I grew up in a small, quiet, low-income neighborhood in Hawaii with my mother and father. At the age of six, I declared my artistic destiny by transforming my room into a canvas, covering the walls from floor to ceiling with my art. Little did I know what was going to occur. My Life was on a downward spiral. My father passed away, and my mother, grappling with alcoholism, became abusive. We moved 32 times before I turned 16. High school brought a new low; we moved from a trailer to a home without electricity, a shower, or a toilet. I had to walk to a coffee shop every day for internet to complete my homework. Despite the challenges, I transitioned into being a woman andmanaged to graduate, but my dreams of art and college were shattered. My mother insisted it was too late, and I needed to help with rent. This disagreement led to our separation and her issue with my transition. So she kicked me out at 17 living on the street, until I ended up in a homeless shelter at 19. The shelter was a dark chapter, and I turned to drugs to cope. However, my intelligence and art were the only aspects that retained some humanity in the eyes of others. A worker named Krista recognized my potential and invited me to help design a facility for homeless LGBT youths. This opportunity marked a turning point, revealing that my art had value beyond what my mother saw. That night I went to celebrate with my some othe people in the shelter to celebrate rising above mediocrity for 5 seconds only to fall below again by night's end. I was assaulted and choked on Christmas night and sent to the hospital. One of those people I was with, decided he wanted to start throwing slurs at me, and I yelled at him for it. In return, he attacked me, and choked till I was unconsious in adrunken rage. I got a neck brace put on me and was sent to the hospital. The shelter let me know I couldn’t return that night, and the police arrested the man who attacked me. I walked out of the hospital and looked at the intersection, wondering if I should just quit and run into the street. But instead, I curled up under a park slide hoping that it wouldn’t rain, and so it poured. The morning I returned to the shelter the silver lining finally played when Krista, along with other staff, presented a life-changing announcement. I would have my own place, free from the turmoil of the shelter. A transitional home. I stayed at this transitional housing, working my little buns off. I finally felt inspired to rise to my potential by starting my own independent business and going back to school at a local community college for animation and computer science. My business is dolll making company that also sells 3D VTuber models. It feels like the perfect circle to me. They comforted me through all the pain. Now it’s what I do for my business. I wanted people to feel the comfort I felt In the shelter, when I drew myself as one of these beautiful dolls or when I would spend three hours every day applying makeup to look like them, so I could have the confidence to be brave. doing my makeup and my Art helped me feel human again. And now, I feel whole again. Ready to pursue my dreams of art college, meeting friends who have the same, passion and struggles I did.

I grew up in a small, quiet, low-income neighborhood in Hawaii with my mother and father. At the age of six, I declared my artistic destiny by transforming my room into a canvas, covering the walls from floor to ceiling with my art. Little did I know what was going to occur. My Life was on a downward spiral. My father passed away, and my mother, grappling with alcoholism, became abusive. We moved 32 times before I turned 16. High school brought a new low; we moved from a trailer to a home without electricity, a shower, or a toilet. I had to walk to a coffee shop every day for internet to complete my homework. Despite the challenges, I transitioned into being a woman andmanaged to graduate, but my dreams of art and college were shattered. My mother insisted it was too late, and I needed to help with rent. This disagreement led to our separation and her issue with my transition. So she kicked me out at 17 living on the street, until I ended up in a homeless shelter at 19. The shelter was a dark chapter, and I turned to drugs to cope. However, my intelligence and art were the only aspects that retained some humanity in the eyes of others. A worker named Krista recognized my potential and invited me to help design a facility for homeless LGBT youths. This opportunity marked a turning point, revealing that my art had value beyond what my mother saw. That night I went to celebrate with my some othe people in the shelter to celebrate rising above mediocrity for 5 seconds only to fall below again by night's end. I was assaulted and choked on Christmas night and sent to the hospital. One of those people I was with, decided he wanted to start throwing slurs at me, and I yelled at him for it. In return, he attacked me, and choked till I was unconsious in adrunken rage. I got a neck brace put on me and was sent to the hospital. The shelter let me know I couldn’t return that night, and the police arrested the man who attacked me. I walked out of the hospital and looked at the intersection, wondering if I should just quit and run into the street. But instead, I curled up under a park slide hoping that it wouldn’t rain, and so it poured. The morning I returned to the shelter the silver lining finally played when Krista, along with other staff, presented a life-changing announcement. I would have my own place, free from the turmoil of the shelter. A transitional home. I stayed at this transitional housing, working my little buns off. I finally felt inspired to rise to my potential by starting my own independent business and going back to school at a local community college for animation and computer science. My business is dolll making company that also sells 3D VTuber models. It feels like the perfect circle to me. They comforted me through all the pain. Now it’s what I do for my business. I wanted people to feel the comfort I felt In the shelter, when I drew myself as one of these beautiful dolls or when I would spend three hours every day applying makeup to look like them, so I could have the confidence to be brave. doing my makeup and my Art helped me feel human again. And now, I feel whole again.