I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will use technology to create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation through relative stories with characters that embody people who experience similar things. My dream is to work for Pixar. I want to use my platform to represent the underrepresented. I want to give kids who didn't grow up with a princess or character that looked like them a smile of nostalgia when they finally see that there IS a character that looks like them. I will tell stories that don't get told. I want to be the difference in the industry; we will incorporate races, situations, and colors of all kinds when telling stories. At the institution I am committed to attending, Academy of Art University, and with this scholarship, I hope to inspire. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC movie screens or see the characters I created coming to life. I want each character, script and story to tell the story of another person in this world. I want audiences to relate and feel my art. I want to represent. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true. I know that it is attainable, and I know that in doing this, I am making a huge difference for girls and boys that grew up just like me: underrepresented. I want everyone to have the chance to see themselves on a screen, and once I have my degree, I will go off to Pixar and I will make this possible.

One night at Knott's Scary Farm, my friends and I entered a maze with jitters running through our bodies. The lights weren't flashing consistently, but I could still hardly keep my eyes open. After we escaped the slightly flashing lights and the dimmed, neutral colors, I started to lose my vision. Everything around me was black, with the exception of the scarers that caused sparks to fly when they slid on their metallic knee-pads. My friends had to drag me around for the rest of the night, which made it a lot less enjoyable than its as before my incident. The disability that I have been struggling with for as long as I can remember is not one that many would see as stifling. Many people don't even consider it a disability; and I didn't either until I saw that it is technically considered one by law. Migraines have been haunting me from a young, young age. They've cut my fun short, and taken away opportunities that I see other kids my age get to experience. Over the years, they have only gotten worse. I sometimes cannot feel my tongue. Sometimes, I can't see. Sometimes, I can't feel my body and I feel like I am going to pass out. I can't be around flashing lights or I lose my sight before receiving a migraine. They've made my eyes more sensitive, and it's almost impossible for me to do anything in the sun without feeling like I am going to pass out. My migraines have impeded me from exploring normal teenage experiences. Sometimes, it ruins events for everyone. I love to play soccer and participate in various types of art. I play instruments, I work with animation, crocheting, and more. However, if I am animating on a screen for too long, my eyes with start to hurt and I will start to feel incredibly sick. If I play my bass clarinet for too long, I get a migraine. They kick in and take over almost every activity that I participate in. I live in Southern California, so it is always hot here. Soccer, being an outdoor sport, doesn't mix well with my migraines. However, I don't want to let such an intruding disability control me and the things that I wish to do. As a career, I plan to become an animator. I am going to study animation in college and hopefully, I will get a job for Pixar Studios. This will be challenging with my situation, however, I will not let my migraines stop me from achieving my goal. Additional funds would be so helpful in advancing my education. I am moving away from my three younger sisters and widowed mother, dealing with a tuition of 34,000 dollars. To lift a weight off of my mother, who also must find a way to pay for her own tuition, and my twin sister's tuition this upcoming fall. As much as I don't want my disability to impact my dreams, I don't want our difficult financial situation to either. With the help of this scholarship, I will be a step closer to accomplishing my dream of being a Pixar animator! Despite my situation, I know that I can make it happen. With additional funds, I am closer to seeing these wishes come true.

If I had one more day, to watch the wrinkles barely start to graze your face, If I had one more time, I'd keep death far away. If you were still here, that'd be my perfect day. I've traveled new distances, hoping to forget, the day you passed over your every-day necklace. Never-ending regret colors every sense. Every time I blink, hear, stare, or sniff. I can barely remember the strength of your voice, but I will forever remember the strength of your heart. You said, "You won't hold my hand like this when you're older." And I told you, "I promise to do it forever." I wish I had the chance to show you I meant it. You would have loved to see me walk the stage at graduation. I miss the way you hardly ever smiled Always, I knew your love was so endless. Your fatigue didn't impede an event, it didn't impede our smiles, you always worked two jobs just to make our lives worth while. I remember the way you'd lean back on Christmas in your folding chair. You watched with pride when our laughter and excitement filled the air. You came to every game, even if you'd gotten back from work extremely late. You cheered your heart out through your yawns. It drove me every time I heard you shout my name. My perfect day would take us back to any of these days Just any day that you weren't away. Any day that I was old enough to recognize that your love for me went such a long way. I would go back to the way that you got the job at Disneyland just so you could take us. I would go back to the days I saw your glasses on your face, I would go back to seeing your wallet in your hand, I would go back to when we brought you Portillo's for lunch on long work days. I would go back to any day where your belongings weren't just memories that sit in unopening drawers collecting dust, accumulating rust. I would go back to any day where the things you used to do weren't just memories that I can't remember about you. I would leave today in an instant If it meant that the pictures I stare at now could come back to life and be re-lived somehow. My perfect day would be with my heart. Because my heart is all I have. And if home is where the heart is, Then home is with my dad.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will use technology to create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation through relative stories with characters that embody people who experience similar things. My dream is to work for Pixar. I want to use my platform to represent the underrepresented. I want to give kids who didn't grow up with a princess or character that looked like them a smile of nostalgia when they finally see that there IS a character that looks like them. I want to tell stories that don't get told. I want to be the difference in the industry where we find a way to incorporate races, situations, and colors of all kinds when telling and devising each story. At the institution I am committed to attending, Academy of Art University, and with this scholarship, I hope to produce films and projects that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big production companies. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC movie screens or see the characters I created coming to life.I want each new character, each new script and each new story to tell the story of another person in this world. I want to have audiences that can relate and understand my art. I want to represent. I want to make my sisters proud and give them someone to look up to. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true. I know that it is attainable, and I know that in doing this, I am making a huge difference for girls and boys that grew up just like me: underrepresented. I want everyone to have the chance to see themselves on a screen, and once I have my degree, I will go off to Pixar and I will make this possible.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. Growing up in Artesia has exposed me to arts heavily. From the murals that were being crafted through the years, like the ones by the Portuguese Pub, and even the ones at my schools growing up. There has always been art surrounding me, which is what started my art career in the first place. Yes, Toy story helped me discover where I wanted my focus of art to be in college. But without the place where I grew up, Artesia, I would have never picked up that 6B pencil in the first place. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these artistic skills. The institution I am committed to attending, the Academy of Art University, allows me the opportunity to play soccer while pursuing my passion for art. I started playing soccer for my city at the age of eleven. If I had never started playing the sport for my city as a young girl, I would have never acquired such a strong love for it. Beside art, soccer is my greatest passion, and Artesia delivered this to me as well. It delivered my favorite things, my chosen family, my friends, and my hobbies. Artesia gave me a place to grow up with my father, who was my biggest supporter when it came to collegiate athletics and sports. With the talents I acquired from my city, I am guaranteed a great education. I’m in a great position to go out into the world and create the art that I have come to love. However, my twin sister, my widowed mother, and I will all be attending college for the fall of 2024-2025. In addition, I have two other younger sisters that my mother will be taking care of alone, seeing as I am moving six hours away for college. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for my mom. I have a great opportunity to attend this college and pursue both of the things that are so important to me, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. By being awarded this scholarship, I will be one step closer to accomplishing two of my greatest dreams, while also making it a bit easier on my mother. Artesia brought me my friends, it brought me my family, it brought me passion, and it brought me hope. Artesia has given me a purpose and a reason to go to college. Without my artistic talents, my upbringing in the ABC school district, and without my sport that originated in this city, college wouldn’t be an option. At this institution, and with this scholarship, I hope to produce films and projects that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big production companies. I want to give my city someone to look up to, and create works for my family to be immensely proud of. That is what drives me. That is why I want it so bad. My dream is to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. All of this started in Artesia, and I hope to go on to college proud that I was able to represent this city as I did.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. Growing up in Artesia has exposed me to arts heavily. From the murals that were being crafted through the years, like the ones by the Portuguese Pub, and even the ones at my schools growing up. There has always been art surrounding me, which is what started my art career in the first place. Yes, Toy story helped me discover where I wanted my focus of art to be in college. But without the place where I grew up, Artesia, I would have never picked up that 6B pencil in the first place. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these artistic skills. Another passion of mine would be my sport, soccer. The institution I am committed to attending, the Academy of Art University, allows me the opportunity to play soccer while pursuing my passion for art. I started playing soccer for my city at the age of eleven. If I had never started playing the sport for my city as a young girl, I would have never acquired such a strong love for it. Beside art, soccer is my greatest passion, and Artesia delivered this to me as well. It delivered my favorite things, my chosen family, my friends, and my hobbies. Artesia gave me a place to grow up with my father, who was my biggest supporter when it came to collegiate athletics and sports. With the talents I acquired from my city, I am guaranteed a great education. I’m in a great position to go out into the world and create the art that I have come to love. However, my twin sister, my widowed mother, and I will all be attending college for the fall of 2024-2025. In addition, I have two other younger sisters that my mother will be taking care of alone, seeing as I am moving six hours away for college. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for my mom. I have a great opportunity to attend this college and pursue both of the things that are so important to me, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. Artesia has inspired me. It's brought my friends, it brought my family, it brought me passion, and it brought me hope. Artesia has given me a purpose and a reason to go to college. Without my artistic talents, my upbringing in the ABC school district, and without my sport that originated in this city, college wouldn’t be an option. At this institution, and with this scholarship, I hope to produce films and projects that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big production companies. I want to make movies that tell each of our stories. I want to represent each culture, each teaching, and each kid that never had an animated look-alike to look up to. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done for me. All of this started in Artesia, and I hope to go on to college proud that I was able to represent this city as I did.

I started drawing at an early age, crumbling my papers when they didn't look like Picasso's finest pieces. I started writing stories in first grade, fantasizing about publishing them one day. I've worked with many mediums, I've crocheted, directed filming, animated, painted, and embroidered, but one of my favorite original productions would be my first published novel, "Five Times Broken". I started the story in fifth grade. It was a fun project to work on at the time. I didn't revisit the story until eighth grade, and finally, in tenth grade, I decided to take the book seriously. I realized how much potential it had and I realized that my first grade dreams of publication were a lot more attainable than I had previously thought. I edited the story to align with my life at the time. My father had recently passed away, which was a large part of what inspired me to finish the book. My main character was an orphan who struggled with various mental health issues. I added that small detail into the story after he passed. It felt like I was suffering from so many different things, but I didn't know what they were. I was struggling emotionally but I didn't know how to find help. I reflected this in my main character, Antonio. I felt like I was losing memories of my father, I felt like I was forgetting what he sounded like, which was why I added the detail of Antonio having amnesia. He forgets who his parents were and what great purposes they served in his life. He starts to navigate life as an orphan in a group home, and the navigation after the loss of a parent was something I was struggling with similarly. What inspired my story was my situation. I felt like I needed something to pull me out of the dark place I was in. It was something for me to cling to when I needed a purpose or something to do. I wrote when I was crying, I wrote when my mind was wandering in my classes, and I wrote when I thought of him. Writing and writing pulled me together enough to produce the novel that I did, even through my struggle. I was able to lose myself in my art and relish in the beauty of writing while getting to ignore the reality that Antonio and I wanted so badly to run from. I hold this piece of art dear to my heart because of what it got me through. I hold it dear to my heart because it feels like so many of my vulnerabilities are displayed in this story. This 300-page novel would have to be my favorite for its vulnerability and its realistic vision. It is full of concepts that are so much more real than they are fiction. Thus, the beauty of art. It can be anything, and you can make it anything. This is why art is everything to me.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation and many other things in this world through Pixar movies and journeys. Another passion of mine would be my sport, soccer. The institution I am committed to attending, the Academy of Art University, allows me the opportunity to play soccer while pursuing my passion for art. The tuition is incredibly expensive, however, and my twin sister, my widowed mother, and I will all be attending college for the fall of 2024-2025. I have been vigorously applying for scholarships because of this. In addition, I have two other younger sisters that my mother will be taking care of alone, seeing as I am moving six hours away for college. My mother, myself, and my twin sister will all be attending college for fall of 2024. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for my mom. I have a great opportunity to attend this college, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. As I have learned to navigate life with my widowed mother, I feel that I have been forced to grow up a little bit faster. Out of all four daughters, I am the oldest (one minute older than my twin) and the only one with a job. I am the oldest and the one that is expected to take the best care of my six-year-old sister. I have started to manage my money and pay for my own needs to get rid of extra costs for my mother. I have become more aware of money and how little we have, which is something that my sisters haven’t been forced to do yet. By being awarded this scholarship, I will be one step closer to accomplishing two of my greatest dreams, while also making it easier on my mother. I hate to see her struggle just so that I can be successful. I recently started working at Raising Cane's to also assist in some of the payments. Adjusting to life with a widowed, low-income mother has helped me become more aware of the reality I am approaching as I turn eighteen. I had to get out and get a job to support myself, which will also be my life when I am away at College. At this institution, I want to create. I will evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to share important messages and stories through my art. I want to change minds, push boundaries, and give kids movies to grow up with. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true, and with this scholarship, I will be so much closer to doing so.

I was eleven years old in 2017, and I'd never taken a sport seriously in my life. I was a kid with no hobbies and nothing much to do. I attended school, ate for fun, and slept. I had no character and no structure to the person I was. However, my life was changed the first time I touched that black-and-white hexagon-decorated sphere. Soccer became much more than a sport to me. It started as something to keep me active, and now, I have been recruited to play the sport at a Dll institution. It started as free post-game snacks, and now it’s where I discovered my leadership skills. Now it’s where most of my family have originated from. Soccer taught me passion. Soccer brought the important people in my life closer. My father was my biggest supporter on and off the field, and I am lucky that soccer gave me the chance to witness this support and see that side of him before he passed in 2021. I feel that this has deepened my passion and my level of seriousness when I step on the pitch. Thanks to him, I've finally made it to where I've always wanted to be; the collegiate soccer level. Soccer unlocked part of me that I didn't know existed. After starting, I became a leader. Once I learned how to talk on the field, I learned how to communicate better with others. To this day, my teachers continue to label me as the leader in the room. Yes, I can read plays like the back of my hand. But the analytical person I became on the field is the analytical person I became in life. The institution I am committed to attending, Academy of Art University, gives me the opportunity to play while pursuing arts. The tuition is outstanding, however, and my twin, my widowed mother, and I will be attending college for the fall of 2024. I have been vigorously applying for scholarships. In addition, I have two other sisters that my mother will take care of alone, seeing as I'm moving six hours away. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for her. I have a great opportunity to attend this college, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. I've learned to navigate life with my widowed mother. I was forced to grow up faster. Out of all four daughters, I am the oldest (one minute older than my twin) and the only one with a job. I'm the oldest and the one that is expected to take the best care of my six-year-old sister. I've started to manage my money and pay for my needs to get rid of extra costs for my mother. I've become more aware of money and how little we have, which is something that my sisters haven’t been forced to do yet. Soccer gave me a family. It brought me closer to my father before losing him. We excavated long vacations in random states because of showcases on weekends. We had parties to celebrate great wins, which gave me the chance to see a side of him that I never would’ve. In addition, soccer allowed me to meet a version of myself and be the best version of me that I can be. This sport has grown me into the leader and analytical person that I am today. It's taught me passion, and it's given me life-long lessons that I never would have gained if I never touched that black-and-white hexagon-decorated sphere.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation and my passions through Pixar movies. Another thing that I have deep love for is soccer. The institution I am committed to attending, the Academy of Art University, allows me the to play soccer while pursuing my passion for art. The tuition is incredibly expensive, however, and my twin sister, my widowed mother, and I will all be attending college for the fall of 2024-2025. I have been vigorously applying for scholarships because of this. In addition, I have two other younger sisters that my mother will be taking care of alone, seeing as I am moving six hours away for college. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for my mom. I have a great opportunity to attend this college, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. At this institution, and with this scholarship, I hope to produce films and projects that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big production companies. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me growing up. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC, Harkins, drive-in movie screens and see the characters I created coming to life. I want my family to watch from home and be so thankful that I was able to accomplish something so challenging and beautiful. I want to make my sisters proud and give them someone to look up to. Most of all, however, I would love to make my father proud. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true, and with the Fernandez scholarship, I will be so much closer to doing so.

I am blue, red, green, black and gold. Although I speak French and Spanish, I am closer to the Jamaican side of me rather than my Haitian side. My father, before his passing, instilled the importance of Marley and Shaggy and Culture. However, being from the Caribbean in a city full of primarily Asians has gifted me consequences since I was five-years old. I didn't start listening to Shaggy again until recently. Instead, I was so used to listening to the Indie music that all of my Asian friends play around me. I guess it made me feel more welcome. This way, nobody had to bring up the fact that I was different from them. I love where I grew up in Artesia. It gave me the chance to make my greatest friends through soccer, become closer to my father through soccer prior to his death, and develop my greatest memories in the city. It was just so hard to grow up and be myself. I felt like I had to be out of this city in order to feel like me. I spend most of my time in Anaheim with my family of El Salvadorian descent, where we eat ethnic foods and listen to RnB, which is something I could never get with anyone home in Artesia. This is how I started to get involved in Community service. I started involving myself in programs more away from home, because I felt that this is where I discovered people more like me. My favorite volunteering/community service event was the Seahorse Soccer camp. We worked with kids for eight hours a day, teaching them about the lord while also teaching them soccer. The camp lasted Monday-Friday and it was so exciting. My experience with this camp helped me realize how much I loved to help young kids, and how much I loved to make them smile. As Anaheim is far from home, I wanted to find a place close to home where I felt welcome as well. This is how I found Raising Cane's. It was my first job, and I think it is the most diverse setting I have been involved in where I live. I feel so comfortable. I can speak French and Spanish with CO-workers, and customers, making them feel comfortable as well! When I excavate my journey to college, I will be involved in work study. This allows me to pay for the outstanding tuition while pursuing service that allows me to do what I love. I love to meet new people at work and serve them with an attitude that can light their day. After receiving my degree, I hope to take my new-found animating skills to devise movies that relate to children who grew up in similar situations as me. I want to tell stories that represent these kids. I want them to be heard. This is how I will start involved, and with this scholarship, I will be so much closer to doing so.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation and many other things in this world through Pixar movies and journeys. Another passion of mine would be my sport, soccer. The institution I am committed to attending, the Academy of Art University, allows me the opportunity to play soccer while pursuing my passion for art. Tuition is incredibly expensive, however, and my twin sister, my widowed mother, and I will all be attending college for the fall of 2024-2025. I have been vigorously applying for scholarships because of this. In addition, I have two other younger sisters that my mother will be taking care of alone, seeing as I am moving six hours away for college. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for my mom. I have a great opportunity to attend this college, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. As I have learned to navigate life with my widowed mother, I feel that I have been forced to grow up a little bit faster. Out of all four daughters, I am the oldest and the only one with a job. I am the oldest and the one that is expected to take the best care of my six-year-old sister. I have started to manage my own money and pay for my own needs to get rid of extra costs for my mother. I have become more aware of money and how little we have, which is something that my sisters haven’t been forced to do yet. By being awarded this scholarship, I will be one step closer to accomplishing two of my greatest dreams, while also making it a bit easier on my mother. I hate to see her struggle just so that I can be successful. Adjusting to life with a widowed, low-income mother has helped me become more aware of the reality I am approaching as I turn eighteen. I had to get out and get a job to support myself, which will also be my life when I am away at College. At this institution, and with this scholarship, I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC movie screens or see the characters I created coming to life. I want my family to watch from home and be so thankful that I was able to accomplish something so challenging and beautiful. I want to make my sisters proud and give them someone to look up to. Most of all, however, I would love to make my father proud. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true, and with this scholarship, I will be so much closer to doing so.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crochet, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as other artists have done for me. With college, and with the Pacific Academy Foundation Scholarship, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. With my talents, I will have the chance to share messages. Media shares messages in a way that nothing else can, and I can spread important stories or information through meaningful animated pieces. They may mean a lot to me because of the way that I have developed them, but they may mean even more to others. My art has the ability to tell someone else's story, to recognize their hardship, or to understand their struggle. I can use my talent to bring awareness to multiple issues, to many topics, and I can use it to even just entertain in times of hardship. Through my talent, I can provide comfort. By telling and creating relatable stories for my audience, I can bring closure to the young girls that never got it, or the young girls that lacked it growing up. I can help others through my art, and I can show them that they are not alone I can demonstrate the importance of love, together-ness, compassion, and more. Art can be absolutely anything we make it, and I want my art to draw emotion and tenderness in people's hearts. To change them or the way that they thought before watching. I want to share my love of animation and many other things in this world through Pixar movies and journeys. This is my goal in my collegiate and professional careers. I hope to produce films that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big stages. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC movie screens or see the characters I created coming to life. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true, and with this scholarship, I will be so much closer to doing so.

Luigi, Mario, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad played some of the most memorable roles in creating my childhood. Super Mario Bros Wii started as another game that we got on a random Christmas, but it quickly became one of the only games that we replaced every time it scratched. World One's music is engraved in my mind. It wasn't even that hard. As a kindergartner, though, the castle level felt like the end of the world. My dad and my older cousin constantly stepped in to carry us through the levels that seemed so impossible back then. My sisters and I would celebrate like we had helped, especially after we discovered the trick to get us through Boo's haunted secret exits. That game became my world. Every day after school, I rushed to the Wii. I remember seeing World Nine for the first time, and it felt magical. Almost as magical as the feeling I received playing that game with my family. Mario didn't mean to, but Mario brought my family together. It felt so effortless; the way that we could pick up a Wii remote and travel to a different world, all happy within the same space. We connected so easily just because we could laugh over clicking "A" when someone else fell into a ditch. One of the best moments that my family still references today came from Super Mario Bros. When I was younger, I was definitely a quitter. I would click "A" like my life depended on it. Which, in the game, it did. That button would put your character in a bubble that would keep you safe unless you shook the remote to be popped by a teammate. I would always say, "I'm going in my bubble" when I didn't get my way. And whenever I get close to quitting something as an eighteen-year-old, my mom always says, "Stop going in your bubble". In a way, the Wii and Super Mario became my motivation. I was five back then. Now I'm 18. I had two sisters then, and now I have three. Somehow, though, it feels like nothing has changed. We got a Nintendo Switch as soon as it came out, but still, it sits right next to our Wii, which we occasionally choose instead. Although it was replaced about two times because it was unresponsive, it still holds all the memories from my childhood. I remember each time that my cousin paused his homework to help us, and I remember my dad spending hours helping us get through World Four. I have countless memories that brought my family together- all stemming from this game. My father passed away in 2021. Playing Mario Party 9 and Super Mario Bros Wii will never feel the same without him standing over and watching. Every time we turn on the Wii and see the outdated Netflix and the unused News channel, memories flood our minds about the days we played with our dad years ago. From Just Dance 3 to Madagascar 2, the memories are endless. I can't imagine what my childhood would have been without the Wii to bring my family together on Monday nights, good nights, or game nights. I played Mario Party 9 on the Wii with my sisters days ago. The memories the Wii creates never leave, and it continues to make new ones today. Thankfully, now, we get the opportunity to educate my six-year-old sister on the miraculous ways of the Wii balance board, the nunchucks, Wii Ski, Barbie, Madagascar, Mario, and Sonic. Thankfully, we have many more memories to make.

After losing my father two years ago as a fifteen-year-old girl, my mental health took a turn for the worst. He was a provider for my family, my biggest supporter, and everyone’s best friend. Although I continue to struggle with the complexity of my new life without him, this period of struggle has helped me grow. I have discovered characteristics in myself that I never would have recognized. I had to try my best to live a “normal life” like every other kid, even when I felt so far from that. Additionally, I grew accustomed to pushing myself when it felt impossible. Losing my father was the most life-changing event that I have experienced, but the situation has brought me new-found strength that I would have never gained otherwise. I dragged myself into zero period on the first day of school- just four days after hearing my dad take his last breath. It showed me that I am so much stronger than I gave myself credit for. I pushed myself to maintain A’s in my classes as I tried to recall what his voice sounded like. Although I would much rather have my dad with me, his absence has delivered strength that will benefit me for years coming. It has brought me maturity and confidence because I am more aware of what I am capable of in arts, in academics, and in my sport. I am more understanding of myself, my talents, my strength, and my courage. Because of these gifts I have acquired, I can stand as a better role model to my three sisters, and I am now better fit to face the obstacles awaiting me in life and in my career path. The event of losing my father continues to impact me even two years later, however, it has also aided in developing me into a better version of myself.

Just a week before my first few days of high school, my father passed away. Although I continue to struggle with the complexity of life without him, this struggle has helped me grow. I have discovered characteristics in myself that I never would have recognized. I tried my best to live a “normal life” like everyone else. This already created a huge challenge for me that other kids didn't have to struggle with. I had to push myself when it felt impossible. Losing my father was a life-changing event, but it gave me strength that I wouldn't have gained otherwise. I dragged myself into zero period- just four days after hearing my dad take his last breath. It showed me how strong I truly am. I pushed myself to maintain A’s in my classes as I tried to recall what his voice sounded like. My father's absence has delivered strength that will benefit me for years coming. It has brought me confidence because I am more aware of what I am capable of in arts, in academics, and in my sport. I am more understanding of myself, my talents, and my courage. Because of these gifts, I am a better role model to my sisters, and I am better fit to face the obstacles awaiting me in life and my career path. The event of losing my father continues to impact me even two years later, however, it has also aided in developing me into a better version of myself.

I was eleven years old in 2017, and I had never taken a sport seriously in my life. I was a kid with little to no hobbies and nothing much to do with myself. I attended school, struggled with math, ate for fun, and slept. I had no character, I had no passions, I had no structure to the person I was. However, my life changed drastically the first time I touched that black-and-white hexagon-decorated sphere. Soccer has become so much more than a sport to me. It started off as something to keep me active as a kid, and now, I have been recruited to play the sport at a Dll institution six hours away. It started as free post-game snacks, and now it is where I discovered my leadership skills. It was a reason to get out of the house on Saturdays, and now it is where most of my friends and family have originated from. Soccer has taught me what passion is. Soccer brought the most important people in my life closer to me. My father was my biggest supporter on and off the field, and I am so lucky that this sport gave me the chance to witness the overload of support I received from my father. He was so happy to see me play a sport like he did as a kid, and I am thankful that I got to see that side of him before he passed in 2021. Part of my passion is tied to soccer because it is something that my dad wanted for me so desperately. All he wanted was to see me excel in my sport. I feel that this has deepened my passion and my level of seriousness when I step on the pitch. Thanks to my father, I've finally made it to where I want to be; the collegiate soccer level. Soccer unlocked a part of me that I didn't know existed. After I started playing, I morphed into a strong leader. Once I learned how to talk on the field, I learned how to communicate better with people around me. To this day, my teachers and peers continue to label me as the leader in the room, as the leader in our groups, and as the most analytical person they know. Sure, I can read soccer plays like the back of my hand. But the analytical person I became on the field is also the analytical person I became in life. Soccer has given me a family, and it has given me support and love. It brought me closer to my father before I lost him. We were always excavating on long vacations in other states because I had games over the weekend. We had road trips and we had parties to celebrate great wins, which gave me the chance to see a side of him I would have never seen otherwise. In addition, soccer has allowed me to see a new version of myself, and be the best version of me that I possibly can be. This sport has grown me to be the achiever, leader, and analytical person that I am today. It's taught me passion, and it's given me life-long lessons that I never would have gained if I never touched that black-and-white hexagon-decorated sphere.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation and many other things in this world through Pixar movies and journeys. Another passion of mine would be my sport, soccer. The institution I am committed to attending, the Academy of Art University, allows me the opportunity to play soccer while pursuing my passion for art. The tuition is incredibly expensive, however, and my twin sister, my widowed mother, and I will all be attending college for the fall of 2024-2025. I have been vigorously applying for scholarships because of this. In addition, I have two other younger sisters that my mother will be taking care of alone, seeing as I am moving six hours away for college. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for my mom. I have a great opportunity to attend this college, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. By being awarded this scholarship, I will be one step closer to accomplishing two of my greatest dreams, while also making it a bit easier on my mother. I hate to see her struggle just so that I can be successful. I recently started working at Raising Cane's to also assist in some of the payments. At this institution, and with this scholarship, I hope to produce films and projects that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big production companies. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC movie screens or see the characters I created coming to life. I want my family to watch from home and be so thankful that I was able to accomplish something so challenging and beautiful. I want to make my sisters proud and give them someone to look up to. Most of all, however, I would love to make my father proud. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true, and with this scholarship, I will be so much closer to doing so.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation and many other things through Pixar movies and journeys. I am currently committed to attending the Academy of Art University. After publishing two stories, winning a few art competitions, and selling my crocheted and painted art, I have found a college that is perfect for my studies. While I can focus on animation, I can pursue minors in specific artistic fields in an environment that fits the career path I would like to take. The tuition is incredibly expensive, however, and my twin sister, my widowed mother, and I will all be attending college for the fall of 2024-2025. I have been vigorously applying for scholarships because of this. In addition, I have two other younger sisters that my mother will be taking care of alone, seeing as I am moving six hours away for college. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for my mom. I have a great opportunity to attend this college, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. By being awarded this scholarship, I will be one step closer to accomplishing my greatest dreams, while also making it a bit easier on my mother. I hate to see her struggle just so that I can be successful. I recently started working at Raising Cane's to also assist in some of the payments. At this institution, and with this scholarship, I hope to produce films and projects that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big production companies. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC movie screens or see the characters I created coming to life. I want my family to watch from home and be so thankful that I was able to accomplish something so challenging and beautiful. I want to make my sisters proud and give them someone to look up to. Most of all, however, I would love to make my father proud. I will work hard to see these goals come true, and with this scholarship, I will be much closer to doing so.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation and many other things in this world through Pixar movies and journeys. Another passion of mine would be my sport, soccer. The institution I am committed to attending, the Academy of Art University, allows me the opportunity to play soccer while pursuing my passion for art. The tuition is incredibly expensive, however, and my twin sister, my widowed mother, and I will all be attending college for the fall of 2024-2025. I have been vigorously applying for scholarships because of this. In addition, I have two other younger sisters that my mother will be taking care of alone, seeing as I am moving six hours away for college. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for my mom. I have a great opportunity to attend this college, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. By being awarded this scholarship, I will be one step closer to accomplishing two of my greatest dreams, while also making it a bit easier on my mother. I hate to see her struggle just so that I can be successful. I recently started working at Raising Cane's to also assist in some of the payments. At this institution, and with this scholarship, I hope to produce films and projects that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big production companies. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC movie screens or see the characters I created coming to life. I want my family to watch from home and be so thankful that I was able to accomplish something so challenging and beautiful. I want to make my sisters proud and give them someone to look up to. Most of all, however, I would love to make my father proud. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true, and with this scholarship, I will be so much closer to doing so.

My father would have to be the person who supported me most in accomplishing my goals in education. He taught me how to work hard, he taught me to push myself when it felt impossible, and he taught me to learn from every mistake. Endlessly, he put his heart into all of his work, whether he was working two or three jobs. I learned the most from his hard work, and I continue to carry his lessons with me today. He took extra jobs and extra hours away from us just to accomplish his own goals; he just wanted to see us smile and live the best life possible. He chased extra money to give my sisters and I everything we could have wanted. He worked a second job, only earning around minimum wage for a custodial Graveyard shift at California Adventure Park. He didn't work there for the minimum wage money, he worked there so that my sisters and I could go for free and smile together. That was what he desired. My dad wanted me to go to a great college and pursue my athletic and educational goals. I have always held high standards for myself. Growing up with three sisters makes it hard to be individualistic. All of my sisters excelled in what I didn't. I struggled deeply with math growing up, and my dad tried his best to provide solutions for me. After losing him, it was upon me to discover those solutions. While grieving his absence, I attended as many tutoring sessions as I could, taught myself the things I didn't understand, and spent my snack and lunch periods with my math teacher and my YouTube videos. His work ethic stayed with me, and it helped me pass my junior math class with a B. Even after losing my father, he inspired so much of what I do today. I admire him for the lessons he taught me simply through his actions. Because of him, I’ve learned to put my heart into my talents, especially the two novels that I published on Amazon. As much as I hated math, he taught me to put my heart into that as well. I had to put my heart and soul into every hour that I spent studying out of the day, otherwise, I wouldn't have received the grade that I did. He helped me exponentially to get to the point that I am today. His support continues to live with me, and it assists me in getting through the obstacles that I face with education today.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation and many other passions through Pixar movies and journeys. I'll gain a platform where I can represent problems going on in the world, or I will be able to represent walks of life that are not usually seen in movies or on TV. The importance of art is beyond how much it means to me. Art also helps to spread awareness of various topics through simple images that can be showcased to anyone. I hope to work in the Pixar field so that one day, I will have a big enough platform to bring awareness to important topics that are not spoken about enough. Art assists in adding depth to our world, in spreading messages around our world, and in making people feel represented. When people feel represented through movies, paintings, and stories, they can relate with others around them. Art creates communities, such as book clubs, for example, that bring people together because they share experiences described in stories. Art helps us represent people, it helps people come out with their own stories because they feel safe enough to do so once they see they are not alone. Art is wordless, but it speaks volumes. In college, and with this scholarship, I hope to produce films and projects that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big production companies. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC movie screens or see the characters I created coming to life. I want to inspire young girls and represent them in my media, letting them know that they too can accomplish their dreams. I want my family to watch from home and be so thankful that I was able to accomplish something so challenging and beautiful. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true, and with this scholarship, I will be so much closer to doing so.

I started drawing at an early age, crumbling my papers when they didn't look like Picasso's finest pieces. I started writing stories in first grade, fantasizing about publishing them one day. I've worked with many mediums, I've crocheted, directed filming, animated, painted, and embroidered, but one of my favorite original productions would be my first published novel, "Five Times Broken". I started the story in fifth grade. It was a fun project to work on at the time. I didn't revisit the story until eighth grade, and finally, in tenth grade, I decided to take the book seriously. I realized how much potential it had and I realized that my first grade dreams of publication were a lot more attainable than I had previously thought. I edited the story to align with my life at the time. My father had recently passed away, which was a large part of what inspired me to finish the book. My main character was an orphan who struggled with various mental health issues. I added that small detail into the story after losing my father. It felt like I was suffering from so many different things, but I didn't know what they were. I was struggling emotionally but I didn't know how to find help. I reflected this in my main character, Antonio. I felt like I was losing memories of my father, I felt like I was forgetting what he sounded like, which was why I added the detail of Antonio having amnesia. He forgets who his parents were and what great purposes they served in his life. He starts to navigate life as an orphan in a group home, and the navigation after the loss of a parent was something I was struggling with similarly. The other half of what inspired my story was my situation. I felt like I needed something to pull me out of the dark place I was in. It was something for me to cling to when I needed a purpose or something to do. I wrote when I was crying, I wrote when my mind was wandering in my classes, and I wrote when I thought of him. My situation pulled me together enough to produce the novel that I did, even through my struggle. I was able to lose myself in my art and relish in the beauty of writing while getting to ignore the reality that Antonio and I wanted so badly to run from. I hold this piece of art dear to my heart because of what it got me through. I hold it dear to my heart because it feels like so many of my vulnerabilities are displayed in this story. This 300-page novel would have to be my favorite for its vulnerability and its realistic vision. It is full of concepts that are so much more real than they are fiction. I feel that the things that inspired me to write this story will always make it one of my favorite creations.

I was eleven years old in 2017, and I had never taken a sport seriously in my life. I was a kid with little to no hobbies and nothing much to do with myself. I attended school, struggled with math, ate for fun, and slept. I had no character, I had no passions, I had no structure to the person I was. However, my life changed drastically the first time I touched that black-and-white hexagon-decorated sphere. Soccer has become so much more than a sport to me. It started off as something to keep me active as a kid, and now, I have been recruited to play the sport at a Dll institution six hours away. It started as free post-game snacks, and now it is where I discovered my leadership skills. It was a reason to get out of the house on Saturdays, and now it is where most of my friends and family have originated from. Soccer has taught me what passion is. Soccer brought the most important people in my life closer to me. My father was my biggest supporter on and off the field, and I am so lucky that this sport gave me the chance to witness the overload of support I received from my father. He was so happy to see me play a sport like he did as a kid, and I am thankful that I got to see that side of him before he passed in 2021. Part of my passion is tied to soccer because it is something that my dad wanted for me so desperately. All he wanted was to see me excel in my sport. I feel that this has deepened my passion and my level of seriousness when I step on the pitch. Thanks to my father, I've finally made it to where I want to be; the collegiate soccer level. Soccer unlocked a part of me that I didn't know existed. After I started playing, I morphed into a strong leader. Once I learned how to talk on the field, I learned how to communicate better with people around me. To this day, my teachers and peers continue to label me as the leader in the room, as the leader in our groups, and as the most analytical person they know. Sure, I can read soccer plays like the back of my hand. But the analytical person I became on the field is also the analytical person I became in life. Soccer has given me a family, and it has given me support and love. It brought me closer to my father before I lost him. We were always excavating on long vacations in other states because I had games over the weekend. We had road trips and we had parties to celebrate great wins, which gave me the chance to see a side of him I would have never seen otherwise. In addition, soccer has allowed me to see a new version of myself, and be the best version of me that I possibly can be. This sport has grown me to be the achiever, leader, and analytical person that I am today. It's taught me passion, and it's given me life-long lessons that I never would have gained if I never touched that black-and-white hexagon-decorated sphere.

I closely watched the movements of each Toy Story character in the fourth movie, and I discovered myself immediately. I remember getting extremely emotional; I finally recognized what type of artist I wanted to be after years of watercolor, writing books, crocheting, and sketching. I am and will be an animator who will create for the happiness of wide audiences. In college, I hope to learn more about the beauty of animation and what else I can do with it. I am an artist who will create visions, ideas, and childhoods for generations coming, just as previous artists have done for me. With college, and with this scholarship to make college possible, I hope to acquire a stronger set of these skills. I want to share my love of animation and many other things in this world through Pixar movies and journeys. Another passion of mine would be my sport, soccer. The institution I am committed to attending, the Academy of Art University, allows me the opportunity to play soccer while pursuing my passion for art. The tuition is incredibly expensive, however, and my twin sister, my widowed mother, and I will all be attending college for the fall of 2024-2025. I have been vigorously applying for scholarships because of this. In addition, I have two other younger sisters that my mother will be taking care of alone, seeing as I am moving six hours away for college. This scholarship will be so helpful in shaving away some of the overwhelming costs for my mom. I have a great opportunity to attend this college, and I don't want the suffocating tuition to be a reason why I cannot. By being awarded this scholarship, I will be one step closer to accomplishing two of my greatest dreams, while also making it a bit easier on my mother. I hate to see her struggle just so that I can be successful. I recently started working at Raising Cane's to also assist in some of the payments. At this institution, and with this scholarship, I hope to produce films and projects that I will grow from and learn from until I make it to the big production companies. I want to evoke emotion from audiences just as animated movies have done to me. I want to watch my few seconds of production be played on huge AMC movie screens or see the characters I created coming to life. I want my family to watch from home and be so thankful that I was able to accomplish something so challenging and beautiful. I want to make my sisters proud and give them someone to look up to. Most of all, however, I would love to make my father proud. I will work my hardest to see these goals come true, and with this scholarship, I will be so much closer to doing so.