When I think about the most memorable and enjoyable moments of my childhood, one activity that always comes to mind is playing on the Nintendo Wii. Though we had hundreds of games, we would always circle back to the same few, one of them being Mario Party 8. This game was not just a source of entertainment, but served as a bridge that created such a close bond between me and my cousins. Every summer, my family and I would pack up our beach gear and head down to the Jersey shore for a much-needed break from our daily routines. But it wasn't just the sun, sand, and waves that we looked forward to; it was the moments spent with our family that made these trips truly unforgettable. The tradition began when my cousins, Marco and Juliet, would come over to our shore house. After spending a long day in the summer heat, we always chose to unwind with the mess-free board game that was Mario Party 8. The excitement of selecting our favorite characters (I am always Peach) and the colorful game board that awaited us on the screen made us jump with joy. One of the most fantastic aspects of Mario Party 8 was its ability to appeal to players of all ages. Whether you were a seasoned gamer or someone who had never held a Wii remote before, the game was designed to ensure everyone had a blast. This inclusivity made it the perfect game for our family gatherings. We were able to play with with the youngest cousin, my sister who was about five, and still had as much fun as my oldest cousin Marco who was 10. Our Mario Party 8 sessions were nothing short of awesome. We'd spend hours navigating the game boards, collecting stars, and competing in all of the mini-games praying we would never lose our stars to Bowser. The competition was fierce, but it was all in good fun. No matter who won or lost, we'd all burst into laughter, celebrating, and dancing around the living room. Mario Party 8 was more than just a video game; it was a catalyst for bonding and creating cherished memories. It brought us closer together, turning ordinary summer nights into unforgettable adventures. Though the days of going down the shore have reduced, we to this day reminisce about the time spent playing the Wii together. The joy and camaraderie we experienced while playing Mario Party 8 and other Nintendo games remain etched in our hearts.

I have been passionate about art since I learned how to hold a pencil. If you asked me what I job I wanted to have when I grew up, I would immediately answer that I would want to be “an art teacher,” because that was one of the few jobs I knew that would allow me to create art daily. I was also was (and still am) pretty nerdy and am constantly in search of new experiences and learning new things. I was highly motivated and made it my personal mission to get the highest grades and challenging myself to take advanced classes. Going to an art school and surrounding myself with people just like me was by far my biggest dream. So, when it was time to begin applying for colleges, I had my heart set on the School of Visual Arts in New York. I was over the moon when I found out I was accepted with a scholarship that covered the costs of half the tuition! But alas, that excitement quickly faded when I found out that despite receiving that scholarship, the school was still far too expensive for me to attend. Though I was still content with my choice of attending the local university, I could not help but feel like I was saying goodbye to my big dream. Determined not to burden myself or my family financially, I had to get creative. Before even applying to other colleges I had been taking dual enrollment classes at the local community college where I was able to earn my associates degree while still attending high school for a reduced rate. Following community college, I opted for an in-state public university where I received a scholarship, and commute there to eliminate any dorming costs. During my down time at work and between classes I apply to scholarships online in hopes of winning and additionally putting as many of my paychecks as possible into my savings account. Now, I'm pursuing a major in Visual Communication Design at Montclair State University and so far have been loving it! Pursuing this major allows me to play into both my creative and analytical strengths. I find joy in dissecting trends and understanding what resonates with various audiences. By using that knowledge, I hope to be able to create standout products and advertisements for companies. I have worked hard to be able to pursue a major in something I am passionate about myself has come with challenges, but I will continue to push myself to turn my hard work into a successful career. Awarding me with this scholarship is helping fund my passion which I have worked endlessly throughout my life to achieve.

@justina.ms

I have been passionate about art since I learned how to hold a pencil. If you asked me what I job I wanted to have when I grew up, I would immediately answer that I would want to be “an art teacher,” because that was one of the few jobs I knew that would allow me to create art daily. I was also was (and still am) pretty nerdy and am constantly in search of new experiences and learning new things. I was highly motivated and made it my personal mission to get the highest grades and challenging myself to take advanced classes. Going to an art school and surrounding myself with people just like me was by far my biggest dream. So, when it was time to begin applying for colleges, I had my heart set on the School of Visual Arts in New York. I was over the moon when I found out I was accepted with a scholarship that covered the costs of half the tuition! But alas, that excitement quickly faded when I found out that despite receiving that scholarship, the school was still far too expensive for me to attend. Though I was still content with my choice of attending the local university, I could not help but feel like I was saying goodbye to my big dream. Determined not to burden myself or my family financially, I had to get creative. Before even applying to other colleges I had been taking dual enrollment classes at the local community college where I was able to earn my associates degree while still attending high school for a reduced rate. Following community college, I opted for an in-state public university where I received a scholarship, and commute there to eliminate any dorming costs. During my down time at work and between classes I apply to scholarships online in hopes of winning and additionally putting as many of my paychecks as possible into my savings account. Now, I'm pursuing a major in Visual Communication Design at Montclair State University and so far have been loving it! Pursuing this major allows me to play into both my creative and analytical strengths. I find joy in dissecting trends and understanding what resonates with various audiences. By using that knowledge, I hope to be able to create standout products and advertisements for companies. I have worked hard to be able to pursue a major in something I am passionate about myself has come with its challenges, but I will continue to push myself to turn my hard work into my new goal: maintaining a long and fulfilling career working in the arts.

I have been passionate about art since I learned how to hold a pencil. If you asked me what I job I wanted to have when I grew up, I would immediately answer that I would want to be “an art teacher,” because that was one of the few jobs I knew that would allow me to create art daily. I was also was (and still am) pretty nerdy and am constantly in search of new experiences and learning new things. I was highly motivated and made it my personal mission to get the highest grades and challenging myself to take advanced classes. Going to an art school and surrounding myself with people just like me was by far my biggest dream. So, when it was time to begin applying for colleges, I had my heart set on the School of Visual Arts in New York. I was over the moon when I found out I was accepted with a scholarship that covered the costs of half the tuition! But alas, that excitement quickly faded when I found out that despite receiving that scholarship, the school was still far too expensive for me to attend. Though I was still content with my choice of attending the local university, I could not help but feel like I was saying goodbye to my big dream. Determined not to burden myself or my family financially, I had to get creative. Before even applying to other colleges I had been taking dual enrollment classes at the local community college where I was able to earn my associates degree while still attending high school for a reduced rate. Following community college, I opted for an in-state public university where I received a scholarship, and commute there to eliminate any dorming costs. During my down time at work and between classes I apply to scholarships online in hopes of winning and additionally putting as many of my paychecks as possible into my savings account. Now, I'm pursuing a major in Visual Communication Design at Montclair State University and so far have been loving it! Pursuing this major allows me to play into both my creative and analytical strengths. I find joy in dissecting trends and understanding what resonates with various audiences. By using that knowledge, I hope to be able to create standout products and advertisements for companies. I have worked hard to be able to pursue a major in something I am passionate about myself has come with challenges, but I will continue to push myself to turn my hard work into a successful career.

The aspect that excites me the most about college is getting to meet new people. Throughout my life I had always been very shy and struggled to form friendships. Lacking confidence in myself made it difficult to talk to others because I felt as if everyone hated me, despite not knowing me. Although I began to come out of my shell in high school, the COVID-19 pandemic forced my peers and I into isolation, leaving me feeling as if I missed out on having a “real” high school experience. However, college offers you a chance to reinvent yourself freeing you from any previously conceived notions from others. It allows me to embrace this opportunity for afresh start and act in ways that may differ from my high school self. I’m also ecstatic to meet more people with similar interests to me particularly through my major. Navigating the school year can quickly become overwhelming, but there are many methods to mitigate these stressful feelings. Personally, I find keeping track of all my events and assignments with a calendar to be immensely effective for me. Even a simple act such as writing something down can help relieve feelings of anxiety and promote mental wellness. I also plan on dedicating time in my day to spend time indulging in my hobbies. I love drawing and painting so I enjoy sitting outside and drawing from nature. Maintaining a healthy body is also crucial throughout college. Committing to at least one physical activity per year is something I try to do. Whether that was taekwondo, dance, or even joining the marching band, it provides me with a consistency in my schedule and reduce the amount of time sitting around at home. Fortunately my college has a recreational center that provides free classes and gym equipment which I plan on utilizing frequently. I also would like to get back into dancing and will try out for the team. These activities will contribute to a healthy and active lifestyle during my college years. Eating healthily is often challenging in college due to limited options for food on campus. I am fortunate enough to be able to live at home and commute to school. This privilege makes it significantly easier to maintain a nutritional diet. Eating healthy is something I genuinely enjoy so I am committed to continuing this practice in college. All methods I have outlined above are examples that I have utilized in the past and will continue to maintain a healthy mind, body, and soul throughout my college journey. I encourage everyone to to find things that work for them to do the same!

Th dream version of myself is incredibly happy, has a loving family, and is pursuing an artistic career.

“When I grow up I want to be an artist!” My parents sighed hoping that their five year old daughter would want to partake in a more prestigious career like a doctor or an engineer, but of course not. I knew art was something I loved since the first time I held a crayon, and even at such a young age, I knew it was the only thing I can envision a future pursuing. My passion for creating has been a constant throughout my entire life. Art has not merely a hobby for me; it has served as an emotional outlet during depressive episodes and has helped me gain confidence in myself. Around the age of 13 I began to develop feelings of depression. I began to struggle doing schoolwork and keeping up my grades at school. I would come home from school and sleep for hours. At this time I also became increasingly insecure about my appearance and began eating less. I lost motivation to do almost everything; except creating art. At this time I had amazing mentors who were constantly encouraging me to push my creative bounds. This positive reinforcement from my art teachers made me truly happy and gave me something to work for. Though I still struggle with these episodes today, I have learned ways to cope with them, but if it wasn’t for my love of art and the amazing teachers who supported me, it would’ve took me much longer to get the help I needed. My life devotion to the arts has opened my eyes to new opportunities and experiences I would never have encountered otherwise. I incorporate various aspects of the arts into my everyday life other than just drawing on paper or painting on a canvas. I participating in multiple art related clubs including stage crew where I got to work on set design and costuming , I play multiple instruments and have been apart of multiple music ensembles throughout high school, I have a summer job involves making art for others, and during the school year I work as a volunteer makeup artist for school dances, prom, and productions my school puts on. Now my aspiration is to pursue a career in a creative field, specifically involving around advertising and brand building, which allows me to utilize my talents to help individuals and businesses convey messages through creative expression. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to fund my higher education to further improve upon my skills with the goal of working a fulfilling career.

“When I grow up I want to be an artist!” My parents sighed hoping that their five year old daughter would want to partake in a more prestigious career like a doctor or an engineer, but of course not. I knew art was something I loved since the first time I held a crayon, and even at such a young age, I knew it was the only thing I can envision a future pursuing. My passion for creating has been a constant throughout my entire life. Art has not merely a hobby for me; it has served as an emotional outlet during depressive episodes and has helped me gain confidence in myself. Around the age of 13 I began to develop feelings of depression. I began to struggle doing schoolwork and keeping up my grades at school. I would come home from school and sleep for hours. At this time I also became increasingly insecure about my appearance and began eating less. I lost motivation to do almost everything; except creating art. At this time I had amazing mentors who were constantly encouraging me to push my creative bounds. This positive reinforcement from my art teachers made me truly happy and gave me something to work for. Though I still struggle with these episodes today, I have learned ways to cope with them, but if it wasn’t for my love of art and the amazing teachers who supported me, it would’ve took me much longer to get the help I needed. My life devotion to the arts has opened my eyes to new opportunities and experiences I would never have encountered otherwise. I incorporate various aspects of the arts into my everyday life other than just drawing on paper or painting on a canvas. I participating in multiple art related clubs including stage crew where I got to work on set design and costuming , I play multiple instruments and have been apart of multiple music ensembles throughout high school, I have a summer job involves making art for others, and during the school year I work as a volunteer makeup artist for school dances, prom, and productions my school puts on. Now my aspiration is to pursue a career in a creative field allowing me to utilize my talents to help individuals and businesses convey messages through creative expression. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to fund my higher education to further improve upon my skills with the goal of working a fulfilling career.

“When I grow up I want to be an artist!” My parents sighed hoping that their five year old daughter would want to partake in a more prestigious career like a doctor or an engineer, but of course not. I knew art was something I loved since the first time I held a crayon, and even at such a young age, I knew it was the only thing I can envision a future pursuing. My passion for creating has been a constant throughout my entire life. Art has not merely a hobby for me; it has served as an emotional outlet during depressive episodes and has helped me gain confidence in myself. Around the age of 13 I began to develop feelings of depression. I began to struggle doing schoolwork and keeping up my grades at school. I would come home from school and sleep for hours. At this time I also became increasingly insecure about my appearance and began eating less. I lost motivation to do almost everything; except creating art. At this time I had amazing mentors who were constantly encouraging me to push my creative bounds. My art teachers Mr. Labriola and Mrs. Luto provided positive reinforcement from that made me truly happy and gave me something to work for and my dance teacher, Mrs. Destefano, helped me get out of my shell and become more confident through dance. Though I still struggle with these depressive episodes today, I have learned ways to cope with them, but if it wasn’t for my love of the arts and the amazing teachers who supported me, it would’ve took me much longer to get the help I needed. My life devotion to the arts has opened my eyes to new opportunities and experiences I would never have encountered otherwise. I incorporate various aspects of the arts into my everyday life other than just drawing on paper or painting on a canvas. I participating in multiple art related clubs including stage crew where I got to work on set design and costuming , I play multiple instruments and have been apart of multiple music ensembles throughout high school, I have a summer job involves making art for others, and during the school year I work as a volunteer makeup artist for school dances, prom, and productions my school puts on. Now my aspiration is to pursue a career in a creative field allowing me to utilize my talents to help individuals and businesses convey messages through creative expression. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to fund my higher education to further improve upon my skills with the goal of working a fulfilling career.

My grandmother loves telling me stories about how when I was little we would sit at her piano together and play music. I would say “Nana wanna hear” and she would play anything I asked for. From Bent Fabric’s Alley Cat to the Dora the Explorer theme song, it seemed like her Rolodex of songs was endless. Occasionally I would play too, if she was playing Chopsticks. Though I always enjoyed listening to music, my passion for it came much later. Fast forward to May of eighth grade. I had been playing the flute for four years and I had just begun to learn the piccolo because it was required to join the marching band. At this point I was considering quitting playing music all together because I felt like I wasn’t as good as the other kids who planned on continuing into high school, but with a little convincing from my best friend and also a growing crush on one of the other flute players, I enrolled. Little did I know that this would be one of the most life altering decisions I had made. Other than technical music skills, I have learned countless of lessons just from being in band, but one of the biggest was how I treat others. I was never a particularly outgoing person, which made it difficult for me to form friendships. I always craved the mentorship that upperclassmen would provide my peers. What was I doing wrong that everyone else was doing right? Why does everyone hate me? These questions ate at me daily. Slowly but surely through interaction with this group of around 70 teens I became more comfortable and confident in myself and I was able to break out of my shell. Though I was never able to have that mentor-friendship with someone that I craved, I learned how to be that friend for others. When I was able to gain a leadership position in marching band I made it my mission to make conversation with the freshman and sophomores and emphasize that no matter what I would always be there if they needed a friend. I was also able to form a tight-knit friendship with the band members in my grade. We do everything together and have created a family through something that we all love, making music. Though my love of music has taught me countless lessons such as attention to detail, hard work, and how to never be late, one of the most important things it has taught me is kindness and how to treat others. This is a lesson that I will keep close and take with me throughout my entire lifetime and has shaped the way I view the world and others around me.

One of my favorite pieces in my portfolio currently is titled, "My First Time." In this piece, there is a skeleton and a ghost intertwined on a bed in an otherwise empty room. Though it is not my most technical piece, it has the most meaning to me personally. This painting is a visual representation of the emotions I felt during the first time I engaged in an intimate relationship with somebody. Though technically each party had consented, neither party was particularly interested. It was awkward and it lacked love and passion. It was a truly numbing experience and it did not live up to the expectations I had placed. Following this event, I began this painting as a way to let out the emotions I was experiencing. I was confused and I felt like I had lost a piece of myself. I included the phrase "are we done," at the top of the piece using magazine cutouts to represent my internal dialogue during the event. My brain was scattered and I was trying to collect my thoughts about the experience as a whole. After completing this piece, my then-partner and I got into an argument regarding the situation. They texted me saying, "not to mention you laid there like a corpse and expected me to do all of the work." We were arguing about our poor communication, but we were able to find common ground subconsciously (they did not know I had created this piece.) I added a picture of the text I printed out to the piece as a nod to this unconscious communication we had made. The actions leading up to as well as following the creation of my art piece have changed me. I have learned more about my boundaries regarding my body and how to respect myself. Though I would not consider this situation or that relationship at all to have been a particularly great experience, I do consider it to be a crucial part of me growing up and becoming an adult. I will be turning eighteen next month and I am thankful I was able to learn to stand up for myself and communicate my emotions openly before I became an adult. Overall, this piece I have created has been influential in many ways. I wouldn't consider the piece itself to be that great, but that was not the point of the piece. It wasn't about looking good aesthetically, but rather about the emotions it conveys. I think that concept is beautiful, and that's why "My First Time" is one of my favorite pieces in my portfolio.