The artist I am today is someone I am sure the younger me would be proud of. I was always a creative child, constantly making my own toys and illustrating stories my mom printed out for me. Moving into middle school, I taught myself to do realistic graphite portraits. As I spent more time captivated by experimenting with art, I began to consider it as a career choice. My passion and interest only grew. Around my freshman year of high school, I became bored of plain black-and-white portraits. I wanted color and expressive images. This led me to explore watercolor, gouache, and other more vibrant mediums. I started taking more care in choosing the subjects of my paintings. Finding new applications of art helped me further realize my desire for becoming a professional artist. As I reach the end of high school, I am starting to find my artistic voice. My style has become more cohesive as I paint forests, hands intertwined, lost lovers and the stories that have touched my heart. In the summer of 2022, I attended Pratt Institute’s pre-college program in New York City for illustration, which gave me a taste of what a college education in art looks like. Through numerous projects during the program, I was able to streamline my process for more effective brainstorming, illustration, and collaboration. I learned important skills for managing time and homework in an intensive creative environment. I also gained a love for theatre while in high school. The valuable experience and inspiration I absorbed during that month helped prepare me for studying art after high school. While in high school I also nurtured my other passion- theatre. I have been involved in the theatre program since my freshman year, and I am currently an advanced theatre student. As the Vice President and Secretary of my high school's theatre arts club, I help organize theatre events, meetings, and work to inspire the next generation of stage actors and theatre techs. I have so much love for the art of telling stories on stage, an experience that I hope to continue to pursue in college in addition to illustration. Art is my passion, but it goes beyond that. One vital thing I want to do with my work is add fuel to the environmentalist movement. Advocacy through art is something I hold very close to my heart. I have already used my art to advocate against issues like stigmatization and to promote accessible, inclusive education in schools. Last year I worked on a short film project called “What If?” for the University of Arizona. For my section of the short film, I drew a comic describing the struggles and stigma that LGBT youths face in schools and in sex ed classes. I continue to use social issues that I care about to inspire my work and give a voice to important topics through art. Experiences like this have prepared me for using art as a tool for advocacy. My goal is to make this an integral part of my career as an artist after graduation. Your consideration and dedication to supporting young students in fine arts is incredibly inspiring, and I appreciate the opportunity to

Oh- this is a really difficult question! I loved Disney films so much as a child and they will always have a special place in my heart. My favorite character as a child was Dumbo. I remember watching the scene with the bubbles and being so enamoured and entranced as I sat in front of my mom's old tv. It's one of those early childhood memories that stick out clearer than most. Nowadays I particularly love Captain Jack Sparrow. His humor always makes me laugh no matter how many times I watch the movies! I get chills every time I hear the theme song- it just pulls you right into this other world full of adventure, romance, mythology, and swashbuckling scoundrels. Savvy? Thank you so much for your consideration and thank you for reminding me of some wonderful memories!

Driving under the influence has painful consequences for everyone involved. Not only do the drivers put their own lives recklessly at risk, but they endanger the lives of innocent people. Every day 32 people are killed as a result of DUI crashes in the United States. That's almost 12,000 people every year- not to mention the families and friends who have to adjust to life without their loved ones. These are the most immediate and obvious consequences, but it goes far beyond that. The families of DUI crash victims must also cope with other hardships as a result of the DUI. Legal and court expenses can be debilitating, especially in cases which are complicated by corrupt justice systems and incompetent officials. The dragging out of these cases which should be simple only compounds upon the suffering of the family. Additionally, victims of DUI crashes often are subject to high medical bills that may not covered by insurance. These financial issues put unwanted stress on victims and their families, taking their attention away from what really matters- their loved ones. This may be even worse if vehicles are damaged to the point of being unusable. Especially in lower income families, multiple people may rely on a vehicle to get to their workplaces or important doctor visits. It is very clear that the effects of DUI crashes go far beyond injuries at the scene. It is everyone's responsibility to both look out for themselves and others by mitigating the chances of a DUI crash. There are many steps that individuals can take to prevent these crashes. For instance, always having a designated driver when going somewhere with alcohol, and abstaining from drinking when out by oneself. If you do drink, take a taxi or other hired ride home. It takes a lot of strength, but not allowing oneself to be pressured into drinking is incredibly important. We are all in charge of what we do in our life, and contributing to a DUI crash should never be a part of that. As to avoiding being a victim yourself, do not get into a car with a driver who has been drinking. Avoid being on the street whether as a pedestrian, cyclist, or driver between midnight and 3 AM- the time frame with statistically more instances of DUIs. Be an extra cautious driver- wear your seatbelt, stay vigilant, and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. Look carefully before making a turn or crossing an intersection, no matter what color the light is. As a community, it is vitally important that everyone does their part to prevent DUI crashes and instances of DUI at all. We are all at risk of being victims, and it is our duty to other drivers and our loved ones to be as safe as possible. We can take responsibility and step up to prevent DUI crashes- together.

One of the biggest inspirations of the work I make is the world around me, especially nature. In fact, one of my goals after college is to use my art to advocate for environmental issues. I love to paint and draw from life- it gives my pieces and breath of life that you just can't get working from a picture. I also love how studying my surrounds as I paint calms my mind and heart and deepens my connection to the world. I did a lot of this type of work while I was studying art at a summer program. I spent a lot of time outdoors, drawing and painting the unique sculptures, nature, and architecture around the campus. Plein air art is something I have been passionate about for a while now, and I always seek out ways to incorporate it into my assignments and personal pieces. Finances are a big issue when it comes to my dreams of studying art in college, so I really appreciate your consideration for this amazing opportunity. I am endlessly grateful for the work Terry and his family continue to do for the art world and those of us to wish to join it.

It might sound a bit self centered, but I promise that isn't my intention... my favorite piece of art is the painting I am currently working on. I always feel very attached to the art I make personally because I'm pouring everything I care about into it. That's not to say I haven't seen some gorgeous art, but I've never spent more time thinking about other people's are than my own. It's hard not to when I'm spending hour working on them. When I look at the art I've made, I see so much more than the final product. I see every concept drawing, every color test, every daydream I spent painting it in my head. I paint the worlds I want to live in, how can I not grant them a special kind of love? I like to think about it like friendships. It's one thing to see a person walk by and think fleetingly, "They look like a nice person." It's an entirely other thing to be really good friends with someone, to know first hand how nice they are. Even though both people may be equally nice, you will ultimately care a lot more about the person you have an actual connection with. In this way I feel that it's ok to be attached to your own creations. After all, they often are the closest reflection of our soul- who we really are. And that is an eternally beautiful thing.

One of the most important lessons I have ever learned is how much you can do as an individual to make a difference. I have never personally lost anyone to suicide, but a few years ago I had a distressing experience with it. I was talking to a group of friends online when I noticed someone make a worrying comment. No one else was saying anything. I direct messaged them to ask if they were alright. To my surprise, they answered back honestly and told me they were on the verge of killing themselves. I was scared to say the wrong thing, but I felt that I had to do my best to help. I didn't know this person in real life, let alone their contact information, and therefore couldn't call any help lines. I sat for hours into the night talking to this stranger, coaching them and trying to offer every ounce of support I had. I won't go into the details of their situation, but I was able to get them off the ledge, so to speak. I don't know where this person is today, if they are better or if they are gone. I just know that that night I realized that you can make a difference as an individual. It was a completely terrifying experience, but I was so glad I made the choice to reach out when I did. This experience taught me that no matter how useless you can feel sometimes, sometimes all it takes is one person to save another's life. Thank you so much for this prompt and for your consideration.

My mom has always taught me that eating well is the key to a happy and healthy life. Some of my favorite superfoods are kale and blueberries. Not only are they essential to the blended smoothies I often make in the mornings, but they are fantastic on their own. I have recently become practically addicted to kale chips, which is just kale baked in an oven until crispy. I love kale because not only is it super nutritious, but incorporating it into my diet always makes me happy- I love to see a burst of color on my plate! The same goes for blueberries, which can be even more versatile! They are a great low calorie, high antioxidant snack that is great frozen, on cereal, and cooked into my mom's whole grain pancakes! As I am going into the difficult career of being an illustrator, having a nutritious diet is more important than ever. Superfoods like kale and blueberries help me stay energetic and healthy so that I can best pursue my goals. Thank you so much for your consideration!

The idea that I want to convey with my art is beauty within every facet of life. I am working towards my goal of using art to advocate for issues that resonate with me. I want to use my art to make positive change in the world in the areas of LGBTQIA+ rights, conservation, and the rights of racial and religious minorities. I want to share my feelings about the natural world and these social issues with the world, and to me, the best way to communicate that is through my art. Additionally, my experiences as a transgender artist have given me a unique perspective of the world. I honestly find that most of the problems in the world are due to the inability to put oneself in another's shoes. Whether through writing, painting, sculpture, music, or performance, art is an incredibly useful way of helping an audience see life through someone else's eyes. This is what is important to me as an artist. Sharing ideas about the world which are intrinsically important to me through my art. To achieve this, I need to attend art school and develop both my technical and conceptual skills. I plan to major in Illustration and Fine Art and obtain an bachelor's degree in order to better equip myself as an artist.This is the future I envision, and I am determined to do everything I can to make it a reality. Thank you so much for your consideration, it is endlessly appreciated.

Nature is by far one of the most important things in my life. There is just something so awe inspiring by the wind in a pine forest or a secluded creek burbling over smoothed pebbles. I've fallen in love with the wild, and everything that it encompasses. Whenever I have the chance I drive up Mount Lemmon, an oasis of green amidst the desert I live in, and walk in the woods. I sit on mossy boulders, close my eyes, and listen to the breeze combing through leaves. I firmly believe that a vital part of being human is connecting to the natural world. Many have lost that joy, and it saddens me to think some will never feel a connection to nature. For that reason, I have made it my mission to inspire a connection between humans and the Earth with my passion: art. I paint, as closely as possible, the way I interpret the raw relationship between us and nature. I want to make art my career and make a real change in the world by reconnecting humanity to the wilderness. Achieving this goal is important to me above all else, and I am determined to do everything I can to achieve it. The next step in reaching this is going to art school to learn the valuable techniques I will need in my journey. And to make that happen, to make a positive change in the world, I need your help. Thank you so much for your consideration, it means so much to me beyond words.

Art is, beyond words, the thing I am most passionate about in my life. There is nothing comparable to the rush I get near the end of a painting. My heart starts to beat faster, my hand flashes between colors and the paper, like a sprinter when they see the finish line. There are constantly evolving ideas blooming in my mind, never leaving me without an idea. The passion I feel for art goes beyond just how happy being creative makes me, but also includes how I feel about the art of others. I am brought to tears by the music I listen to walking between my classes. I stare with my eyes darting back and forth at the screen of my phone, reading beautiful stories into the night. Art means everything to me, and with that comes the ever-hungry passion I have for creating and experiencing it. I plan to take this passion and feed it into making the world a better place, and to do that I need to learn. The next step towards making my passion into my career is going to art school. Thank you so much for your consideration!

The number on thing on my bucket list since I was very young was to figure out my path in life. It's weighed on me for a long time that I needed to at least figure out the general direction I want to go in. I am incredibly happy to have finally crossed that off of my list. I have a firm hold on where I want to go in life, and nothing has ever made me happier. The best thing is that now I can finally focus on my more concrete goals. I want to find someone who will love me for who I am. It sounds sappy, I know, but if there's anything I succeed at in life is finding my special person. I want to see the world. I believe we only get one chance at life, so I'll do anything I can to not leave this earth feeling like I haven't made the most of it. I want to live my life doing the work I love, and make a difference while doing it. I want to share the things I believe are important through my art and bring about positive change for causes I believe in. This is why this scholarship is so important to me. An important step in being able to achieve this goal is going to art school and obtaining vital skills I will need on this journey. It means so much to me to achieve my goals as an artist, so any consideration for this opportunity would be appreciated beyond words.

This isn't an easy question, because often when I see others' works of art I may feel inspired but it often doesn't last. If I was to be completely honest, I would say that what inspires me most is looking back on my own art that I'm proud of. I understand this may read as self centered, but I mean it in the most sincere way possible. When I'm feeling frustrated or uninspired with my work, it is such a wake up call to look back on what I've been able to do. If I am able to see proof that I can make art that I like, it makes me feel more inclined to continue working through whatever difficulty I'm encountering. One specific piece that comes to mind is an illustration I made of two fish using dip pens. It was a really cathartic process and I was incredibly happy with the result. It also reminds me of the subjects I find it really important to make art about. For these reasons I believe that inspiration that comes from my own work is vital to my process. I want to be able to improve my craft while also appreciating what I have accomplished. Though always a work in progress, my artistic process may be unique, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

It might sound a bit self centered, but I promise that isn't my intention... my favorite piece of art is the painting I am currently working on. I always feel very attached to the art I make personally because I'm pouring everything I care about into it. That's not to say I haven't seen some gorgeous art, but I've never spent more time thinking about other people's are than my own. It's hard not to when I'm spending hour working on them. When I look at the art I've made, I see so much more than the final product. I see every concept drawing, every color test, every daydream I spent painting it in my head. I paint the worlds I want to live in, how can I not grant them a special kind of love? I like to think about it like friendships. It's one thing to see a person walk by and think fleetingly, "They look like a nice person." It's an entirely other thing to be really good friends with someone, to know first hand how nice they are. Even though both people may be equally nice, you will ultimately care a lot more about the person you have an actual connection with. In this way I feel that it's ok to be attached to your own creations. After all, they often are the closest reflection of our soul- who we really are. And that is an eternally beautiful thing.

The idea that I want to convey with my art is beauty within every facet of life. I want to share my feelings about the natural world and social issues with the world, and to me, the best way to communicate that is through my art. Additionally, my experiences as a transgender artist have given me a unique perspective of the world. I honestly find that most of the problems in the world are due to the inability to put oneself in another's shoes. Whether through writing, painting, sculpture, music, or performance, art is an incredibly useful way of helping an audience see life through someone else's eyes. This is what is important to me as an artist. Sharing ideas about the world which are intrinsically important to me through my art. To achieve this, I need to attend art school and develop both my technical and conceptual skills. This is the future I envision, and I am determined to do everything I can to make it a reality. Thank you so much for your consideration, it is endlessly appreciated.

Joy has been a somewhat touchy topic for me. I know that I've always wanted to be happy, but it's taken quite a while for me to figure out how to actually achieve that. At first I thought that joy would come from material wealth, something I never really had until my summer job. But that wasn't it. In fact, I was more miserable than I had ever been. The number in my bank account had no effect on how happy I was. I quit my job when school started back up in the fall, and changed my mindset. Instead of grasping at what stereotypically makes people happy, I relaxed and just paid attention to when I felt happy. I took a while, I had no immediate answers, but now I can say confidently what makes me feel joy at this point in my life. When I'm laughing with my friends, about stupid things in class and drama from theatre class (irony unintended), that is joy. When I'm going on a hike with my dog, the air sweet and damp with trees and streams, that is joy. When up late painting and listening to music by dancing candlelight, that is joy. The newest part of my life that gives my joy, however, is whenever my gender is affirmed by the people around me. I cannot describe how happy it makes me everytime my mom calls me my chosen name, when strangers (though rarely) call me 'sir', or when my friends refer to me as 'he' when talking to other people. Overall, I have found that joy comes from the little things. A cup of warm tea. A hug. And often those little things are easy to find if we just take the time to look for them.

The hardest thing I've ever had to do was come out to my parents as trans. It's fairly funny actually, because I shouldn't have been scared of telling my mom. She's my best friend and person I trust most in this world, but I still was so scared I felt sick to my stomach. No matter how irrational it was, I was afraid she wouldn't believe me. I was afraid she wouldn't love me anymore. I was afraid she would see me differently. I knew I wouldn't be able to just talk to her without any preparation, so I wrote a letter to read to her out loud. I don't think my heart has ever been harder than when I walked into her office and asked, "Can I talk to you for a minute?". I sat down across from her and took several deep, shaky breaths. A few sentences into my letter, I started crying. My mom didn't pelt me with questions, she didn't ask where I had gotten these silly ideas. She walked over to me and held me. She rubbed my back and let me calm down enough to finish reading. And she accepted me. She continued to love me unconditionally, and telling my dad ended up being easier because I had her support. It may have been incredibly difficult to actually start the conversation and tell her, but I have never regretted it for a single moment.

Art is something people tend to take for granted. Yes, there's famous art museums, and yes, many people (such as myself), spend hours looking at art online. But that's not where the true value in art lies, at least for me. The most amazing feeling is being able to take an image out of your mind and translate it to some physical piece. Believe me, when I was a beginner, it was so frustrating when I could see something in my head but have it fall apart when I tried to draw it. By no means am I perfect at this now, but I've improved significantly over the years. It makes me so happy to see my ideas blossoming on paper, and that's the significance of art. To put it simply, it's a way to express your feelings in a more palpable way. For me, it's an invaluable way of explaining the complicated way I feel about certain things that can't be explained with a simple "I'm happy". In the times when I'm unable to make art, I feel stifled and as if I have emotions built up inside me. I think we can all agree that one thing society lacks is good communication. However, unlike middle school teachers explaining different learning styles (visual, auditory), there have been few advances to improve communication within society in general. This is where art comes in. Some people may be apathetic to an essay about poverty, but would be brought to tears by a painting communicating the same message. This is a concept intrinsically important to me. Preservation of the natural world and our connection to it is something I'm very concerned with. I've decided to express that through art, and I have noticed a clear increase in genuine response compared to when I just talk about it. This is why art is important. We need to be able to reach everyone with a message, and just making speeches won't cut it. As previously mentioned, the act of creating art is just as important to society as the end product. Another reason for this is the way making art can automatically put you in a mindful headspace. No matter how bad of a day I've had, the sure-fire way to make me feel better is sitting down with my watercolors and some soft music. I'm the sort of person who tends to bottle up their thoughts and feelings, and often the only way to release them is through art. Not only that, but the process itself is incredibly meditative. Each brush stroke, each time I hold up my paper to inspect proportions and details, it's as if someone is popping a cork out of the back of my head and letting the pressure out. I've lived almost 17 years (impressive, I know), and I can say for certain that it's one of the best feelings I've experienced. All in all, though I can only speak from personal experience and observations, it is my firm belief that art is an undervalued luxury of being human. It allows us to communicate complicated feelings and ideas more effectively and soothes our minds and souls. I can't imagine life without art- art mirrors life, and thus one cannot exist without the other.