I was an ugly child. That sentiment was a learned truth from my environment. Big chunky glasses, curly hair forced into a dreaded slicked back pony, and an awkwardly tall stature that had me towering over my elementary school peers. As the child of a single mother who lacked a flair for fashion and was uneducated in handling my curly hair, I quickly became a target for my peers' seemingly innocent remarks about my appearance. I began to resent all the things that made me Jalize. Calm mornings turned to battles between me and my mother as I tried to avoid my inevitable fate of donning my signature slicked pony. I resented the fact that I had no control over my physical appearance and fought constantly for the rights to my own creative autonomy. As a preteen, femininity was not something that was familiar to me, in fact as I began my newly founded creative movement femininity was what I rejected. Online movements ridiculed girly girls painting them as shallow and stupid, everything a woman didn’t want to be… Because of this, I covered my own insecurity with the hatred of anything feminine. I found myself stripping my wardrobe of all colors in an effort to be taken seriously and seem different from “other girls”. This came to a screeching halt when I discovered my love for stuffed animals. I was instantly attracted to the vibrant and colorful patterns and found myself inspired. The colorful designs were something I wished to translate into my own reality. This inspiration led me to starting my own business of creating stuffed animals at just 12 years old. Growing up with a low-income background I had limited resources so I had to teach myself how to express myself creatively by using what I had around me. I began drafting my own versions of patterns I saw online and experimenting with the fabrics I had from old clothes. While the business itself didn’t last very long the impact it made on my life did. I was later gifted my first sewing machine and transitioned from simple hand sewing to machine-automated, similarly, I transitioned into a beautiful and confident young woman who had learned to embrace her own femininity and beauty even if it meant going against the societal grain. I began to experiment and learned to transform old clothes into garments I felt confident wearing. This sparked my passion for fashion design and creating clothing that not only looked good but also made me feel good. Which is why I am drawn to majoring in fashion design and making a career in fashion for myself. Fashion to me isn’t just about appearance, it's a way to transport everyone into the person they want to be and embrace that “ugly” duckling that’s inside of everyone. In my own life I have used my experiences to propel me forward and become more outspoken for myself and those who don’t have voices. I have been able to create a community of friends and family who I’ve taught to sew and tailor their own clothing which helped them ignite their own spark. Similarly I plan on creating a safe space for Hispanic youth and other marginalized communities to learn design and how to connect with themselves and translate their individuality into art without fear of alienation or bullying. My whole life has been committed to expression and art and I look forward to impacting others the same way art has impacted me.

If you ask me what I believe my purpose on earth is, my answer would be beauty. I know that statement sounds a little confusing. I mean how could one's purpose in life be beauty? Well to me art IS beauty. Ever since I was a little girl I have always felt drawn to creating. Whether it was making mud pies in the backyard of my Bronx home, or later on designing outfits that made me feel confident in who I was. I have always been a creator. Which is why I am so passionate about the arts. Not only because of the beauty I see in everything, but the fact that art is integral to who I am as a person. Nowadays I primarily express my art through fashion design. My goal in the fashion industry has always been teaching others to express their inner ugly duckling and to nourish the parts of themselves that aren't traditionally considered “beautiful” by typical beauty standards. Growing up in a low-income household run by a single mom in NYC I didn't have access to the clothes I wanted to wear, which in turn limited my self expression. Because of this I had to teach myself how to express myself creatively by using what I had around me. I began drafting my own versions of patterns I saw online and experimenting with the fabrics I had from old clothes. I learned to transform old clothes into garments I felt confident wearing. This lit the spark of my passion for fashion design and creating clothing that not only looked good but made me feel good. As I grew I learned the most valuable lesson ever. That I can help people be confident in the things that make them who they are. Not only this but clothes can truly transform a person just by making them feel beautiful. In my own life by learning this lesson I have used it to propel me forward and become more outspoken for myself and those who don’t have voices. I have been able to create a community of friends and family who I’ve taught to sew and tailor their own clothing which helped them ignite their own spark. Similarly I plan on creating a safe space for Hispanic youth and other marginalized communities to learn fashion design and how to connect with themselves and translate their individuality into art without fear of alienation or bullying. I truly believe that fashion and art can change the world. I am lucky enough to now be in a position that younger me could have only dreamed of. One where I have the freedom to bring creations to life that truly influence both myself and others. Which is why I don't just believe that art can change the world, but I KNOW it can because it's changed mine.