Thank you for considering my application for the “Big Picture” Scholarship. My name is Josephine Dragon. I was about 10 at the time. My best friend and I just got done playing for hours during our play date. We huddled together on the couch, the sun long gone. She turned to me, suggesting that we watch a movie to fall asleep too. She listed plenty of movies to watch from horror and superheroes, but eventually, her hand landed on an animated movie. She raved about how much she loved the story and how I would like it too. Little did I know how much it would change me. As she turned on the film, I was met with colors that were so vibrant and warm, environments that were magnificent, and characters that were so grounded. While my friend slept so comfortably beside me, I sat wide-eyed at the screen, enchanted by the simple yet meaningful story. From that day on Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away” has not only been my favorite movie, but the reason who I am today. After that night, I continued to think about the movie while I did not understand some of the lessons it was trying to convey. It wasn’t until much later that I truly understood what it was saying. Throughout the process of re-watching the movie many times, I gained the maturity to seek deeper meanings in the lessons I learned. Asking questions that would further my understanding of not only the story but also myself. One of these questions that stuck with me was “Why did she choose to stay and face her problems instead of running away from them?” We are introduced to Chihiro complaining about her moving and how she wished she didn’t have to move and leave her friends behind. She complained about different things. When her parents stop the car and try to explore a mysterious building, she orders that they come back to the car and leave. This is the earliest sign that at this point in the story, she lacks the maturity to face her fears. However, throughout the story, she slowly changes. She starts to understand that complaining and whining will get her nowhere. Learning that the only way to save her parents is to work hard and be patient. Chihiro's growth ultimately is what taught me that hard work and maturity keep you from losing your balance in life, regardless of where you are or who you are with. Allowing me to understand that the only way for me to grow and solve problems was to mature as a person, rather than waiting for someone else to fix everything for me. There is still so much that I hope to take away from the movie. Being able to learn and process information in a fun and respectable manner is why I value “Spirited Away” so much and why it had an important impact on my upbringing. “Spirited Away” did not only teach me a singular lesson that was quickly forgotten, but a multitude of real-world problems and concepts that I continue to learn from. I know if I never saw “Spirited Away", I would not have understood why it was important to mature. It allowed me to view the world from a different lens and gain new levels of maturity from simple lessons. Spirited Away allows young kids to understand lessons by allowing kids to see themselves in the characters on screen. As these children grow, they will be able to grasp deeper meanings due to understanding the fundamentals of the lesson they learned earlier.

Thank you for considering my application for the “David Foster Memorial” Scholarship. My name is Josephine Dragon. From the moment I stepped into the classroom I always tried my hardest to improve at the things I was taught. Being able to learn and excel in school was always one of my top priorities, especially when I was first entering high school. However, processing the newfound information from high school was frustratingly difficult. I entered high school after being away from traditional teaching for 2 years due to COVID-19. Recovering from the years of distant and non-personalized learning made me fear readjusting to school life. However, this fear soon turned into interest and excitement. Mr. Burns, my first English teacher, allowed me to gain confidence in school by providing me with experience in the fields of studies I excelled in. During my first year of high school, I had the immense pleasure of being in Mr. Burns’s English class. From the moment he created me as I entered his class, I knew that he was the type of teacher that I wanted and needed inside the classroom. His upbeat personality, regardless of what type of day He’s had, whether he was sick, having a difficult day, or midterms were right around the corner he always presented himself in an upbeat and respectable manner. His easygoing personality brought him close to everyone around him. No matter who he was talking to, he always tried his hardest to understand them truly. He would joke in the classroom while trying to be upfront with everyone, such as how he expects the students to act, while also encouraging us to be kids and have fun. His words and actions inspired everyone in his class, even if they didn't like the English subject. I looked up to him so much that I often spent most of my mornings and lunch breaks with him. During these times he not only helped me with my work but also listened to me about my ideas and my problems, no matter what. He is always willing to listen, giving advice and help even if someone doesn’t directly ask for it. The amount of respect I held towards him led me to ask him about different possibilities for creative classes and clubs that I could participate in. He remembered times I spoke and showed him my art, recommending that I compete for the cover art for his student-run literary magazine. His encouragement and personal belief that I would do well fueled my spirit as I worked on and submitted my entry. His support was the direct reason why I won the contest and stayed the cover artist for the entirety of my high school career. He also suggested that I should take his creative writing class. Stating that it might help me with my storytelling for my artwork. His classes opened my mind to new ideas that helped me process the world differently. His support fueled my creativity and allowed me to grow. His influence through my high school years, whether it was my first class with him, his creative writing class, or his initial encouragement with the inklings cover art, is a direct contribution to my success as not only a student but as a person.

Thank you for considering my application for the “Verve Arts” Scholarship. My name is Josephine Dragon. My mind loves to wander, skipping across ideas that become expansive stories in my mind. Exploring worlds that are so similar to our own, and yet in their way they are special. Inspiring the worlds that eventually end up on my paper when I draw. Taking ideas such as a robot, and turning them into an enemy in a video game that the player will have to fight, trying to get around their jumping attacks; creating a character that wanders the earth in search of knowledge that helps the player progress; or a house that belongs to a skateboard mechanic determined to keep her shop alive! However, simple, less complicated ideas form. They sit in my heart, stirring up my emotions until I have to draw them on paper. Whether it was Studio Ghibli, who inspires me due to their masterful technique that allows their viewers to become immersed in the story; my love for my one and only mischievous grandfather; or whether I simply felt the need to express myself through these characters. “Our Little World- Dinner is Almost Ready! Grandfather And Little Granddaughter” is my favorite work of art I completed in the last year. Applying what I’ve learned and studied is a value I heavily consider when criticizing my art. Applying what I’ve learned allows me to create artwork that appears closer to my vision in my head. Thus, being able to more easily communicate what I want the viewer to understand from a single image. During the process of creating the concept and thumbnail sketch of the artwork, I took the time to try and understand the character's environment. A careful balance of light and shadow, such as the sun setting while casting a warm shade of orange, can convey simple emotions such as warmth. While light and shadow can create emotional impact, to be most effective they should be accompanied by other elements within the environment. Environment, such as the place someone lives in, can express a lot about one’s character by how they interact with people and props within it. Grandfather and Little Granddaughter are characters that surround themselves in the mysterious wonder of the world they live in. They value being surrounded by nature, wrapping themselves in the warmth of not only the light but also each other. Being able to communicate this feeling and the character's wants and needs are the most important things to understand when creating a character's environment. The environment is the direct cause of such values. By cluttering the environment with props that are realistic to their values and environment. Such as plants, food on the stove, open windows that move air throughout the house, and the characters interacting with each other. Through these props the viewer can piece together a story, allowing their mind to wonder. As an inspiring visual development artist, being able to have people immersed in the story they are creating is the most important skill for us to have. By learning and applying the information I obtain, I am closer to becoming the type of artist I aspire to be. Creating worlds that allow others to become immersed within.

Thank you for considering my application for the “Valerie Rabb Academic” Scholarship. My name is Josephine Dragon. For as long as I can remember, I knew visual arts was my calling. I was always passionate, fueled by diverse artistic influences from traditional paintings to the vibrant worlds of video games and anime. My desire to create persisted as I grew older, developing the need to create all the time. From the beginning, I knew that I would eventually feel the need to take my creations and turn them into something greater. Visual Development Directors utilize their creativity to provide knowledgeable and creative guidance to important aspects of Video Games; deciding a game's impact on viewers' experience with the story. Long term, this is the career I envision for myself. However, the path to get there will require hard work and transforming the industry. Achievements such as maintaining a 3.8 unweighted GPA, community involvement through food pantries and creative workshops at galleries, being a participating member of the National Honor Society, directing my own game that is set to release in late 2025, being accepted into a variety of art colleges, and working a part-time job at Michaels and receiving their “Acknowledgement, Commitment, and Excellence” Award, I understand that hard work is the direct contribution to success. My ability to understand that hard work brews success allows me to recognize that I can not immediately rise to a Director position without actively learning and honing my skills. Working as a Visual Development Artist creates a highly influential and molding path to eventually becoming the Director. Visual Development Artists are some of the few team members within gaming companies who provide important feedback on the visual direction of games. They have a significant role in visually communicating ideas to 100s of team members throughout projects. Providing educational feedback to their teammates on important decisions regarding the player's enjoyment and Visual Impact. The game’s narrative would suffer if not for their important feedback regarding the visual direction. Their input can save teammates months of additional work as Visual Developers are truly knowledgeable of every aspect of the project. Visual Development is the result of the artist's refined knowledge within the industry, combining years of hard work and practice into a single art form. However, the gaming industry faces a significant challenge: the underrepresentation of women. Historically, game development has been dominated by men and specifically promoted to male audiences. When female players/game makers try to involve themselves in their community, a large part of the male player base states that their games are “too masculine” for their involvement. Instead, women will be directed to “calmer, more satisfying, and cuter games”. While both genres of games are enjoyable, providing a larger variety of genres of games, behavior such as this perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Limiting the experiences available to the female player base. However, in recent years, there has been a movement/change in mindset towards female involvement. Allowing more female game developers to take root in the communities. The continuation of higher and more diverse individuals allows games to become less gender-based and more about the genre of the game itself. I’ve been inspired by games that have shaped me into who I am today. Knowing that the games I will produce will inspire other young women to take on the game industry inspires me even more. As I strive to become a Visual Development Director, I want everyone to look at my art and feel inspired to create no matter who they are or what they want to create.

Thank you for considering my application for the “Lewis Hollins Memorial Art” Scholarship. My name is Josephine Dragon, I am an artist passionate about using the visual arts to inspire and connect with others. I aspire to innovate the process of storytelling in the visual arts industry contributing to its evolution and impact for a wider audience. Aiming to encourage creativity in others and transport gamers to new realms of imagination and storytelling. For as long as I can remember, drawing has been my calling. Fueled by inspiration from games, manga, and animated TV shows. My desire to create has captivated years of my life to learn and study how and why art is created. I took what I was inspired by and learned to develop my art. Due to my desire to conceptualize new characters and worlds, I realized my passion for pursuing this path professionally. It took a long time to understand that I truly need to comprehend the world around me to create art that represents reality or even an alternate reality that will be a place others will want to visit. With this new understanding, I furthered my artistic ability by digesting how creatives turned reality into different worlds. As I continue to learn and be inspired by classmates and professionals, I hope to start to develop the skills needed to convey my ideas to an audience outside of myself. Envisioning my future relationship with my artwork, I see it as a dynamic and evolving journey toward becoming a Visual Development Director. My ultimate goal is for people to look at my art and feel inspired to create, whether that be creating characters from my worlds, or using the games I will eventually make as a springboard to their creation. However, becoming a Visual Development Director will require hard work. Though, I am no stranger to hard work. Through my studies to obtain a 3.8 unweighted GPA, community involvement through food pantries and creative workshops at galleries, being a participating member of the National Honor Society, and working a part-time job at Michaels while receiving their “Acknowledgement, Commitment, and Excellence” Award, I understand that hard work is the direct contribution to success. My ability to understand that hard work brews success allows me to recognize that I can not immediately rise to a Director position without actively learning and honing my skills. Working as a Visual Development Artist creates a highly influential and molding path to eventually becoming the Director. Visual Development Artists are some of the few team members within gaming companies who provide important feedback on the visual direction of games. I hope that through my hard work and showcasing my art, I will be inspirational to those on the team. As I grow and learn new skills from the people around me, my art will grow, allowing me to communicate with my team members on an advanced level. Visual Development Directors have an important role in visually communicating ideas to 100s of team members throughout projects. They provide feedback to their teammates on important decisions regarding the look and feel of a game for the player's enjoyment. The narrative of the game would suffer if not for their important feedback regarding the visual direction. Their input can save teammates months of additional work as Visual Developers are truly knowledgeable of every aspect of the project. Visual Development is the result of the artist's refined knowledge within the industry, combining years of hard work and practice into a single art form.

Thank you for considering my application for the "Kathryn Graham 'Keyport's Mom'" scholarship. My name is Josephine Dragon. For as long as I can remember, I knew visual arts was my calling. I was always passionate, fueled by diverse artistic influences from traditional paintings to the vibrant worlds of video games and anime. My desire to create persisted as I have created art for as long as I can remember. However, I knew that I would eventually feel the need to take my creations and turn them into something greater. Visual Development Directors use their creativity to provide knowledgeable and creative guidance to important aspects of Video Games that decide a game's impact on viewers' experience with the story. Long term, this is the career I envision for myself. However, the path to get there will require hard work and transforming the industry. Achievements such as maintaining a 3.8 unweighted GPA, community involvement through food pantries and creative workshops at galleries, being a participating member of the National Honor Society, directing my own game that is set to release in late 2025, being accepted into a variety of art colleges, and working a part-time job at Michaels and receiving their ACE Award, I understand that hard work is the direct contribution to success. My ability to understand that hard work brews success allows me to recognize that I can not immediately rise to a Director position without actively learning and honing my skills. Working as a Visual Development Artist creates a highly influential and molding path to eventually becoming the Director. Visual Development Artists are some of the few team members within gaming companies who provide important feedback on the visual direction of games. They have an important role in visually communicating ideas to 100s of team members throughout projects. They provide educational feedback to their teammates on important decisions regarding the player's enjoyment and Visual Development. The game’s narrative would suffer if not for their important feedback regarding the visual direction. Their input can save teammates months of additional work as Visual Developers are truly knowledgeable of every aspect of the project. Visual Development is the result of the artist's refined knowledge within the industry, combining years of hard work and practice into a single art form. However, the gaming industry faces a significant challenge: the underrepresentation of women. Historically, game development has been dominated by men and specifically promoted to male audiences. When female players/game makers try to involve themselves in their community, a large part of the male player base states that their games are “too masculine” for their involvement. Instead, they will be directed to “calmer, more satisfying, and cuter games”. While both genres of games are amazing to experience as they provide a larger variety of genres of games, this behavior perpetuates harmful stereotypes limiting the experiences available to the female player base. However, in recent years, there has been a movement/change in mindset towards female involvement. Allowing more female game developers to take root in the communities. The continuation of higher and more diverse individuals allows games to become less gender-based and more about the genre of the game itself. I’ve been inspired by games that have shaped me into who I am today. Knowing that the games I will produce will inspire other young women to take on the game industry inspires me even more. As I strive to become a Visual Development Director, I want everyone to look at my art and feel inspired to create no matter who they are or what they want to create.

My father puts everyone before himself. I had been brainstorming stories to tell for this opportunity when my father lit up when he was given a chance to tell me stories about his and my mom’s fathers along with our whole family's lineage of military personnel. He bounced around to different stories about how his father served in the 2nd World War and the military for 13 years. And how his father was the person who most likely got me into East Asian culture, as he had been a major fan himself. However, after telling me stories upon stories, he never once mentioned himself. It was only until I asked him, “What about you?” that he finally gave himself a chance. And even then, he found his way to weave other people into his story. I remember years ago asking my mother about father and how he acted when they were dating. It was around the same time when I was curious about how they met in the military after she told me casually that I wouldn’t be here without it. She laughed when I asked her, telling me, “Your father was very different when we first met”. She explained that while thy were dating, they found themselves having to learn how to communicate and live with each other. One of the stories my mother told me made her laugh. She explained through her amusement that my father used to smoke, something I could never imagine him doing now. She continued, stating that she told my father that if he didn't quit smoking, she would dump him. And while she told more stories to satisfy my curiosity, I realized just how much he changed not only for my Mom or others but also for myself. My mother proceeded to speak, stating that the man I know today is not the one she originally met. My mother expressed that after I was born, he continued to change himself to become the best father he could be.  During my father’s deployment to Oman, he worried about the effect of him not being here to support me. He hastily made his way to the USO in the airport and asked the employees to help him record a video. During the day, he had picked up a little book. And with the camera rolling, proceeded to read the book titled, “My Lucky Day”. During that recording that was sent to my mother and me, he read the book slowly with such excitement, as if he was there with me, sitting on the side of the bed reading me the story.  To say this type of experience was a one-off thing would be a complete lie. Just like “My Lucky Day” which is a book that I can recite like the back of my hand, is just one of the many ways my father cared for me, no matter how far away he is.  His support for me to chase my dreams of pursuing whatever I want, despite the hardships that not only I, but he himself could face, means more to me than achieving everything I could ever wish for. His support for my education and life experiences is more than I could ever need.  While writing these stories, I realized that my father isn’t just “a father”. He is the kindest, most hardworking, father, Husband, friend, and in my opinion, person who has ever lived. Not because he was born this way, but because he learned to adapt and change, not for himself, but for the people he cares about. Thank you!