblings and I would create and perform songs for my parents and have drawing competitions to see who could be the most creative. During the pandemic, being able to realize the importance of expressing myself through art and the joy that my art brought to other people was a blessing. The pandemic was a hard time for many people, and to bring a smile to someone's face through my work was enough to give me joy. I grew up with the arts. If you could review my YouTube history, you would see so many different genres of music; my personal favorite at the moment is a classical piece called Measure Me Sky SSAA by Elaine Hagenberg. Measure Me Sky is a song influenced by a poem written by Leonora Speyer. This song reminds me of the saying The Sky is the Limit, and it should be this way with our lives, constantly reaching goals that some may say are impossible, but you keep prevailing through the arts, taking yourself to places you never knew you could achieve. For example, when I was the only tenth grader chosen to sing the Star-Spangled Banner with seniors at the Hapeville Theater or when selected to sing at a women's conference at Delta Airlines. The Ministry has also given me a reason to love the arts. People have always been searching for their purpose, something that makes them feel special or creates a sense of belonging. Through different ministries, I have been able to sing for and about a creator who loves and cherishes me enough to die on the cross for my sins to spend eternity with me, and I believe that is something worth spreading to the rest of the world. Through the arts, I can share a topic I am passionate about that gives me purpose and meaning. Which is something that I wish all of society would receive. Given the following points, the Devin Chase Vancil Art and Music School scholarship would help me to further my artistic journey and become a better leader who will serve others and nurture their love for the arts.