My Cannon T-7 accompanies me to school every day. Once belonging to my mother, it hangs around my neck throughout campus. I’m always taking photos, afraid that I’ll miss even a single moment. My photography revolves around human connection and interaction. The human experience is my muse. I am constantly inspired by what I see through my viewfinder and the stories that unfold in front of my camera. They say that as you’re dying, you see your life in flashes, and experience your entire existence in mere seconds. When looking at my photography, I relive each moment I captured and how I felt. I am reminded of my existence; it solidifies my perspective on how ephemeral life is, and I want to give a sense of life to someone else. I want my art to impact others; through writing, photography, and all aspects of communication, I want my life to give hope to others the same way art has given hope to me. Photography not only gives me bestows joy, but it is through this art form that I have gained a deeper knowledge of the meaning of life and been given determination and hope. As a freshman, I had the opportunity to photograph Alexander Thomas for his Black History Month sponsorship by Nike, as well as write a journalistic narrative about him. This was the first time I felt fully recognized as a photographer and as a person. Thomas's confidence in my abilities, demonstrated through his request for my involvement in this project, served as a validation of my artistic potential. The black and white photograph of Thomas, who conveys emotion through his movements, in my portfolio aims to depict the difficulties he has encountered as an African American male dancer with a heart condition and the resilience he has gained through overcoming those challenges. Presenting Thomas as a silhouette, the photograph invites the viewer to consider the dancer's movement and expression in order to understand his message. By focusing on the movement of the dancer, the photograph aims to convey a sense of emotion and meaning. The photograph and accompanying story titled "Dancing Gives Me Life" was awarded a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Circle Certificate of Merit in the Personality Profile Award category and a Scholastic Photography Regional Silver Key. The photoshoot with Alexander Thomas served as a catalyst for my deeper engagement with photography in school. Therefore, I established a photography account, jul3sarchive, with the aim of bringing people together through shared visual experiences within our school community. I am "jul3sarchive," a nickname that I am proud to have. I want my work to transport people back to their emotions and memories. Art has made me resilient. These last two years, from my father going to prison to my family being evited, art has given me an outlet to express myself. There were days I did photography after school when I didn’t know if I had a home to go to, but art gave me hope, and more importantly, a chance in this world. In the world at large, I want my work to make people realize the beauty in their humanity. I want them to live the moments of those in the photos, and experience everything they see - I want the viewer to appreciate the human experience. In my photography and all aspects of my art: I want to speak to the world, and for it to reply.