Growing up in New York City, the center of creativity, encouraged me to sketch the world through my five-year-old lens. Inspiration came daily through graffiti, murals, theater, bold fashion choices, and spontaneous subway performances. I translated this uniqueness through a medley of graphite and crayons and felt immense pride through my creations. Through drawing, I found a separate language that not only became a skill, but also expressed a way of thinking, feeling, and documenting life. My early sketches reflected my reality as a child in the city: diverse, colorful, and full of humor and joy that I illustrated through self-made comics. This positive energy vanished when I moved to rural North Carolina at eight years old. My scenery changed from bustling cities to quiet farmland, and diversity and community were nearly nonexistent- this transition was my "Blue Period." My art was bleak, passive, and represented the unshakable culture shock and longing I felt for the past. It wasn't until I was accepted into the North Carolina Governor's School Program in my junior year that my "Rose Period" began. As one of 800 students selected statewide, I attended the Governor's School program with a focus in art and drew everything I bottled up: fear, anger, resentment, loneliness, and the small pockets of joy I savored. I found strength in shared emotions despite cultural differences. The Governor's School program reminded me of how art documents and heals time, relighting the passion that I lost during my "Blue Period." This experience led to a thought-provoking art show and prompted me to start anew as a devoted artist and storyteller. My motivation from Governor's School translated directly into my AP Art portfolio my senior year. I spent time reflecting on personal stories and others' experiences, and diversified my horizons by interviewing my peers and reading different perspectives. My portfolio sparked conversations about cultural identity, the impact of migration, controversy, and truth. I realized that art is a uniting force that brings perspectives together, even when they differ. My passion for art aligns with my philosophy of lifelong learning, which led to my acceptance into the New York Academy of Art's Undergraduate Residency Program this summer. With the help of qualified artists, I will apply my self-taught drawing skills and challenge myself through traditional instruction. I will learn anatomy, sculpture, art theory, and revisit old and new art museums that shaped my childhood and will form new experiences in my adulthood. This opportunity represents a full circle moment- from self-taught techniques to formal training; from rural isolation to city connectedness. Drawing has been my voice when I was too afraid to speak, and it has been my shield against ignorance that robs the world of joy. Through drawing, I will continue to amplify underrepresented voices, evoke unity, and document the beauty of humanity, one sketch at a time.

Growing up in New York City as a child filled me with wonder. Each day promised a new experience, and I was immersed in a world of expression. I marveled at the intricate murals on buildings, cheered on passionate street performers, listened to the musicality of different cultures, and watched the Rockettes twirl and kick in sync at Radio City. This perfect blend of art, rhythm, creativity, and culture contributed to my artistic awakening, but the power of picture books ignited my love for literacy. My parents encouraged my love for literacy by describing books as journeys yet to be discovered. "If you keep reading, your vocabulary will grow stronger and stronger," they'd say. My reading path can be described in a simple timeline: I received my first library card at the age of two and was over the moon by the thought of renting out books I wanted! As I grew older, I delved into the classics: Charlotte's Web, the Junie B. Jones series, Anansi the Spider, and the Who Was series. The more I read, the more I felt energized. Inspired. I didn't know what these emotions meant, so I expressed them on paper with a dull wooden pencil and dried-out Crayola markers. My parents, recognizing my sudden urge to illustrate my thoughts, bought me the Highlights magazines. I delved into the stories and illustrated countless scenarios. I even wrote my own stories based on my experiences as an ambitious four-year-old. While this early experience of literature and art paved the way for my life, my journey took an unexpected turn when I moved to North Carolina when I was eight. I transitioned from the concrete jungle, the great metropolis, to a slower-paced Southern environment. From third grade to my senior year of high school, I was often the only Black girl in my classroom. People made snarky comments about New York and Black culture; my teachers couldn't care less about culturally relevant pedagogy, and my competitive classmates compared their fake tans to my brown skin. I saw a Confederate flag each time I left for school. I did not feel welcomed. I was living a nightmare that brought up the issue of representation in literature and art. The bookshelves in my school were dusty and untouched, filled with Southern Gothics, Confederate writings from 1865, and picture books with lily-white characters. As the pages of the book fell from the spine, I felt myself falling into a depression. How could two places be so different? Did I take diversity for granted in New York City? Did my peers even care about reading? I took my frustration and the need for compassion into my artwork to address my yearning for representation. My AP Art portfolio became my visual journal for expressing themes of insecurity among different cultures. Through my art, I found my voice. Now, as a student at North Carolina A&T, I am committed to using my voice to promote inclusivity and representation in picture books. I believe it is my destiny to create art and stories that reflect the multicultural world. I want to ensure that Black and brown children don't go unnoticed, just as I felt during my time in North Carolina. With the help of this scholarship, you are funding my education. You are allowing me the resources to strengthen my artistic skills. I am passionate about contributing to a world where every child can see themselves in a picture book while learning to love literature, just as I once did.

Books. Before, if offered a book, I'd respond with the same sass as Regina George from Mean Girls. I needed help to delve into and get lost in novels. High School changed my perspective on books; in my English classes, I read "Night" by Elie Wiesel, "The Odyssey," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Julius Caesar"--little did I know I was dipping my toes into the pool of literature. Now, in my AP Literature class, I read like books will suddenly disappear off the face of the earth! These books would make my ideal bookshelf: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. At first, I was skeptical--the old English intimidated me, and often, I hesitated to open the book. Reading it has expanded my knowledge of 19th-century England and the suffocating role English women endured. My second choice would be "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. It is an insightful and emotional story of a persistent Black woman struggling to find love during the Jim Crow Era. This historically accurate book is a treasure to any bookshelf. Other must-have titles on my bookshelf would be "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann, "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams, "Kindred" by Octavia E. Butler, and "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley. All these influential books have provided BookTok with knowledge about different societal issues and messages in various periods. Although these would be on my bookshelf, two books mentioned on BookTok would have a shrine of their own: "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini, one of the most talented authors. This year, my English teacher graced us with "The Kite Runner." As she handed them out, she said, "This book will change your life. I'm serious." Reading it has changed my life. I learned about Afghanistan, a country I knew little about. I learned about the Pashtuns and the Hazaras and the historical difference between the two racial groups. I discovered their cuisine--mouth-watering kebabs and delectable rose water ice cream. I learned about the Soviet invasion that lasted for ten years and displaced many innocent Afghanis. I learned about the creation of the Taliban; this group was seen in a positive light until they started to enforce their suffocating rules on society. Khaled Hosseini included all of these details while telling the story of Amir, a young Afghani boy unable to forgive himself for the past. As he grows up, he goes on an incredible journey full of death, danger, regret, and love to reach forgiveness--an important message that can resonate with many. On BookTok, I've seen many people holding the book and crying because Hosseini crafted an incredible story with an unforgettable message. After finishing "The Kite Runner," my English teacher suggested I read Hosseini's next novel, "A Thousand Splendid Suns." Once again, I got a warning: "This book will hurt more than 'The Kite Runner.'" She was right. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" focuses on Mariam and Laila, two women in Taliban-occupied Afghanistan. This book opened my eyes and the BookTok community to the plight of Afghani women: They could not laugh in public, attend school, work, wear cosmetics, paint their nails, speak--the list continues. Instead, they had to bow down to their significantly older husbands, who treated their alarmingly young wives worse than dogs. This book made me so thankful for my rights as a woman in America while sympathizing heavily with Afghani women. Both of these books hold sacred lessons. They challenge our minds. They encourage sympathy. Khaled Hosseini is a true gift to the BookTok community.

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends," said the late and great Maya Angelou. I want to major in Visual arts and Creative Writing while traveling abroad. My dream of traveling the world stemmed from middle school. My mom and I watched Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown on school nights. I was fascinated by Bourdain's natural ability to connect with others without exploiting people's cultural differences, as many other journalists do. His show was admirable because he didn't just focus on food--he delved into the culture, the rising politics of the country, and the people. Janice MacLeod is another traveler who has inspired me. She published A Paris Year, a gorgeous, artsy book about her yearly Paris trip. Unlike Bourdain, she documented her travels through delicate watercolor paintings and striking photographs. Lastly, as a history lover, I am influenced by Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Food: Delicious Destinations. Zimmern mainly focuses on the historical aspect of food. These three travelers are the backbone of my traveling dream. My dream of writing started during the Pandemic. The Pandemic was massive in its global impact. When reflecting on COVID-19, besides the economic impact, many people neglect to mention the mental and social effects on the world. I can attest to this firsthand. I experienced quarantine in 8th grade and was fully online by 9th grade. I was isolated from human interaction. Many people feared catching or spreading the disease. I had a hard time processing my emotions during this unprecedented situation. I felt hopeless until my parents told me to journal. So I did. My journal was full of conflicting feelings, sparky outbursts, and the terrible tales of 2020. I wrote about how all of my days were predictable and uninteresting. I scribbled about my disdain for online school. Every day, I locked myself in my room, pretending to be a bestselling author writing a memoir about how backward the world seemed. Because of my endless free time, I dusted my bookshelf off and started to read. The most significant book during this time was Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Skloot's descriptive and emotional writing about the Lacks family motivated me to read more. The next book I read was Kindred, created by the genius Octavia E. Butler. Her creativity blew my mind! The last thing that inspired me was Rocky III, one of my favorite boxing movies. I learned that Sylvester Stallone, the creator of Rocky, wrote the underdog story in three and a half days while experiencing homelessness, and I was inspired that someone could write such a masterpiece in their most dire time, and I feel I can do the same. These three writers have inspired my writing dream! I want a degree in Studio Art and Creative Writing. I will travel in and out of the country to connect with others and experience different cultures. I will use my degree in Studio Art to illustrate my observations; my Creative Writing degree will help document my days, thoughts, and the lives and lessons of others. I am a dreamer, and I will put these dreams into action. 'You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.' – Octavia E. Butler.

My name is Jaiden Russell; I'm a 17-year-old artist working with elementary-age children at a daycare! One of the many things I value about this age group is their curiosity. They're questioning and exploring the giant world they have yet to experience, and I'm lucky enough to guide them for a couple of hours. One day, a group of children approached me with a book, urging me to read Alice In Wonderland. Seeing the interest and the excitement in their eyes sparked my interest in reading to kids! I changed my voice depending on the character, created sound effects, and involved myself deeply in the children's book; they were so involved with the story that they mimicked my actions. After I finished reading, I encouraged the kids to read; surprisingly, their enthusiasm dropped, and they suddenly lacked confidence. "I don't know how to read," they'd say. I could feel how upset they were. Now, it is my priority to help kids with their reading and vocabulary. I let students play word games on my phone and help them spell on the chalkboard. I make sure to praise their reading efforts. I encourage them to spell out tricky words. I even admit to not being able to define certain words--I want to teach them that mistakes, or simply not knowing, are a part of learning! I am so devoted to helping elementary students because I see myself in them; I remember being their age and finding a whole new world in literature! Charlotte's Web expanded the imagination of my 6-year-old mind. Junie B. Jones's books were a model of what not to be--her bratty behavior motivated me to be a respectful child! I was the biggest fan of "Who Was..?" books--it allowed me to expand my knowledge of historical figures. These books also harbored my love for illustration, bright colors, and expression! Now, in my Senior year, I am creating my AP Art portfolio, and I am incredibly proud of my improvements in illustration. I am absorbed in literature, and I want other kids to be as fascinated by literature as I am. Literacy is crucial to development, decision-making, understanding, education, and so much more. Learning how to read and write can be improved by pairing words with beautiful art. If I am gifted this opportunity, I will create my own children's books. I will continue my journey of teaching and encouraging kids to fall in love with literature and illustration to build literacy and long-lasting confidence!