As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through hard work, I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing and learn different mediums like colored pencils and watercolor to expand how I can visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. One could say I procrastinated through the whole summer until last week, but I was truly overwhelmed with life. Additionally, because of my outside responsibilities, I also could not get my piece perfect. My work could have been better and reflected better of me. However, my teacher saw my work and said that I should just draw and let ideas flow without being a perfectionist. This did help and because of that, I was able to grow as an artist and evolve with each piece of artwork I made. Now that I was less conscious about the perfection of my work I was able to create lots of art instead of seeing the downfalls of my art and life. I saw those downfalls as something to improve on and learn from rather than something negative. I learned to have an open mentality and not be so stuck up on little pieces of detail that didn’t matter much. Not only was I more open, but my creativity and originality were starting to show. I realized without trying to make the ideal perfect piece every time, I learned to make art from my heart, art that communicates my internal feelings, and art that evokes emotion. I like drawing human figures and bright colors with graphic elements to complement them. When I started to find myself as a person and artist, I was not only happy, but it showed that as an artist I was growing independently and finding my vision to convey to others. I finally found the spark I was missing from my sophomore year. I learned that growth both personally and academically is extremely important. As an artist, my biggest strengths are my imagination and the way I can visually learn from others. As a kid, I watched a lot of anime and daydreamed a lot, which has made my imagination very strong. My illustration teacher helped me find my style just by his drawing demos. I learned from practice and studying how other artists develop their craft. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Rhode Island School of Art and Design (RISD) has a student who is dedicated to the community, dedicated to the craft, and dedicated to learning and growing.

In this painting, I wanted to convey the struggle of living up to others' expectations. The composition of my piece was essential to convey my message. I picked a canvas 36 x 16 so I could give the figure and sky enough space so one did not take more emphasis over the other. I placed my figure on the bottom which is a self-portrait of me from the knee up with the big sky above. Going up from the figure there are blue clouds and the sun at the top which provides a light source for the piece. The colors in all of my pieces are essential and it definitely shows in this one as they provide colors that pop but for the first time, I introduce a monochromatic palette for the figure. This contrasts with the sky which is a hot pink with streaks of red created by a pallet knife and oil pastel as well as blue clouds. I wanted to provide this contrast of the figure and backdrop to convey how the world expects greats which the colors show but you feel that you can’t, which the black and white pallant of the figure expresses. The last part of this painting is the blue crown which is held over the monochromatic figure. This crown was inspired by Basquiat and I wanted to apply it in a way that fits my liking. So I took the simple graphics of the crown and turned it into a halo to drive the meaning of greatness but the struggle of living up to it.

In this painting, I wanted to convey the struggle of living up to others' expectations. The composition of my piece was essential to convey my message. I picked a canvas 36 x 16 so I could give the figure and sky enough space so one did not take more emphasis over the other. I placed my figure on the bottom which is a self-portrait of me from the knee up with the big sky above. Going up from the figure there are blue clouds and the sun at the top which provides a light source for the piece. The colors in all of my pieces are essential and it shows in this one as they provide colors that pop but for the first time, I introduce a monochromatic palette for the figure. This contrasts with the sky that is a hot pink with streaks of red created by a pallet knife and oil pastel as well as blue clouds. I wanted to provide this contrast of the figure and backdrop to convey how the world expects greats which the colors show but you feel that you can’t, which the black and white pallant of the figure expresses. The last part of this painting is the blue crown which is held over the monochromatic figure. This crown was inspired by Basquiat and I wanted to apply it in a way that fits my liking. So I took the simple graphics of the crown and turned it into a halo to drive the meaning of greatness but the struggle of living up to it.

In this painting, I wanted to convey the struggle of living up to others' expectations. The composition of my piece was essential to convey my message. I picked a canvas 36 x 16 so I could give the figure and sky enough space so one did not take more emphasis over the other. I placed my figure on the bottom which is a self portrait of me from the knee up with the big sky above. Going up from the figure there are blue clouds and the sun at the top which provides a light source for the piece. The colors in all of my pieces are essential and it definitely shows in this one as they provide colors that pop but for the first time, I introduce a monochromatic palette for the figure. This contrasts with the sky which is a hot pink with streaks of red created by a pallet knife and oil pastel as well as blue clouds. I wanted to provide this contrast of the figure and backdrop to convey how the world expects greats which the colors show but you feel that you can’t, which the black and white pallant of the figure expresses. The last part of this painting is the blue crown which is held over the monochromatic figure. This crown was inspired by Basquiat and I wanted to apply it in a way that fits my liking. So I took the simple graphics of the crown and turned it into a halo to drive the meaning of greatness but the struggle of living up to it.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through hard work, I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing and learn different mediums like colored pencils and watercolor to expand how I can visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. One could say I procrastinated through the whole summer until last week, but I was truly overwhelmed with life. Additionally, because of my outside responsibilities, I also could not get my piece perfect. My work could have been better and reflected better of me. However, my teacher saw my work and said that I should just draw and let ideas flow without being a perfectionist. This did help and because of that, I was able to grow as an artist and evolve with each piece of artwork I made. Now that I was less conscious about the perfection of my work I was able to create lots of art instead of seeing the downfalls of my art and life. I saw those downfalls as something to improve on and learn from rather than something negative. I learned to have an open mentality and not be so stuck up on little pieces of detail that didn’t matter much. Not only was I more open, but my creativity and originality were starting to show. I realized without trying to make the ideal perfect piece every time, I learned to make art from my heart, art that communicates my internal feelings, and art that evokes emotion. I like drawing human figures and bright colors with graphic elements to complement them. When I started to find myself as a person and artist, I was not only happy, but it showed that as an artist I was growing independently and finding my vision to convey to others. I finally found the spark I was missing from my sophomore year. I learned that growth both personally and academically is extremely important. Developing into a great leader is essential to growth and being a well-rounded individual. Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle that I have been through as a child, “thinking big” was always a motivational motto for me. Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. As an artist, my biggest strengths are my imagination and the way I can visually learn from others. As a kid, I watched a lot of anime and daydreamed a lot, which has made my imagination very strong. My illustration teacher helped me find my style just by his drawing demos. I learned from practice and studying how other artists develop their craft. I believe that my three core values are hard work, perseverance, and imagination. These core values will help my family, especially my younger sibling's longevity in education and prosperity to accomplish more throughout the generations. “The arts and humanities teach us who we are and what we can be.” I want to create the first visual art communicator for autistic children. They would be able to use the iPad or Virtual headset to communicate through drawing their feelings and emotions. I dream big because the only person that will stop it from coming true is yourself. Art validates the human experience because it takes imagination, focus, drive, and creativity to produce a great piece. If you are prepared to work hard and persevere you can achieve anything. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Rhode Island School of Art and Design (RISD) has a student who is dedicated to the community, dedicated to the craft, and dedicated to learning and growing.

“Where there's liberty, art succeeds” As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, unfair, and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. I am majoring in Visual Arts at Rhode Island School of Art and Design(RISD). Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. Developing into a great leader is essential in growth as well as being a well-rounded individual. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Making others resonate with my art makes them feel that whatever they go through is something more common than exclusive to themselves. This helps people feel welcome and accepted in our community. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Artwork has an impact on me because it helps me read through my internal feelings. Each art piece I make I try to make an emotional connection with it so not only am I creating art, but I am gaining a mental experience with it as well. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. When I created this art piece it was almost as if I was looking at the stress on my canvas which made me feel better about myself and helped me work through the emotions. This artwork made a positive impact on me and showed me that my artwork can help me work through my mental state and emotions. As an artist, my goals are to become creative, to be bold, and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art that resonates with others mentally and as an advocate for social change. In my community, I have used art to connect my community of Harlem, NY Recently, I won an art project with H&M in which my artwork will be displayed to support the community. The H&M project allowed me to support, and uplift the community. In closing, I want to not just exist on campus but thrive, and I plan to do the same by becoming involved in student organizations, campus community service, and building connections both on and off campus.

“Where there's liberty, art succeeds” As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, unfair, and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. Developing into a great leader is essential in growth as well as being a well-rounded individual. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Making others resonate with my art makes them feel that whatever they go through is something more common than exclusive to themselves. This helps people feel welcome and accepted in our community. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Artwork has an impact on me because it helps me read through my internal feelings. Each art piece I make I try to make an emotional connection with it so not only am I creating art, but I am gaining a mental experience with it as well. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. When I created this art piece it was almost as if I was looking at the stress on my canvas which made me feel better about myself and helped me work through the emotions. This artwork made a positive impact on me and showed me that my artwork can help me work through my mental state and emotions. As an artist, my goals are to become creative, to be bold, and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art that resonates with others mentally and as an advocate for social change. In my community, I have used art to connect my community of Harlem, NY Recently, I won an art project with H&M in which my artwork will be displayed to support the community. The H&M project allowed me to support, and uplift the community. In closing, I want to not just exist on campus but thrive, and I plan to do the same by becoming involved in student organizations, campus community service, and building connections both on and off campus.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through hard work, I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing and learn different mediums like colored pencils and watercolor to expand how I can visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. Now that I was less conscious about the perfection of my work I was able to create lots of art instead of seeing the downfalls of my art and life. I saw those downfalls as something to improve on and learn from rather than something negative. I learned to have an open mentality and not be so stuck up on little pieces of detail that didn’t matter much. I realized without trying to make the ideal perfect piece every time, I learned to make art from my heart, art that communicates my internal feelings, and art that evokes emotion. When I started to find myself as a person and artist, I was not only happy, but it showed that as an artist I was growing independently and finding my vision to convey to others. I finally found the spark I was missing from my sophomore year. Developing into a great leader is essential to growth and being a well-rounded individual. Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle that I have been through as a child, COVID-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. I learned from practice and studying how other artists develop their craft. I believe that my three core values are hard work, perseverance, and imagination. These core values will help my family, especially my younger sibling's longevity in education and prosperity to accomplish more throughout the generations. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Rhode Island School of Design will have a student who is dedicated to the community, dedicated to the craft, and dedicated to learning and growing.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through hard work, I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing and learn different mediums like colored pencils and watercolor to expand how I can visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. I procrastinated through the whole summer until last week, but I was truly overwhelmed with life. Additionally, because of my outside responsibilities, I also could not get my piece perfect. Now that I was less conscious about the perfection of my work I was able to create lots of art instead of seeing the downfalls of my art and life. I saw those downfalls as something to improve on and learn from rather than something negative. I learned to have an open mentality and not be so stuck up on little pieces of detail that didn’t matter much. I realized without trying to make the ideal perfect piece every time, I learned to make art from my heart, art that communicates my internal feelings, and art that evokes emotion. When I started to find myself as a person and artist, I was not only happy, but it showed that as an artist I was growing independently and finding my vision to convey to others. I finally found the spark I was missing from my sophomore year. Developing into a great leader is essential to growth and being a well-rounded individual. Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle that I have been through as a child, COVID-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. As an artist, my biggest strengths are my imagination and the way I can visually learn from others. I believe that my three core values are hard work, perseverance, and imagination. These core values will help my family, especially my younger sibling's longevity in education and prosperity to accomplish more throughout the generations. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Rhode Island School of Design will have a student who is dedicated to the community, dedicated to the craft, and dedicated to learning and growing.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through hard work, I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing and learn different mediums like colored pencils and watercolor to expand how I can visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. I procrastinated through the whole summer until last week, but I was truly overwhelmed with life. Additionally, because of my outside responsibilities, I also could not get my piece perfect. My work could have been better and reflected better of me. However, my teacher saw my work and said that I should just draw and let ideas flow without being a perfectionist. This did help and because of that, I was able to grow as an artist and evolve with each piece of artwork I made. Now that I was less conscious about the perfection of my work I was able to create lots of art instead of seeing the downfalls of my art and life. I saw those downfalls as something to improve on and learn from rather than something negative. I learned to have an open mentality and not be so stuck up on little pieces of detail that didn’t matter much. I realized without trying to make the ideal perfect piece every time, I learned to make art from my heart, art that communicates my internal feelings, and art that evokes emotion. When I started to find myself as a person and artist, I was not only happy, but it showed that as an artist I was growing independently and finding my vision to convey to others. I finally found the spark I was missing from my sophomore year. Developing into a great leader is essential to growth and being a well-rounded individual. Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle that I have been through as a child, COVID-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. As an artist, my biggest strengths are my imagination and the way I can visually learn from others. As a kid, I watched a lot of anime and daydreamed a lot, which has made my imagination very strong. My illustration teacher helped me find my style just by his drawing demos. I learned from practice and studying how other artists develop their craft. I believe that my three core values are hard work, perseverance, and imagination. These core values will help my family, especially my younger sibling's longevity in education and prosperity to accomplish more throughout the generations. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Rhode Island School of Design will have a student who is dedicated to the community, dedicated to the craft, and dedicated to learning and growing.

When I was in first grade, that was the first time I was introduced to video games. I remember having a 3DS with Mario Kart and it wasn’t just a moment of fun, it was an experience. Video games have positively impacted my life by showing me that losses are opportunities to improve and not to take personal responsibility and that my creativity is endless. There were many times I didn’t win in video games, however one game did press my buttons and helped me learn that my losses are only ways to improve. This game was on my Nintendo 3DS and I had to defeat a frog monster as Donkey Kong to advance to the next part of the level. However I was struggling to beat this frog monster and I started to cry because of how hard it was. Because of that I had to step back and figure out what I was doing wrong. I remember my Uncle explained to me that the characters have different movements they are programmed to do, and if you watch closely you can predict and fight back properly. After that talk each time I lost I didn’t cry, but I kept learning and remembering the monster frog movements. Soon after losing a few times I was able to win the game and advance to the next part of the level. Video games have also helped massively with my imagination and creative problem solving. Some games that helped expand my imagination were Watch Dogs 2 and Zelda breath of the Wild and Tears of The Kingdom. All three of these games are open world games which allow free roam and creativity. Lots of these open world games provide combat and different locations to explore and discover. Not only that but in games like Zelda there are beautiful landmarks and as a person who makes them these are always fun to look at. Even learning how each of the colors compliment each other and create those landmarks is very interesting to say the least. Even a game like Watch Dogs 2 has its own cool urban aesthetic as it is based in a city environment. Even though there is lots of repetition with the buildings it has different park spaces and some rural areas that escape you from the urban environment. Studying the map and how it’s made is interesting as it contrasts from the Legend Of Zelda. As Zelda has more organic shapes while Watch Dogs 2 is more geometric. That is how video games have positively impacted my life.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and it is a habit that still stays with me even today. I would create worlds and characters and place it on my school sheets. Even drawing studies of different students and teachers I would draw repeatedly and Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. When I started to take drawing seriously which was my freshman year of high school I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing skills and learn different mediums, such as colored pencils and watercolor, to expand how I could visually convey my ideas. Even before class I would sit by Columbus Circle and draw the people who passed by just to pass the time and warm up before class. I have created many pieces that I am proud of because of the experimentation, the technique of how it was done, the usage of color, and the message it conveys. This is what I love about the idea of attending college, I had an opportunity to visit the schools and was intrigued by the hanging clothed material and the animation which was created by multiple images of abstract gestures. Additionally, the students I met were very warm and friendly to me, while it is not my home, one of the campuses I visited felt like home. I feel mental health needs to be emphasized because it is something that can affect anyone instantly. It is not a disease, climate change or conflict, but conflict in your mind. As people, we have to understand that there are only so many things that we can control in this world. We may not be able to control the people or around us or what we do to make money, but we can control how we act. When you are unable to control how you act, or you feel as if the world only speaks negativity to you, you can be pushed to a point of lots of anxiety, depression, or insanity. Mental health is also the reason why there are suicides among teens. Being a teenager myself, there is a lot that we go through, and knowing that there is someone to listen to is very calming and helps us go through our emotions. However, others may not want to talk, those are the people I want to help. Helping them can mean showing them independent activities to do by themselves, or maybe how to find the core of their negativity and address it. As an artist, my goals are to become creative, to be bold, to tell a story, and be inclusive. I desire to create art that resonates with others mentally. Going through a new transition, whether it is a change or college; it may cause stress, anxiety, or mental issues. As an artist, I want my art to shine through as a visual medium or a visual song for others to escape. I want my pieces to be something that you could look at, to question, admire, and lose yourself to curiosity. Through going to college, like I would like to push my boundaries with what I could do. Combining different mediums and using different techniques to make my creativity and my art more impactful. The University I attend will have a student who is dedicated to being a part of student government, and the community, dedicated to the craft, and dedicated to learning and growing.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through my hard work, I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing skills and learn different mediums, such as colored pencils and watercolors, to expand how I could visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe one of the biggest influences in my life is my mom. As a single mother, she has given me a way to find my voice through art. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. One could say I procrastinated through the whole summer until last week, but I was truly overwhelmed with life. Additionally, because of my outside responsibilities, I could not get my piece perfect. My work was very sloppy and did not reflect the best of me. However, my teacher saw my work and said that I should just draw and let ideas flow without being a perfectionist. Developing into a great leader is essential in growth as well as being a well-rounded individual. Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle I have been through as a child, “thinking big” was always a motivational motto for me. Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. As an artist, my biggest strengths are my imagination and how I can visually learn from others. As a kid, I watched a lot of anime and daydreamed a lot, which made my imagination very strong. My illustration teacher helped me find my style just by his drawing demos. I learned from practice and studying how other artists develop their craft. I believe that my three core values are hard work, perseverance, and imagination. These core values will help my family, especially my younger sibling's longevity in education and prosperity, to accomplish more throughout the generations. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Christian ‘Myles’ Pratt Foundation Fine Arts Scholarship would make all the difference in helping support my mother in sending me to the college of my dreams.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through my hard work I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing and learn different mediums like colored pencils and watercolors to expand how I can visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe one of the biggest influences in my life is my mom. As a single mother, she has given me a way to find my voice through art. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. One could say I procrastinated through the whole summer until last week, but I was truly overwhelmed with life. Additionally, because of my outside responsibilities, I could not get my piece perfect. My work was very sloppy and did not reflect the best of me. However, my teacher saw my work and said that I should just draw and let ideas flow without being a perfectionist. Developing into a great leader is essential in growth as well as being a well-rounded individual. Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle I have been through as a child, “thinking big” was always a motivational motto for me. Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. As an artist, my biggest strengths are my imagination and the way I can visually learn from others. As a kid, I watched a lot of anime as well as daydreaming a lot, which has made my imagination very strong. My illustration teacher helped me find my style just by his drawing demos. I learned from practice and studying how other artists develop their craft. I believe that my three core values are hard work, perseverance, and imagination. These core values will help my family, especially my younger sibling's longevity in education and prosperity, to accomplish more throughout the generations. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Minority Students in Technical Arts would make all the difference in helping support my mother in sending me to the college of my dreams.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through my hard work I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing and learn different mediums like colored pencils and watercolors to expand how I can visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe one of the biggest influences in my life is my mom. As a single mother, she has given me a way to find my voice through art. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. One could say I procrastinated through the whole summer until last week, but I was truly overwhelmed with life. Additionally, because of my outside responsibilities, I could not get my piece perfect. My work was very sloppy and did not reflect the best of me. However, my teacher saw my work and said that I should just draw and let ideas flow without being a perfectionist. Developing into a great leader is essential in growth as well as being a well-rounded individual. Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle I have been through as a child, “thinking big” was always a motivational motto for me. Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. As an artist, my biggest strengths are my imagination and the way I can visually learn from others. As a kid, I watched a lot of anime as well as daydreaming a lot, which has made my imagination very strong. My illustration teacher helped me find my style just by his drawing demos. I learned from practice and studying how other artists develop their craft. I believe that my three core values are hard work, perseverance, and imagination. These core values will help my family, especially my younger sibling's longevity in education and prosperity, to accomplish more throughout the generations. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Hilda Klinger Memorial Scholarship would make all the difference in helping support my mother in sending me to the college of my dreams as well keep Hilda alive in the art work.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through my hard work, I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing and learn different mediums like colored pencils and watercolors to expand how I can visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe one of the biggest influences in my life is my mom. As a single mother, she has given me a way to find my voice through art. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. One could say I procrastinated through the whole summer until last week, but I was truly overwhelmed with life. Additionally, because of my outside responsibilities, I could not get my piece perfect. My work was very sloppy and did not reflect the best of me. However, my teacher saw my work and said that I should just draw and let ideas flow without being a perfectionist. Developing into a great leader is essential in growth as well as being a well-rounded individual. Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle I have been through as a child, “thinking big” was always a motivational motto for me. Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. As an artist, my biggest strengths are my imagination and the way I can visually learn from others. As a kid, I watched a lot of anime as well as daydreaming a lot, which has made my imagination very strong. My illustration teacher helped me find my style just by his drawing demos. I learned from practice and studying how other artists develop their craft. I believe that my three core values are hard work, perseverance, and imagination. These core values will help my family, especially my younger sibling's longevity in education and prosperity, to accomplish more throughout the generations. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Reginald Kelley Scholarship would make all the difference in helping support my mother in sending me to the college of my dreams.

As a kid, I used to draw a lot on my school papers and that still stays with me even today. I would practice drawing daily. Through my hard work I earned a scholarship to the Arts Students League. There, I was able to refine my figure drawing and learn different mediums like colored pencils and watercolors to expand how I can visually convey my ideas. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe one of the biggest influences in my life is my mom. As a single mother, she has given me a way to find my voice through art. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Through high school, I have explored not only different mediums of art and pushed my creativity, but also had lots of experiences that helped me reflect and explore myself as a person. As a rising junior, I was given a summer assignment to make 3 pieces of artwork. Over the summer I had to work, take care of my siblings, and assist my mother with household responsibilities. One could say I procrastinated through the whole summer until last week, but I was truly overwhelmed with life. Additionally, because of my outside responsibilities, I could not get my piece perfect. My work was very sloppy and did not reflect the best of me. However, my teacher saw my work and said that I should just draw and let ideas flow without being a perfectionist. Developing into a great leader is essential in growth as well as being a well-rounded individual. Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle I have been through as a child, “thinking big” was always a motivational motto for me. Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. As an artist, my biggest strengths are my imagination and the way I can visually learn from others. As a kid, I watched a lot of anime as well as daydreaming a lot, which has made my imagination very strong. My illustration teacher helped me find my style just by his drawing demos. I learned from practice and studying how other artists develop their craft. I believe that my three core values are hard work, perseverance, and imagination. These core values will help my family, especially my younger sibling's longevity in education and prosperity, to accomplish more throughout the generations. My art focus will always be creative advocacy and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art to help improve mental health conditions and support social change. Illustration is the medium that can take those thoughts and information and clearly express it on canvas. Christian ‘Myles’ Pratt Foundation Fine Arts Scholarship would make all the difference in helping support my mother in sending me to the college of my dreams.

Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle that I have been through as a child, “thinking big” was always a motivational motto for me. Thinking big is about all the accomplishments I want and will do for my family. Mostly, like President Reagan, I especially want to do well for my mother, because she has instilled in me that can accomplish anything through hard work. My dream as a child was to be able to give my mother a house and enough money for my siblings to go to college without debt. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. I have created many pieces that I am proud of because of the experimentation, technique, usage of color, and the message it conveys. However, artwork takes all of the above into consideration, to be a standout. Artwork has an impact on me because it helps me read through my internal feelings. Each art piece I make I try to make an emotional connection with it so not only am I creating art, but I am gaining a mental experience with it as well. I am always working hard, having a single mother as well as being the big brother to my siblings, I have to make sure everything in my house is organized, my siblings are bathed, and cleaned, and their homework is completed. I then have to stay up to complete my schoolwork and create art pieces as well. My mother always says she wants me to do better than her, be better than her, and follow my dreams. I know if I dream big I have to put in a lot of work because nothing is free in this world, everything that you do has to be earned. Hard work for me is not where you just end and stop. For me, I want to keep pushing myself over the limits. Achieving something is not the finish line, the achievement is what you make of that accomplishment. To achieve my dreams and accomplishments and make my family proud, I have to have the will to preserve. I also have to set an example for future generations, such as my siblings.

Coming from the community of Harlem, NY, and the lifestyle that I have been through as a child, “thinking big” was always a motivational motto for me. My dream as a child was to be able to give my mother a house and enough money for my siblings to go to college without debt. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. I have created many pieces that I am proud of because of the experimentation, technique, usage of color, and the message it conveys. However, artwork takes all of the above into consideration, to be a standout. Artwork has an impact on me because it helps me read through my internal feelings. Each art piece I make I try to make an emotional connection with it so not only am I creating art, but I am gaining a mental experience with it as well. Having a single mother as well as being the big brother to my siblings, I have to make sure everything in my house is organized, my siblings are bathed, and cleaned, and their homework is completed. I then have to stay up to complete my schoolwork and create art pieces as well. My mother always says she wants me to do better than her, be better than her, and follow my dreams. I know if I dream big I have to put in a lot of work because nothing is free in this world, everything that you do has to be earned. To achieve my dreams and accomplishments and make my family proud, I have to have the will to preserve. I also have to set an example for future generations, such as my siblings. I hope one day to achieve a bachelor's degree and master's in fine arts. Right now, achieving the goal of making it to college and having an average of 3.8, as for now is a big milestone in my family. Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Artwork has an impact on me because it helps me read through my internal feelings. Each art piece I make I try to make an emotional connection with it so not only am I creating art, but I am gaining a mental experience with it as well. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. When I created this art piece it was almost as if I was looking at the stress on my canvas which made me feel better about myself and helped me work through the emotions. Recently, I won an art project with H&M in which my artwork will be displayed to support the community. The H&M project allowed me to support, and uplift the community. I dream big because the only person that will stop it from coming true is yourself. Art validates the human experience because it takes imagination, focus, drive, and creativity to produce a great piece. If you are prepared to work hard and persevere you can achieve anything.

"Where there's liberty, art succeeds”. As a young black man interested in Art expression, I have seen firsthand how the environment can be unwelcoming, and how unfair and inequitable spaces can be. I believe art and creative works are necessary components to create social and mental change. Covid-19 made people aware of daily injustices and compelled us to research young leaders like Jean-Michel Basquiat. He modeled appropriate ways to stand up and fight. Developing into a great leader is essential in growth as well as being a well-rounded individual. Making others resonate with my art makes them feel that whatever they go through is something more common than exclusive to themselves. This helps people feel welcome and accepted in our community. I am a person who welcomes different thoughts because I believe it is the best way to learn. Art is the connection with different views to come together as one and paint a collective canvas together. Artwork has an impact on me because it helps me read through my internal feelings. Each art piece, I make, I try to make an emotional connection with it so not only am I creating art, but also gain a mental experience with it as well. Sometimes I feel that the world places lots of pressure on my shoulders, and this artwork helped me relieve some of that stress. When I created this art piece it was almost as if I was looking at the stress on my canvas which made me feel better about myself and helped me work through the emotions. This artwork made a positive impact on me and showed me that my artwork can help me work through my mental state and emotions. As an artist, my goals are to become creative, to be bold, and to tell a story of the underrepresented, while being inclusive to all. I desire to create art that resonates with others mentally and as an advocate for social change. In my community, I have used art to connect my community of Harlem, NY Recently, I won an art project with H&M in which my artwork will be displayed to support the community. The H&M project allowed me to support, and uplift the community. In closing, I do not just exist on campus I want to thrive, and I plan to do the same by becoming involved in student organizations, campus community service, and building connections both on and off campus. I want black and brown voices to be seen and heard through art.