One of my first memories is of my parents bringing me to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts where I was amazed by the grand staircase that led to endless rooms of stories. Each space held what felt like a time capsule, allowing me to step into another time in history. I found joy in the brushstrokes that demonstrated the path of creation for the artists, inspiring me to tell a story of my own. Growing up in Virginia Beach, I had found a love for the visual arts: drawing, painting, sculpting, and pretty much anything else I could get my hands on. I went on to audition and earn my spot in the Gifted Visual Arts program in elementary school that continued into my middle school years. Entering my freshmen year in high school, I was accepted into the Governor’s School for the Arts, in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Excited to expand my pursuit of my craft, as well as learn more about where my passion derived from in time, all within a new city that was mine to explore. Along with a variety of studio classes, I began taking more Art history courses, taking a deep dive into the minds of artists and how the social climate and traditions had influenced the way that they approached their work. This started to bring me back to what first caught my attention in the art world. The history, the stories, and the people that were captured within a certain moment in time. I wandered down a path of exploration in art history, one which encouraged me to uncover where my own family came from. From my countries of origin to my family's military service records, I uncovered more about the history of my family and how their own traditions reflect in the work I study still today. With these new influences, all cultures became a lightning rod of interest, especially those found directly around me. In the duration of my college experience, I hope to engage in multiple activities within the arts. By branching into different sectors of creativity such as choir, drama club, or perhaps Irish dancing, I’ll gain a new perspective through artforms that can ultimately help me evolve as an artist and art historian. I also hope to work or volunteer at my university's on campus museum, gaining hands-on experience with material that are anywhere from thousands of years old, to contemporary work that has yet to leave its mark. I will then use my education to cultivate a growing interest in others by sharing my knowledge of the visual arts through teaching and public relations. Using the information that I have learned from years of study, I look to find a career teaching at a collegiate level. My ambition is to engage continuous research within my field of study, as well as taking a deeper dive into the minds of artists. Gaining a better understanding of how one's mental state impacts the way that they create. To properly analyze the mind of someone such as Vincent Van Gogh may help us better understand his uses for such vivid imagery and color. These choices that were made have become some of the most pivotal steps in the creative process and help to establish the impressionist period's popularity within history. I hope to help shed light on the more niche topics of the art world for the next generation of artistic minds. Sharing this knowledge with the world would be even more rewarding, especially if a small part of my actions will influence another to pursue their own passion, even if it is not in the arts. I hope to eventually run my own department, specializing in either European artwork, or the study of ancient civilizations. While nothing is written in stone, I continue to strive for a career that is both intellectually challenging, as well as emotionally fulfilling. I have been given an opportunity to observe first hand the kind of leader I can aspire to be by being surrounded by those who have been in my shoes. I hope to make my professors and supporters proud, while giving back to the art community that allowed me to discover who I was in the first place. I strive to be the person that others can lean on within my community or even in a group as tight knit as my art class. Being a voice or reason, or just someone to bounce ideas off of, I can be the person that will use their artistic education to bring light and change into my community. As Henri Matisse, says " creativity takes courage", and I want to be the person who helps others take that leap.

Collaboration to me in art history is more than just learning about the past, it's about how you can share your knowledge with others and constantly have a conduit for growth in information. I intend to receive a Masters degree in Art history, using my knowledge to work in a museum or possibly teach in a higher education. With a community of historians working within a single museum, there are going to be a great many people in the arts scene. Many historians often specialize in a particular time period or cultural community, making it so that they have a vast knowledge in not just general art history, but a deep understanding of a certain realm of time. This makes them a master in their field, and a great resource. But any historian is not going to spend countless hours in the classroom, and take years to become well versed in the history of civilizations, simply for their own pleasure. They did this to ensure that they could pass on the information to others. Being in a job where you may be asked to give tours or offer insight into the lives of a certain person, there is not always going to be the opportunity to study something new. This job allows you to go to some of your closest colleagues to learn as much as you can about something. It is a great comfort when you are able to take something that you love to learn about, something that may have been learned just in general work conversation, and use it to share something special with the public who may have questions. Even not always knowing the answer is a good thing. Asking for help on a certain topic helps you grow and learn as a historian, building a bridge for further collaboration. Because I attend the Governor's School for the Arts, I have the opportunity to spend a lot of my time at the Chrysler Museum of Art, attending multiple events and exhibitions. I often speak with the workers at the museum, picking their brains about their own knowledge about a particular artist. I enjoy speaking to them about their favorite works of art, and even " fangirling" for instance, about the way that the artist chooses to render the light reflecting off of a figure's face in a painting. My close friends, who also want to study art history, spend our free time reflecting on how an artwork may have influenced our style in and out of the classroom. I was also given the opportunity to give tours to my fellow Governor's School students at the Chrysler Museum. We have a yearly exhibition displaying some of the visual arts departments work, bringing the entire school to the museum. Recently, I was tasked with bringing students around to some of the other exhibits while offering information. This was a great experience because my friends, along with my teachers, had just gone through the same exhibit with one another and discussed all of the pieces in detail. Being able to pass the information on to the groups offered a glimpse of what it may be like to one day have a job in this field. I was able to observe and experience first hand what it would be like to learn about new exhibitions from fellow art enthusiasts, then relay that information to the public. This was a wonderful experience, collaborating with others in the museum community and finding my place as a future historian. A balance of enthusiasm and knowledge fosters wonderful creativity.

Creativity is something that I find as a tool to express my emotions. While I find it difficult to be open about some of my feelings or struggles, I am able to put everything into the work that I create. I find my style constantly changing as I find new interests or topics of importance in my life. Even creativity itself among my peers has been a great source of communication. We are all able to come together, no matter our background, style, or way of life, to simply inspire and uplift each other. One of my favorite things about creativity is my ability to reach beyond the doors of my bedroom, displaying my work to anyone outside of my small bubble. Whether it be in murals, art festivals, or local juried shows in the area, there is always a chance to share your knowledge and happiness within the community. Recently, my design was selected by the Norfolk Arts committee in Norfolk, Virginia to appear on a sidewalk square in the NEON arts district. This mural gave me the opportunity to bring something new to the city. By incorporating abstract imagery that reflects the life of the city, I was able to showcase my view of the symbology of the outside world. This piece allows others to view my art from different angles, giving the community a moment to reflect, which is something I really value in art making. This allows someone to think about what has been created and the message that the artist is trying to relay. I find that there has never been a time where nature or the world around me has not influenced my work. One of my earliest, and more profound experiences in high school was to create a work for the Chesapeake Regional Healthcare Hospital. We were asked to create works that evoked the idea of " innovation for life". I was inspired by the ideas of healing as well as transformation which influenced my choice to depict dragonflies in a special way. I thought about how healing can be a beautiful thing, even if what left you hurt wasn't. I depicted a jar of flowers losing their petals. As your eye moves around the piece, you will realize that the petals of the flowers slowly morph into the wings of the dragonfly. Inspired by the new advances in technology as well as knowledge, people are able to find new ways to build structures and cures for medicine. This can even be looked at from an environmental standpoint. Nature is constantly evolving to adapt and survive, often creating some of the most durable and strong forms of life in the world from some of the most unexpected means. The final piece hung in the lobby of the hospitals new cancer treatment center. Hopefully someone was able to find some joy in the piece. Everywhere I go, I find myself exploring the world around me, not just the people or the general area, but the little things that make up the whole of it. I find myself interested in not just the way the world comes together, but also how my own life ties to that. I make work that demonstrates progress throughout time. Whether it be about how my ancestors influenced my future, or how the world around me simply brightens my day. Inspiration can be found through exploring nature with my family, or even the small joys of something as simple as fishing with my father. There is always some new avenue to explore when it comes to expressing my passions.