My name Is Krystal MacMillan and I am pursuing teacher certification after receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts ten years ago. I have a seven year old child and I am a single mother. I have been an artist for the past ten years without much financial success. I work part time at a local restaurant serving and bartending on the weekends. As my seven year old becomes more independent and is involved in school and extra curricular activities, I find myself in need of a career. I feel that I have the experience and the wisdom to become a teacher of the arts. I recently applied to an artist residency that I unfortunately did not get accepted into. However, the residency entailed working with the youth and teaching them about social justice issues through the arts, and I found I was just as disappointed about not working with them as I was not to have the time and resources to paint more. The longer I am a mother, the more I feel that it is part of my purpose to inspire and work with as many children as I can. I have a natural affinity for the arts, but I also have a natural way with kids as well. I hope to teach a new perspective on the arts and give students a greater appreciation for creativity. I would like to help ignite confidence to integrate an art practice into their lives in order to provide a well rounded wellness to their daily routines. I feel creative pursuits could use more encouragement and advocacy. I was recently admitted into Metropolitan State University of Denver with the intention of completing the Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification in Art Education K-12. I am very excited to embark on this new journey. However, as previously stated, I am a single mother and work only part time, so I could very much use the additional help financially. This would help me purchase books and materials so that I can use my current income for the bills that I already have without taking out additional loans. Part time work allows me to be fully present with my child, continue my artistic pursuits, and maintain a healthy work/life balance where I can sustainably continue my education so that I can fully immerse myself in a career more suited to my strengths. Thank you so much for your time, and I hope to hear from you soon.