I was born into an extremist religious cult. But I was also born an artist. Unfortunately, my environment did not allow for creative freedom, let alone any freedom at all. The narrative for my life was laid out from my first breath: the clothes I wore, sports I played, friends I had (or could not have), music I listened to, books I read, and even the foods I ate were strictly controlled. I endured years of oppression and abuse; the attempted hijacking of my identity beginning before I had conscious thought or memory. Sometimes, however, an attempted hijacking can derail. In my case, the derailment began in art class. In high school I had two art teachers who saw something in me, whether through the art I created or simply a sense they had about who I was, to this day I still do not know. What I do know is that the attention they gave me through showcasing my artwork, and the safe space they created for my expressive freedom and suppressed voice, set the trajectory for my future life, even though it would take decades for me to fully realize it. It was my dream to study art, but when I graduated high school I was not allowed to attend college and instead was forced to marry at nineteen. After enduring many more years of abuse and control, I worked very hard to find the courage to finally leave the cult at the age of thirty-five. Though I was now finally free to pursue my own life, I was a single mother of two young daughters with no support system. So I put my dreams on hold and worked multiple jobs, sometimes sixteen-hour days, to provide for our little family of three. My existence leading up to this time was heavy and sorrowful, and I experienced periods of profound despair. The weight of everything I survived often felt unbearable and I had no one to lean on but myself. However, I determined to push through, one day at a time, to provide a nurturing existence for my daughters. My perspective profoundly shifted when my youngest daughter fell into a deep depression in high school which escalated to thoughts of self-harm and suicide. Thankfully, she shared those thoughts with me and I sat with her, talked her through it, just as I wished someone had done for me, and would not leave her side until she felt safe. She agreed to begin therapy, and through love, support, and a space where she felt she could express even her darkest thoughts without judgment, she found her way through. Today, she is successful and thriving in the Air Force. Though this experience was heartbreaking to experience as a mother, witnessing her journey reminded me of what my art teachers had gifted me with years earlier: a safe space where I had the freedom to exist authentically. It reminded me that humans desire to be seen, heard, valued, and recognized. Soon after, I decided it was time to pursue my dream, and enrolled in college for the first time to study art at the age of age forty-four. Today, I am pursuing a Master's degree in Art Education while teaching in an under-resourced, under-supported public school in Philadelphia. The precious students I encounter every day face challenges, hardships, and personal devastations that extend far beyond what any child should endure. My goal as an educator is to create the type of environment that once saved me in a dedicated creative third space separate from students' home and academic experiences where they are celebrated, cared for, listened to, free to express their emotions, develop confidence, and experience a sense of belonging. Through this work I founded our school's first art club and open studio hours. Students are given the opportunity, free-of charge, to explore working with materials they have never used before such as clay, paper-making, weaving, and batik. I provide a snack and most materials self-funded, as I believe free-access to creative spaces are crucial to my students’ success. Additionally, each year since I began offering art club and open studio, my wonderful students have won awards in our district-wide art show for the first time in our school’s history. We also hosted an end of year exhibition where every student confidently chose their own artwork to showcase, learned to write their own artist bio, and had a family member, friend, or guardian in attendance to celebrate along with them. More importantly, I witnessed positive behavioral changes, stronger peer relationships, and increased confidence among participants. Their school attendance also increased, and they began to use art to express their feelings and work through their thoughts. My work as an art educator is sacred, providing a sanctuary for creativity and agency. I understand firsthand the strength that can emerge when young people are given the freedom and safety to imagine a future for themselves, a future worth fighting for. And if my students are unable to fully embrace confidence and freedom of expression now, perhaps the muscle memory of it will return to them one day, much like it did for me. Mental health challenges have profoundly shaped my own beliefs, and my relationships with myself, my daughter, and in turn, my students. I have learned the importance of a compassionate presence, the power of safe spaces, and the life-changing impact of extending a light in the darkness. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship and for your consideration. Winning the Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship would help me continue my education and expand opportunities for students who, like me and my daughter, simply need a place where they feel valued and safe, and experience, even for a brief moment, what it feels to be free.

I am a firm believer (and living proof) that art transforms lives. Though I weathered a traumatic upbringing, I never forgot the imprint my art teachers left on me. Not only did they provide a creative safe space, they unequivocally believed in me at a fragile time when I needed it most. Many tumultuous years later, as a single mother, I finally fulfilled my dream of attending college while working full time. Today, as I pursue my Master’s degree, I gratefully return the gift bestowed upon me in my youth, teaching art full-time in an under-resourced school in Philadelphia filled with precious students who need sanctuaries for expression just as I once did. Exposure to the arts is crucial in early development. As children grow, engaging in the arts builds confidence and critical thinking, laying the groundwork for change personally and societally. Consciousness of self is formed through knowing your values, and an arts practice encourages this skill, causing a positive ripple effect in the futures of those involved (as it did for me). Following projects through to completion teaches commitment, and working in group settings prepares students for collaboration and positive conflict resolution. Involvement in the arts also improves academic engagement, transforms behavioral patterns, builds empathy, and increases aspirations beyond high school There is no denying the impact arts education has on those privileged enough to experience it. However, we unfortunately live in a world where disparity in the arts runs grossly rampant. My passion and life-goal is to increase the availability of free arts programs within under-resourced communities to youth of all ages and backgrounds. Through this initiative, young people would have a platform to showcase or perform their work with older participants potentially acting as mentors and co-teachers. Education on professions in the arts, artist talks, learning how to market yourself as an artist, and arts travel opportunities would be incorporated. I also envision a community garden where artists could learn to grow plants for natural dyes, encouraging awareness of the world around us. I launched my school’s first ever Art Club in response to this dream, providing a welcoming environment for expression and confidence building. Artists learn that representation and culture should be celebrated, and we are never too young to have a voice and create change. There is no criteria to join Art Club. Snacks, exposure to new art techniques, and all corresponding materials are provided. Much of the cost is absorbed by myself as I believe it is vitally important to provide free access to the arts. As we wrapped up our inaugural Art Club year, I noticed positive behavioral changes, strengthened bonds, and improved communication among our members. Students even pleaded for a summer session (part of the future dream plan!). We also incorporated parents/guardians in a community paint night, which was so successful I hope to host it regularly this year. My work as an art educator is sacred, set in the classroom as a guide, creating a safe environment for exploration, agency, and expression. Winning this scholarship would ease the financial barriers growing these valuable programs, providing hope for our youth in the classroom and beyond. And if my students are unable to fully embrace their confidence now, perhaps the muscle memory of it will return to them one day, much like it did for me. After all, how can we expect our young people to rise up, gather together, and bring the change we desire in this world if we do not arm them with the tools for success on their journey? ‘How?’ is the question; ‘Art’ is the answer.

I am a firm believer (and living proof) that art transforms lives. Though I weathered a traumatic upbringing, I never forgot the imprint my art teachers left on my consciousness. Not only did they provide a safe space for expression, but they unequivocally believed in me at a fragile time when I needed it most. Many tumultuous years later, as a single mother, I finally fulfilled my dream of attending college for art while working full time to support myself and my daughters. Returning to my artistic practice after so many years brought me immeasurable joy, reignited a passion for living, and opened creative possibilities beyond my imagination. Today, as I pursue a Master’s in Art Education, I gratefully return the gift bestowed upon me in my youth as I teach art full-time in an under-resourced school in Philadelphia, filled with precious students who need safe, creative spaces just as I once did. Exposure to the arts is crucial in early childhood development. As children grow, engaging in the arts builds confidence and critical thinking, laying the groundwork for change both personally and societally. Consciousness of self is formed through knowing your values, and an arts practice encourages this skill, causing a positive ripple effect in the future lives of those involved (as it did for me). Likewise, following through and seeing projects to completion teaches commitment, and working in group settings prepares students for collaboration in the future and positive conflict resolution. As students continue through the educational system, involvement in the arts has the potential to impact academic engagement, increasing aspirations beyond high school transforming behavioral patterns, expanding compassion and empathy. There is no denying the impact an arts education has on the lives of young people who are privileged enough to experience it. However, we unfortunately live in a world where disparity in the arts runs grossly rampant, and the youth most seriously affected by this imbalance are those in under-resourced communities. My passion, mission, and life-goal is to increase the availability of arts programs by creating initiatives within under-resourced communities (starting with where I teach!) to provide an equal opportunity arts education at no cost to young people of all ages and backgrounds. As a part of these arts programs, artists would have the chance to perform or showcase their work. Older participants would have the opportunity to become mentors and co-teachers, helping guide younger artists. Education on professions in the arts, local artist talks, learning how to market yourself as an artist, and arts travel opportunities would be incorporated as well. I also envision a community garden where artists could learn to grow plants for use in natural dyes, printmaking, and sculpture, all while encouraging awareness of the world around us. I launched our school’s first ever Art Club in response to this dream, which provides a safe, welcoming environment for self-expression and confidence building. Artists learn that representation and culture should be celebrated, and we are never too young to have a voice and create change. Art Club members learn to curate an art show of their works, write an artist statement, and discuss their art through critical analysis. There is no criteria to join Art Club. Snacks, exposure to new art techniques, and all corresponding materials are provided with much of the cost absorbed by myself, as I believe it is vitally important to provide free access to the arts and art experiences. Students work individually and on group projects, such as a mural we created for our school! As we wrapped up our inaugural Art Club year, much to my delight, not only had participants’ art identities bloomed, but I noticed positive behavioral changes, strengthened bonds, and improved communication among our members. Students even begged for a summer session (part of the future dream plan!). We also incorporated parents/guardians in a community paint night, which was so successful I hope to host it regularly this year, expanding our mediums to include clay and fiber arts. My work as an art educator is sacred; set in the classroom as a guide, creating a safe environment for exploration, agency, and expression. Winning this scholarship would ease the financial barriers growing these valuable programs, providing hope for our youth in the classroom and beyond. And if my artist scholars are unable to fully embrace confidence and freedom of expression now, perhaps the muscle memory of it will return to them one day, much like it did for me. After all, how can we expect our young people to rise up, gather together, and bring the change we desire in this world if we do not arm them with the tools for success on their journey? ‘How?’ is the question; ‘Art’ is the answer.

I am a firm believer (and living proof) that art transforms lives. Growing up, my art teachers provided a safe space for expression, and unconditionally supported and believed in me at a time when I needed it most. Though this did not protect me from hardship and devastation, I never forgot the indelible mark of confidence they left on my young spirit. Years later, after successfully raising my daughters as a single mother, I decided to fulfill my lifelong dream to attend college; something not afforded me in my youth. And now, with gratitude, I am following in the footsteps of my heroes as an art teacher in a high risk, under-resourced district filled with precious students who need safe, creative spaces just as much as I once did. Exposure to the arts is crucial in early childhood development. As children grow, engaging in the arts builds confidence and critical thinking, laying the groundwork for change both personally and societally. Consciousness of self is formed through knowing your values, and an arts practice encourages this skill, causing a positive ripple effect in the future lives of those involved (as it did for me). Likewise, following through and seeing projects to completion teaches commitment, and working in group settings prepares students for collaboration in the future and positive conflict resolution. As youths continue through the educational system, involvement in the arts has the potential to impact academic engagement, increasing aspirations beyond high school transforming behavioral patterns, and increasing compassion and empathy. With that in mind, there is no denying the impact an arts education has on the lives of young people who are privileged enough to experience it. However, we unfortunately live in a world where disparity in the arts runs grossly rampant, and the youth most seriously affected by this imbalance are those in under-resourced communities. My passion, mission, and goal is to increase the availability of arts programs by creating initiatives within under-resourced communities (starting with where I teach!) to provide an equal opportunity arts education at no cost to youth of all age levels. As a part of these arts programs, young people would have the ability to perform or showcase their work, with older participants eventually acting as mentors and co-teachers. Education on professions in the arts, artist talks, learning how to market yourself as an artist, and arts travel opportunities would be included. I also envision a community garden where artists can learn to grow plants for natural dyes, and encourage awareness of the world around us. In the meantime, I am focused on growing our school's first ever art club, which gained a dynamic following by the end of last school year. My students learned pottery, paper making, weaving, and batik, which they had never been exposed to before. Two of my students won prestigious awards in our first ever participation in the School District-wide art show. In turn, we put on our own art club art show where every student proudly had one family member/guardian in attendance. My students learned to write artist statements, and curate and hang their art. We also invited family/guardians to paint alongside their student during an art-making night, which is something I plan on expanding this school year. As a result, I noticed positive behavioral changes, strengthened bonds, and improved communication among my art club students. After all, how can we expect our youth to rise up, gather together, and bring the change we desire if we do not arm them with the tools for success on their journey? ‘How?’ is the question; ‘Art’ is the answer.