In literature class, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by the author to create a story. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as an artist; every piece of art I produce contains specific elements to convey a story. I embrace my tools of color, technique, material, among others, to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. For me, art is creative storytelling; I am both an author and an artist, connecting people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society. This philosophy has allowed me to see the power of art in the communication of feelings and desires. Artists are essentially creating experiences for their viewers to immerse themselves in, and these experiences can serve to positively impact society. In every aspect of society, art is an effective weapon to combat issues or to spark movement. It is accessible in a way that every person regardless of class, race, or gender has exposure to it and its potential messages and power. It is for these exciting reasons, I am planning on majoring in Communication Design at Syracuse University in the Fall. The piece that I have created and am most passionate about is “The Halle”. It is a self portrait that shows my passionate and fierce drive that I possess within myself. When it comes to something I desire, my drive is truly unstoppable and fiery. Nothing stands in my way when there is something I want to accomplish. This drive often leads to new adventures, and this painting is evidence of one. In “The Halle”, I experimented for the first time with monoprinting and mixing ‘unmixable’ materials like soft pastel and oil pastel to create a unique surface. As with all of my pieces, I try to incorporate mixed media that may normally not be used together within a piece. I try to experiment with various mediums from printmaking to oil sticks, oil pastels, charcoal, soft pastels, collage, etchings and even the everyday ballpoint pen. The combination of multiple mediums I use in my pieces display the facet of what makes me, me. Each work is a “sliver” of my multi-layered approach to thinking, reflecting and to the process in the making of my art to speak to different types of personality traits that relate to each viewer. But mostly, I strive to use my art as a social tool. I was recently selected as the local library’s Artist of the Month and displayed my artwork for the community. Local residents were encouraged to attend a social event to engage with one another and discuss the displayed art work. Besides embracing art in my community, I often volunteer in the summer through my summer camp job and engage in environmental and social volunteer experiences with the camp’s surrounding local community. It is these certain activities that have helped me to establish a bond with new people and furthered my interest and love of trying new things and lending a helping hand. In general, all my recent art successes only further motivate me to aim higher and bring to life my goals and dreams that inspire me through my art. I am eager to start my journey at Syracuse University and can’t wait to see where my journey takes me and how my art and creative drive can help change the world one ‘sliver” at a time!

“I am coming with you, and you can’t tell me otherwise.” My friend looked at me with tears in her eyes and shook her head to accept and acknowledge my statement. For years, she had quietly suffered from an eating disorder and only recently shared her story with me. For the first time, she was going to speak to a counselor who specialized in her disorder, and she was extremely nervous and scared. I knew in my heart that she needed to have someone at least accompany her to the office, and I gladly, without any hesitation, offered, really told her, that I would be there for her to rely on. I pride myself on my loyalty to my friends and my ability to empathize with others. Even though I had never experienced what she was going through, I felt her pain and her anxiety, and all I desired to do was be there for my friend. Never once did I ever expect anything in return. This is a natural occurrence for me. I always think about the ways I can help my friends and family without thinking about the return of my actions. Overall, this way of thinking and living has strengthened every relationship that I have, as trust, dependability, and loyalty are at the core of my relationships. In this particular case, my friend and I only further strengthened our bond. In a time of need, I was there for her, and it was something that was necessary for me to do in order to support her. I have learned to listen openly to friends, familiy members and even strangers without sterotyping or judgement. I love learning about all different types of people but most importantly I like to always lend a helping hand when needed.

“I am coming with you, and you can’t tell me otherwise.” My friend looked at me with tears in her eyes and shook her head to accept and acknowledge my statement. For years, she had quietly suffered from an eating disorder and only recently shared her story with me. For the first time, she was going to speak to a counselor who specialized in her disorder, and she was extremely nervous and scared. I knew in my heart that she needed to have someone at least accompany her to the office, and I gladly, without any hesitation, offered, really told her, that I would be there for her to rely on. I pride myself on my loyalty to my friends and my ability to empathize with others. Even though I had never experienced what she was going through, I felt her pain and her anxiety, and all I desired to do was be there for my friend. Never once did I ever expect anything in return. This is a natural occurrence for me. I always think about the ways I can help my friends and family without thinking about the return of my actions. Overall, this way of thinking and living has strengthened every relationship that I have, as trust, dependability, and loyalty are at the core of my relationships. In this particular case, my friend and I only further strengthened our bond. In a time of need, I was there for her, and it was something that was necessary in order to support her. I give to others because this is who I am. I give back in many ways whether it is helping a friend who is in serious trouble or I just lend a helping hand volunteering my time. I never expect anything in return.

In literature class, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by the author to create a story. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I realized, I do the same as an artist; every piece of art I produce contains specific elements to convey a story. I embrace my tools of color, techniques, and gathered materials to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. For me, art is creative storytelling; I am both an author and an artist. This philosophy has allowed me to see the power of design in the communication of one's feelings and desires. It is for these exciting reasons, I am planning on majoring in Communication Design at Syracuse University. Designers essentially create experiences for their viewers to immerse themselves in, and these experiences can serve to positively impact society. Whatever the medium may be, design connects people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society through feeling and emotion. In every aspect of society, design is an effective weapon/tool to combat issues or to spark movement. Design is accessible in a way that every person regardless of class, race, or gender has exposure to it and its potential messages of power. Personally, design plays a significant role in my life, as it serves as an outlet for my emotions. I channel feelings into my creations and hope that they inspire or allow someone else to connect to it. It inspires me to create and experiment in different mediums, with each piece embracing a unique purpose. My hope is to someday be in a position where I can use design and my creativity to inspire others on a larger platform.

I repeated the word “Former” three times aloud to my classmates, as I read through the text. I looked at the word and wondered why my classmates were sighing. My teacher corrected me while everyone else yelled the correct word loudly and impatiently. “Farmer,” she said. “Farmer,” they said. I quickly said the right word, rushed the rest of the passage, and vowed to never read in class again. Even though this experience happened in 8th grade, I still remember as if it occurred yesterday. For my entire life, I have had to manage the effects of my learning disability, and at certain points in my life, I have had a fraught relationship with it. I was insecure about my abilities and that insecurity often showed in class. As part of my disability, I had difficulty with my processing, as my thoughts developed faster than my verbalization and organization of them. I felt anxious reading out loud in front of my peers and even worse when presenting in front of them. I needed extra time to process and make sense of the reading material and any questions posed to me, and my biggest fear was stuttering and being embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. Perhaps, most importantly, I compared myself to my peers and constantly wondered what it would be like to not have a disability, to not have to feel singled out, to not have to feel like life was paved with endless obstacles. However, I have also had an accepting relationship with my disability. From an early age, I knew that my efforts required more work and determination so that I could be equal to my peers. As a result, I have developed a thorough work ethic, in which I push myself to achieve all goals, and I accept and tackle all challenges that come my way. I have learned to accept my disability as a character strength rather than as a character flaw, which allows me to move forward in life and embrace my ‘weakness.’ I set forth to overcome stereotypes society gives me; my peers often underestimate me because of the type of classes I am in. Their assumptions drive me to prove them wrong, and I persevere with good grades and accomplishments both in and out of the classroom. Because of my middle school experiences, I was able to move on into high school and easily establish very solid relationships with both my teachers and my case manager throughout my four years there; as a result, I feel very comfortable advocating for myself. Even with new teachers that I have every year, I do not have an issue sharing my needs with them. I have learned the importance of speaking up and taking a stand for myself throughout my academic journey. My acceptance of my disability allows me to move forward in a positive direction; I am not ashamed or embarrassed to ask for what I need. By advocating, I know that I am putting myself on the path to success. This is a life-long journey for me; I will wake up tomorrow and ten years from now with the same difficulties. As a result, I know that I will have to overcome struggles, judgment, and stereotypes every single day. I have to remain diligent and focused on my goals every single day. Ultimately, these experiences will only make me stronger and more resilient to face life’s obstacles in my future academic journey and beyond. I will be attending Syracuse University in the Fall as a Communication Design major. I have attached portfolio link.

In literature class, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by the author. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as an artist; every piece I produce contains specific story elements. I embrace my tools of color, technique, material, among others, to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. For me, art is storytelling; I am both an author and artist. This philosophy has allowed me to see the power of design in the communication of feelings and desires, which is the reason I will be majoring in Communication Design at Syracuse University. Designers essentially create experiences for their viewers to immerse themselves in. These experiences can serve to positively impact society. Whatever the medium may be, design connects people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society through feeling and emotion. Design’s ubiquitous nature allows it to be a significant tool of change; designed images are on the beverages we drink, the televisions we watch, and the digital interfaces we interact with on a daily basis. Essentially, design is an effective weapon to combat issues or to spark movement. It is accessible in a way that every person regardless of class, race, or gender has exposure to it and its powerful messages. It is this, I want to be a part of! After college, I envision myself living a life in a city, where I will work in the design world. I imagine myself working for a company creating designs and developing marketing campaigns. I hope to work for a company that believes in the power of charity that performs charitable work for meaningful purposes.

In literature class, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by the author. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as an artist; every piece I produce contains specific story elements. I embrace my tools of color, technique, material, among others, to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. For me, art is storytelling; I am both an author and an artist. This philosophy has allowed me to see the power of design in the communication of feelings and desires, which is the reason I will be majoring in Communication Design at Syracuse University. Designers essentially create experiences for their viewers to immerse themselves in, and these experiences can serve to positively impact society. Whatever the medium may be, design connects people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society through feeling and emotion. Design’s ubiquitous nature allows it to be a significant tool of change; designed images are on the beverages we drink, the televisions we watch, and the digital interfaces we interact with on a daily basis. As part of every aspect of society, design is an effective weapon to combat issues or to spark movement. It is accessible in a way that every person regardless of class, race, and gender has exposure to it and its potential messages and power. In my community, I try to use my art as a social tool. I was selected as the local library’s ‘Artist of the Month’ and displayed my artwork for the community. Individuals were encouraged to attend a social event to engage with one another to discuss the presented art work. I strive to creatively think of ways my art can serve to better my community, and plan to continue to do this work hopefully on a larger scale someday. Beyond college, I hope to work for a company that believes in the power of charity that performs charitable work for meaningful purposes and platforms through art/design. I’m excited to live a more diverse and culturally rich life, meeting new people and experiencing art in the real world. I am honored to be an artist who has an opportunity to make an impact on the world one day.

My father returned from his yoga class, and upon entering my room, he pointed to his shoe. “Look,” he said, showcasing his new pair of Crocs with a tiny Jibit of the Yin & Yang. I was taken back; the charm was subtly cool. I applauded his choice and reminded him of the Yin & Yang’s meaning of the joining of opposites to form balance. Of course, he knew this from my countless mentions of it or from my sketchbook he had viewed. It wasn’t just a symbol; it was a representation of me. Yes, My Yin & Yang are the contrast traits of my personality - the introverted Halle and the extroverted Halle. I thoroughly enjoy my alone time; my thoughts travel on endless tangents, allowing my imagination to run free. I am comfortable in the silence of an empty room, and I am always ready to independently complete a task. I can even check off other classic introverted characteristics: I am a good listener; I’m observant and empathetic; I am intuitive and self-aware. Yet, I am also the complete opposite. I use my voice freely and confidently, engaging with unfamiliar and familiar people. I easily make friends, as I approach each new relationship without judgment or expectations and enjoy making people laugh. I thrive off others’ energies and am inspired by their stories. Together these extremes make the ‘ambivert’ Halle. These characteristics complement each-other rather than hinder one another; like the yin & yang, the combination of them forms a balance in my life which has allowed me to take on the risk of developing long lasting quality relationships. My friends and family know that my love, honesty, support and loyalty will always be front and center of how they will be treated. This is my best skill.

In literature class, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by an author to create a story. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as a designer; every piece I produce contains specific elements to convey a story. I embrace my tools of color, technique, and material to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. For me, design is storytelling; I am both an author and a designer. Designers are essentially creating experiences for their viewers to immerse themselves in, and these experiences can serve to positively impact society. Whatever the medium may be, design connects people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society through feeling and emotion. Designed images are on the beverages we drink, televisions we watch, and digital interfaces we interact with on a daily basis. Design is an effective weapon to combat issues or to spark movement. It is accessible in a way that every person regardless of class, race, or gender has exposure to it. When thinking of design, I associate it with layers of line work, combinations of colors, intricate creation processes, critical thinking abilities, and the analysis of the viewer. Personally, design plays a significant role in my life, as it serves as an outlet for my emotions. I relish in the freedom of expression, in the development of my ideas and feelings, and in the process. It inspires me to create and experiment in different mediums, with each piece embracing a unique purpose. I hope to someday be in a position where I can use design and my creations to inspire others on a larger platform.

At certain points in my life, I’ve had a fraught relationship with my disability; I was insecure about my abilities and that often showed in class. As part of my disability, I had difficulty with processing, as my thoughts developed faster than my verbalization and organization of them. I felt anxious reading out loud in front of peers and worse when presenting in front of them. I needed extra time to process and make sense of reading material and any questions posed to me. My biggest fear was stuttering and becoming embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. I constantly compared myself to peers and wondered what it would be like to not have a disability, to not have to feel singled out, to not have to feel like life was paved with endless obstacles. However, I have also had an accepting relationship with my disability. I knew my academic efforts required more work and determination so that I could be equal to my peers. As a result, I’ve developed a thorough work ethic where I push myself to achieve my goals. I accept and tackle all challenges that come my way. I have learned to accept my disability as a character strength not as a character flaw, which allows me to move forward in life and embrace my weakness. I set forth to overcome stereotypes society gives me; my peers often underestimate me because of the type of classes I am in. Their assumptions drive me to prove them wrong, and I persevere with excellent grades and accomplishments both in and out of school. This is a life-long journey for me; I will wake up tomorrow and ten years from now with the same difficulties, but I know that I will overcome the struggles, judgment, and stereotypes every single day.

At certain points in my life, I’ve had a fraught relationship with my disability; I was insecure about my abilities and that often showed in class. As part of my disability, I had difficulty with processing, as my thoughts developed faster than my verbalization and organization of them. I felt anxious reading out loud in front of peers and worse when presenting in front of them. I needed extra time to process and make sense of reading material and any questions posed to me. My biggest fear was stuttering and becoming embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. I constantly compared myself to peers and wondered what it would be like to not have a disability, to not have to feel singled out, to not have to feel like life was paved with endless obstacles. However, I have also had an accepting relationship with my disability. I knew my academic efforts required more work and determination so that I could be equal to my peers. As a result, I’ve developed a thorough work ethic where I push myself to achieve my goals. I accept and tackle all challenges that come my way. I have learned to accept my disability as a character strength not as a character flaw, which allows me to move forward in life and embrace my weakness. I set forth to overcome stereotypes society gives me; my peers often underestimate me because of the type of classes I am in. Their assumptions drive me to prove them wrong, and I persevere with excellent grades and accomplishments both in and out of school. This is a life-long journey for me; I will wake up tomorrow and ten years from now with the same difficulties, but I know that I will overcome the struggles, judgment, and stereotypes every single day.

At certain points in my life, I have had a fraught relationship with my disability; I was insecure about my abilities and that insecurity often showed in class. As part of my disability, I had difficulty with my processing, as my thoughts developed faster than my verbalization and organization of them. I felt anxious reading out loud in front of my peers and even worse when presenting in front of them. I needed extra time to process and make sense of the reading material and any questions posed to me, and my biggest fear was stuttering and being embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. Perhaps, most importantly, I compared myself to my peers and constantly wondered what it would be like to not have a disability, to not have to feel singled out, to not have to feel like life was paved with endless obstacles. However, I have also had an accepting relationship with my disability. From an early age, I knew that my efforts required more work and determination so that I could be equal to my peers. As a result, I have developed a thorough work ethic, in which I push myself to achieve all goals, and I accept and tackle all challenges that come my way. I have learned to accept my disability as a character strength not as a character flaw, which allows me to move forward in life and embrace my weakness. I set forth to overcome stereotypes society gives me; my peers often underestimate me because of the type of classes I am in. Their assumptions drive me to prove them wrong, and I persevere with good grades and accomplishments both in and out of the classroom. I have learned to accept my learning difference as a strength that makes me, me!!

At certain points in my life, I have had a fraught relationship with my learning difference; I was insecure about my abilities and that insecurity often showed in class. As part of my disability, I had difficulty with my processing, as my thoughts developed faster than my verbalization and organization of them. I felt anxious reading out loud in front of my peers and even worse when presenting in front of them. I needed extra time to process and make sense of the reading material and any questions posed to me, and my biggest fear was stuttering and being embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. Perhaps, most importantly, I compared myself to my peers and constantly wondered what it would be like to not have a disability, to not have to feel singled out, to not have to feel like life was paved with endless obstacles. However, I have also had an accepting relationship with my disability. From an early age, I knew that my efforts required more work and determination so that I could be equal to my peers. As a result, I have developed a thorough work ethic, in which I push myself to achieve all goals, and I accept and tackle all challenges that come my way. I have learned to accept my disability as a character strength not as a character flaw, which allows me to move forward in life and embrace my weakness’s. I set forth to overcome stereotypes society gives me; my peers often underestimated me because of the type of classes I am in. However, their assumptions only drove me to prove them wrong. I persevered with good grades and many accomplishments both in and out of school. I have come to accept this as a strength that makes me, me!

I repeated the word “Former” three times aloud to my classmates, as I read through the text. I looked at the word and wondered why my classmates were sighing. My teacher corrected me while everyone else yelled the correct word loudly and impatiently. “Farmer,” she said. “Farmer,” they said. I quickly said the right word, rushed the rest of the passage, and vowed to never read in class again. Even though this experience happened in 8th grade, I still remember as if it occurred yesterday. For my entire life, I have had to manage the effects of my learning disability, and at certain points in my life, I have had a fraught relationship with my disability; I was insecure about my abilities and that insecurity often showed in class. As part of my disability, I had difficulty with my processing, as my thoughts developed faster than my verbalization and organization of them. I felt anxious reading out loud in front of my peers and even worse when presenting in front of them. I needed extra time to process and make sense of the reading material and any questions posed to me, and my biggest fear was stuttering and being embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. Perhaps, most importantly, I compared myself to my peers and constantly wondered what it would be like to not have a disability, to not have to feel singled out, to not have to feel like life was paved with endless obstacles. However, I have also had an accepting relationship with my disability. From an early age, I knew that my efforts required more work and determination so that I could be equal to my peers. As a result, I have developed a thorough work ethic, in which I push myself to achieve all goals, and I accept and tackle all challenges that come my way. I have learned to accept my disability as a character strength not as a character flaw, which allows me to move forward in life and embrace my weakness. I set forth to overcome stereotypes society gives me; my peers often underestimate me because of the type of classes I am in. Their assumptions drive me to prove them wrong, and I persevere with good grades and accomplishments both in and out of school. All of this has helped to prepare me for my next chapter at college. Recently, I was accepted to Syracuse University into the School of Visual & Performing Arts (VPA), where I will be studying Communication Design in hopes of refining my art skill and talent and of learning new methods of design. At Syracuse, I plan to take advantage of all the academic and social opportunities on campus to maximize my experience. I desire to become an active and contributing member to the Syracuse community, whether that is through art clubs, art public services, general volunteer experiences, and my academic studies. After college, I envision myself living a life in New York City, where I will work in the art world. I imagine myself working for a company creating logo designs and developing marketing campaigns. In addition, I also hope to work for a company that believes in the power of charity and performs charitable work for meaningful purposes. Finally, I’m excited to live a more diverse and culturally rich life, meeting new people and experiencing art in the city.

In literature class, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by an author to create a story. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as a designer; every piece I produce contains specific elements to convey a story. I embrace my tools of color, technique, material, among others, to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. For me, design is storytelling; I am both an author and a designer. This philosophy has allowed me to see the power of design in the communication of feelings and desires. Designers are essentially creating experiences for their viewers to immerse themselves in, and these experiences can serve to positively impact society. Whatever the medium may be, design connects people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society through feeling and emotion. Furthermore, design’s ubiquitous nature allows it to be a significant tool of change; designed images are on the beverages we drink, the televisions we watch, and the digital interfaces we interact with on a daily basis. As part of every aspect of society, design is an effective weapon to combat issues or to spark movement. It is accessible in a way that every person regardless of class, race, or gender has exposure to it and its potential messages and power. When I think of design, I associate it with layers of line work, the combination of colors, the intricate creation processes, critical thinking abilities, and the analysis of the viewer and the product or piece of art. It is so much more than the end result, and even though the end result impacts its viewer, the process of its creation proves to be more meaningful. Designers have the choice as to their art’s effect and can work to achieve their desired goals. In that respect, they have tremendous power influencing others, making societal statements, or creating important conversations all through their art. Personally, design plays a significant role in my life, as it serves as an outlet for my emotions. I channel my feelings into my creations and hope that they inspire or allow someone else to connect to it. I relish in the freedom of expression, in the development of my ideas and feelings, and in the process. It inspires me to create and experiment in different mediums, with each piece embracing a unique purpose. I hope to someday be in a position where I can use design and my creations to inspire others on a larger platform. The design realm pushes the boundaries of what’s possible and the thought of pushing myself to the limits of this realm or beyond thoroughly excites me. The beauty of design is such that I have the opportunity to be purposefully experimental, and given the chance to further my skills, I intend on using design for the benefit of society and beyond! -Halle Press Class of 2022 (h.s Senior)

My father returned from his yoga class, and upon entering my room, he pointed to his shoe. “Look,” he said, showcasing his new pair of Crocs with a tiny Jibit of the yin and yang. I was taken back; the charm was subtly cool. I applauded his choice and reminded him of the yin and yang’s meaning the joining of opposites to form balance. Of course, he knew this from my countless mentions of it or from my sketchbook he had viewed. It wasn’t just a symbol; it was a representation of me. Yes, My yin and yang are the contrast traits of my personality - the introverted Halle and the extroverted Halle. I thoroughly enjoy my alone time; my thoughts travel on endless tangents, allowing my imagination to run free. I am comfortable in the silence of an empty room, and I am always ready to independently complete a task. I can even check off other classic introverted characteristics: I am a good listener; I’m observant and empathetic; I am intuitive and self-aware. Yet, I am also the complete opposite. I use my voice freely and confidently, engaging with unfamiliar and familiar people. I easily make friends, as I approach each new relationship without judgment or expectations and enjoy making people laugh. I thrive off others’ energies and are inspired by their stories. Together these extremes make the ambivert Halle. These characteristics complement each other rather than hinder one another; like the yin and yang, the combination of them forms a balance in my life and has allowed me to take on the risk of developing long lasting quality relationships. My friends and family know that my love, honestly, support and loyalty will always be front and center of how they will be treated, always.

In literature class, I was told that “every detail of a text is carefully chosen by an author to create a story”. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as a designer; every piece I produce contains specific elements to convey a story. I embrace my tools of color, technique, and material to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. For me, design is storytelling; I am both an author and a designer. Designers are essentially creating experiences for their viewers to immerse themselves in, and these experiences can serve to positively impact society. Whatever the medium may be, design connects people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society through feeling and emotion. Designed images are on the beverages we drink, televisions we watch, and digital interfaces we interact with on a daily basis. Design is an effective weapon to combat issues or to spark movement. It is accessible in a way that every person regardless of class, race, or gender has exposure to it. When thinking of design, I associate it with layers of line work, combinations of colors, intricate creation processes, critical thinking abilities, and the analysis of the viewer. Personally, design plays a significant role in my life, as it serves as an outlet for my emotions. I relish in the freedom of expression, in the development of my ideas and feelings, and in the process. It inspires me to create and experiment in different mediums, with each piece embracing a unique purpose. I hope to someday be in a position where I can use design and my creations to inspire others on a larger platform.

“You are crazy,” is a phrase that I often hear in the morning from my friends. It’s not because of my outfit nor my choice of words. My ‘breakfast’ choices elicit this response; instead of the common breakfast fare of eggs, pancakes, waffles, and breakfast burritos, my palate prefers to break these traditional meals. Penne vodka, grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, and anything I crave fill my plate at the breakfast table. As a child, I questioned the routine and the monotony of only eating certain food for certain meals. Who made this rule? Why should I be limited in my choices? I liked eating typical breakfast food, but didn’t want my taste to be confined. After much pleading and reasoning, my parents agreed to give me the freedom to eat what I wanted when I wanted. So I experimented, I ate leftovers for breakfast, ranging from pasta to brisket. I cooked, grilled, and baked whatever my stomach and taste buds desired. Even though I encountered strange looks and heard unwelcoming comments about my choices, I thoroughly enjoyed making my own path and shaking up my routine. Yes, I am part of a community that challenges breakfast norms. More importantly, though, I am part of a community that craves new experiences and defies expectations. My breakfast choices developed these characteristics, and now they have manifested in other areas of my life. With a paintbrush in hand, I am constantly striving to create original ideas or to break free of expectations and typical art norms. I experiment with my art the same way I experiment in the kitchen, free and boundless. For me, art is storytelling; I am both an author and an artist, connecting people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society.

“You are crazy,” is a phrase that I often hear in the morning from my friends. It’s not because of my outfit nor my choice of words. My ‘breakfast’ choices elicit this response; instead of the common breakfast fare of eggs, pancakes, waffles, and breakfast burritos, my palate prefers to break these traditional meals. Penne vodka, grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, and anything I crave fill my plate at the breakfast table. As a child, I questioned the routine and the monotony of only eating certain food for certain meals. Who made this rule? Why should I be limited in my choices? I liked eating typical breakfast food, but didn’t want my taste to be confined. After much pleading and reasoning, my parents agreed to give me the freedom to eat what I wanted when I wanted. So I experimented, I ate leftovers for breakfast, ranging from pasta to brisket. I cooked, grilled, and baked whatever my stomach and taste buds desired. Even though I encountered strange looks and heard unwelcoming comments about my choices, I thoroughly enjoyed making my own path and shaking up my routine. Yes, I am part of a community that challenges breakfast norms. More importantly, though, I am part of a community that craves new experiences and defies expectations. My breakfast choices developed these characteristics, and now they have manifested in other areas of my life. With a paintbrush in hand, I am constantly striving to create original ideas or to break free of expectations and typical art norms. I experiment with my art the same way I experiment in the kitchen, free and boundless. For me, art is storytelling; I am both an author and an artist, connecting people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society.

In literature, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by an author to create a story. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as a designer; every piece I produce contains specific elements to convey a story. I embrace my tools of color, technique, and material to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. For me, design is storytelling; I am both an author and a designer. Designers are essentially creating experiences for their viewers to immerse themselves in, and these experiences can serve to positively impact society. Whatever the medium may be, design connects people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society through feeling and emotion. Designed images are on the beverages we drink, televisions we watch, and digital interfaces we interact with on a daily basis. Design is an effective weapon to combat issues or to spark movement. It is accessible in a way that every person regardless of class, race, or gender has exposure to it. When thinking of design, I associate it with layers of line work, combinations of colors, intricate creation processes, critical thinking abilities, and the analysis of the viewer. Personally, design plays a significant role in my life, as it serves as an outlet for my emotions. I relish in the freedom of expression, in the development of my ideas and feelings, and in the process. It inspires me to create and experiment in different mediums, with each piece embracing a unique purpose. I hope to someday be in a position where I can use design and my creations to inspire others on a larger platform.

In literature, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by an author to create a story. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as a designer; every piece I produce contains specific elements to convey a story. I embrace my tools of color, technique, and material to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. For me, design is storytelling; I am both an author and a designer. Designers are essentially creating experiences for their viewers to immerse themselves in, and these experiences can serve to positively impact society. Whatever the medium may be, design connects people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society through feeling and emotion. Designed images are on the beverages we drink, televisions we watch, and digital interfaces we interact with on a daily basis. Design is an effective weapon to combat issues or to spark movement. It is accessible in a way that every person regardless of class, race, or gender has exposure to it. When thinking of design, I associate it with layers of line work, combinations of colors, intricate creation processes, critical thinking abilities, and the analysis of the viewer. Personally, design plays a significant role in my life, as it serves as an outlet for my emotions. I relish in the freedom of expression, in the development of my ideas and feelings, and in the process. It inspires me to create and experiment in different mediums, with each piece embracing a unique purpose. I hope to someday be in a position where I can use design and my creations to inspire others on a larger platform.

Sitting on the carpet during daily read-a-loud, I eyed my friend’s luscious locks. Before I knew it, my hands divided her hair into three sections, folding each outer section across the middle one. My hands took over, remembering the motions that I had repeatedly performed before, while my eyes remained focused on the book, giving my second grade teacher the illusion of attention. Unfortunately, the illusion was shattered as another braid went unfinished; my actions did not fool her and another masterpiece was abandoned. Motivated to continue my passion for braiding, I channeled my energy in safer places. I braided my friends’ hair at lunchtime. I viewed braiding YouTube tutorials and practiced these techniques on my dolls’ hair. With each new venture, I found serenity as weaving strands was soothing and satisfying. Every section of hair was equivalent to a puzzle piece; it fit perfectly in place, unique and important to the collective whole as the end product represented a cohesive blend of hair. This blending and weaving of hair eventually morphed into the blending and weaving of lines on paper and canvas. My first creations were, of course braids, but soon after I experimented. I blended other artists’ styles, mixing surrealism with abstract and pop art. I merged various strokes with one another, and I combined different textures and materials, fusing paint with stippling. I combined the techniques that I had learned from my art school with the techniques I learned in my H.S. AP class. In every creation, each layer of my work soon took the semblance of a section of a braid, and I calculated how that section could fit in the larger picture or how it could be mixed with other elements to create a masterpiece. What I quickly realized was that the layering, sectioning, and combining of themselves expanded beyond my sketch pad, beyond my art studio, and far beyond the lunch table; they were parts of a larger whole-myself. For my entire life, I had been constructing a braid, absorbing and infusing different traits, techniques, styles of others into my own sense of being. The role models in my life, like my strong, confident sister, my supportive mother, and my motivated father, have instilled in me a humbled wit and self-assurance that gives me the strength to voice my opinions and be decisive in my choices. These traits emerge in class, where I eagerly anticipate lessons of debate and enjoy engaging in conversation with peers and teachers. In the art studio, I push my creativity by focusing on the conceptualization of feeling into a story. This skill poses the most difficulty for me; yet, I persevere through creative blocks by challenging my imagination with mental exercises. This braid is also composed of my camp counselor and caretaker moments. In both roles, I have learned about children’s behaviors, feelings, and understanding their upbringings has enabled me to develop my intuition and empathy. The more I comprehend about my girls’ circumstances and beliefs the more I can relate and support them, allowing me to establish close relationships. This skill has blended into my teaching of art, in which I motivate my students to reach their full art potential by tapping into their emotions. I give them the space to freely & openly express themselves. I witness my campers fusing the techniques that I have taught them in their artwork with their own imaginary ideas, essentially creating their own braids. Piece by piece, my experiences build upon each other, making the braid longer and more detailed; I know this is one braid that will never be abandoned!

“You are crazy,” is a phrase that I often hear in the morning from my friends. It’s not because of my outfit nor my choice of words. My ‘breakfast’ choices elicit this response; instead of the common breakfast fare of eggs, pancakes, waffles, and breakfast burritos, my palate prefers to break these traditional meals. Penne vodka, grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, and anything I crave fill my plate at the breakfast table. As a child, I questioned the routine and the monotony of only eating certain food for certain meals. Who made this rule? Why should I be limited in my choices? I wanted to decorate my plate with other food besides the normal breakfast meals my family ate. I liked eating typical breakfast food, but I didn’t want my taste to be confined. After much pleading and reasoning, my parents agreed to give me the freedom to eat what I wanted when I wanted. So I experimented - I ate leftovers for breakfast, ranging from pasta to brisket. I cooked, grilled, and baked whatever my stomach and taste buds desired. Even though I encountered strange looks and heard unwelcoming comments about my choices, I thoroughly enjoyed making my own path and shaking up my routine. Yes, I am part of a community that challenges breakfast norms. More importantly, though, I am part of a community that craves new experiences and defies expectations. My breakfast choices developed these characteristics, and now they have manifested in other areas of my life. With a paintbrush in hand, I am constantly striving to create original ideas or to break free of expectations and typical art norms. I experiment with my art the same way I experiment in the kitchen, free and boundless. For me, art is storytelling; I am both an author and an artist, connecting people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society. In Frida, I was telling the story about her individual strength. Throughout hardships, she persevered, and I often channel her energy in moments of physical, social, and emotional hardship. I used this piece to express my technique in mark making, collage, and design. When making this piece, I challenged myself by employing multiple types of media. “Beauty is only skin deep” was a reflection of a freshman year piece. I felt the original was not at my fullest potential. As a result, I decided to revisit the idea and attempt to perfect it. One exciting element is my use of a real zipper to divide the realistic portrait with the skull. The meaning behind the picture is that beauty is truly only skin deep; under the mask of skin, everyone's the same. “The Halle” is a self portrait that shows the passionate and fierce drive I possess within myself. When it comes to something I desire, my drive is truly unstoppable. Nothing stands in my way when there is something I want to accomplish. This drive often leads to new adventures, and this painting is evident of that. I experimented for the first time with monoprinting and mixing ‘unmixable’ materials like soft pastel and oil pastel to create a unique surface. As with all of my pieces, I try to incorporate mixed media that may normally not be used together within a piece. I experiment with various mediums from printmaking to oil sticks, oil pastels, charcoal, soft pastel, collage, etchings and even everyday ballpoint pens. I love the idea of communicating through visual messages, stories and concepts by bringing topics of conversations to the community around me through my art.

In my portfolio, the piece that I am most passionate about is titled “The Halle,” a self-portrait. This work originated from the desire to create a representation of myself and of my drive, which I consider to be a significant part of my identity. Throughout school and any extra-curricular activity, I have always put forth maximum effort to achieve my desired goals. Even more so, I am aware that I can always push myself to improve; I am in constant motion, desiring to learn and be a better version of myself. I often feel that my motivation is a fire burning within with no foreseeable end. With this in mind, I set out to experiment with new techniques to create this piece. For the first time, I used soft pastel, and to my disappointment, its pigment washed away on the canvas blackboard. The faint appearance was not the effect I was trying to achieve to symbolize something I considered to be fiery. I improvised, searching for a solution. Out of frustration and desperation, I grabbed the familiar materials of oil pastel and acrylic paints and combined them with the soft pastels. What developed was a mixture of materials that perfectly supported my vision. In the process, I remained dedicated to figuring out how to achieve my goal; I pushed myself in moments of self-doubt to finish the piece I set out to create.

“You are crazy,” is a phrase that I often hear in the morning from my friends. It’s not because of my outfit nor my choice of words. My ‘breakfast’ choices elicit this response; instead of the common breakfast fare of eggs, pancakes, waffles, and breakfast burritos, my palate prefers to break these traditional meals. Penne vodka, grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, and anything I crave fill my plate at the breakfast table. As a child, I questioned the routine and the monotony of only eating certain food for certain meals. Who made this rule? Why should I be limited in my choices? I wanted to decorate my plate with other food besides the normal breakfast meals my family ate. I liked eating typical breakfast food, but I didn’t want my taste to be confined. After much pleading and reasoning, my parents agreed to give me the freedom to eat what I wanted when I wanted. So I experimented - I ate leftovers for breakfast, ranging from pasta to brisket. I cooked, grilled, and baked whatever my stomach and taste buds desired. Even though I encountered strange looks and heard unwelcoming comments about my choices, I thoroughly enjoyed making my own path and shaking up my routine. Yes, I am part of a community that challenges breakfast norms. More importantly, though, I am part of a community that craves new experiences and defies expectations. My breakfast choices developed these characteristics, and now they have manifested in other areas of my life. With a paintbrush in hand, I am constantly striving to create original ideas or to break free of expectations and typical art norms. I experiment with my art the same way I experiment in the kitchen, free and boundless.

The piece of art that I am most passionate about happens to be a piece of my own work, titled “The Halle,” a self-portrait. This work originated from my desire to create a representation of myself and of my drive, which I consider to be a significant part of my identity. Throughout school and any extra-curricular activities, I have always put forth maximum effort to achieve my desired goals. Even more so, I am aware that I can always push myself to improve; I am in constant motion, desiring to learn and be a better version of myself. I often feel that my motivation is a fire burning within with no foreseeable end.     With this in mind, I set out to experiment with new techniques to create this piece. For the first time, I used soft pastel, and to my disappointment, its pigment washed away on the canvas blackboard. The faint appearance was not the effect I was trying to achieve to symbolize something I considered to be ‘fiery’. I improvised, searching for a solution. Out of frustration and desperation, I grabbed the familiar materials of oil pastel and acrylic paints and combined them with the soft pastels. What developed was a mixture of materials that perfectly supported my vision. In the process, I remained dedicated to figuring out how to achieve my goal; I pushed myself in moments of self-doubt to finish the piece I set out to create. All of this inspires me to create and experiment in different mediums, with each piece embracing a unique purpose. I hope to someday be in a position where I can use design and my creations to inspire others on a larger platform. Let me rephrase that last sentence. I KNOW I will inspire others with my designs one day!

In literature class, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by the author to create a story. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as an artist; every piece of art I produce contains specific elements to convey a story. I embrace my tools of color, technique, material, among others, to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning. I love the idea of communicating through visual messages, stories and concepts by bringing topics of conversations to the community around me through my art. . For me, art is storytelling; I am both an author and an artist, connecting people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society. For those reasons I am planning on majoring in Communication Design at Syracuse University , School of Design (VPA)

                         In literature class, I was taught that every detail of a text is carefully chosen by the author to create a story. Through diction, characterization, and symbolism, an author can craft a piece of writing that is universally relatable. I quickly realized that I do the same as an artist. I embrace my tools of color, technique, material, among others, to portray images and ideas that hold emotional and personal meaning.  I love the idea of communicating through visual messages, stories and concepts by bringing topics of conversations to the community around me through my art. For me, art is storytelling; I am both an author and an artist, connecting people through a visual story, a story that has the power to transform, inspire, and unify society. Every piece of art I produce contains specific elements to convey a story. Of all my art work that I have done to this day, the piece that I am most passionate about is titled “The Halle,” a self-portrait. This work originated from the desire to represent my drive, which I consider to be a significant part of my identity. Nothing stands in my way when there is something I want to accomplish. This drive often leads to new adventures, and this painting is evidence of one. I am continually aware that I can always push myself to improve; I am in constant motion, desiring to learn and be a better version of myself. I often feel that my motivation is a fire burning with no foreseeable end.       With this in mind, I set out to experiment with new techniques in this piece. For the first time, l experimented with monoprinting and mixing ‘unmixable’ materials like soft pastel and oil pastel to create a unique surface. As with all of my pieces, I try to incorporate mixed media that may normally not be used together within a piece. In this instance, when I used the soft pastels, I was immediately disappointment when its pigment washed away on the canvas blackboard. The faint appearance was not the effect I was trying to achieve. It was at that point I had to quickly pivot. I improvised and grabbed the familiar materials of oil pastels and acrylic paints and combined them with the soft pastels. What developed was a mixture of materials that perfectly supported my vision! Throughout the creative process, I remained dedicated to achieving my goal; I pushed myself in moments of self-doubt to finish the piece I set out to create. The combination of using different techniques and my experimentation display the facet of what makes me, me. Each work is a “sliver” of my multi-layered approach to thinking, reflecting and process in making my art speak different types of personality traits that relate to the viewer. Halle Press ‘22 Northern Valley Regional HS @ Demarest