It brings to life something that before was just an idea in my head, making something that has a purpose and a reason for existing. Sewing is something, for me, that you can spend days at a time doing and only coming up for air to rewind a bobbin. It captivates me, that there is a way you're supposed to do specific techniques. There is this freedom in it. It's you, a needle, and some thread, and you're left with endless possibilities. That combination of structure and boundless opportunity speaks to me and captivates me in my entirety. Seeing something that was once a pile of fabric turn into whatever my mind desires, is a feeling like no other, it's like joy in its most pure form. It makes me want to sing, jump, and dance all around my room because in my hands is something that after all that effort is a little piece of me. Giving people the gift of being able to express and love themselves is the impact I want to have on the world. I plan to create sustainable clothing made with recycled materials and use water-conserving practices, to help combat the effect that the fashion industry is having on our plant. With a sustainable clothing brand, I plan to offer a wide range of sizing to combat the exclusivity of the fashion industry. I want to have a lasting impact on our planet and the way the next generation grows up in this world.

From a young age, my parents have enlisted the importance of giving back to my siblings and I. We grow up donating items and our time to different organizations in the communities around us. During covid, it became very easy to see just how much certain parts of the community needed help and were not giving the help they needed. After the Lockdown, I and a close friend began looking for volunteer opportunities to give back. We looked through multiple options such as volunteering at an animal shelter or with local schools and churches before we settled on volunteering at the local community library. I have been volunteering at the library once a week for the last year and a half. Although sometimes it can feel a tad repetitive, it is worth it to see the relief from the librarians when we clear carts that have been piled high all day. Our help as library volunteers takes the weight off of the librarians and allows them to pour more of their energy into programs for the community that promote arts, reading and other activities that bring the youth of our community together. I wouldn't replace this experience with anything. The librarians are very sweet and a few times I have had the opportunity to help with programs put on for children in the community. Giving back is something I always hoped to be able to do in my life, whether it be with my time or with items. There are always people who are going to need help around us. I am going to college to study fashion design and fashion business and management. After my time in the industry, I wish to establish my own company to which I will be able to give back on a larger scale. One of the programs that I wish to implement is providing opportunities for schools around the country, particularly in low-income areas, and giving them access to the arts. The arts are very important, especially as a child. it provides children with the opportunity to explore and engage in ways that they previously may not have been able to. I believe that one of the best ways to give back to the community is to start with the next generation. The next generation is like a fresh start, if they are provided with the opportunity to learn and grow they can now contribute to the betterment of their community. It is better to fix the problem at the root than to just patch it up. I want to contribute to long-term solutions in communities everywhere. Like the way my parents and those around me have raised me in an environment where giving back and caring for others is important, I would like to do the same for the generation after me.

Fashion is one of the simplest forms of self-expression. Fashion allows people to adorn their bodies with garments from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and identities. What people wear can determine how confident or comfortable they feel in their skin. People need to have access to clothing and accessories that help them express themselves. I am interested in fashion design because I want to create that for people. I want to provide spaces where people feel like they can truly be themselves. Learning different techniques and fashion history will allow me to grow as a designer. I have been designing for the last 10 years and nothing compares to the joy of finishing a project. I believe that this schloarship will help give me the resources to define myself as a designer. I taught myself to sew, crochet, pattern making, and do embroidery. Over quarantine, I ran a successful Depop business selling bucket hats and jewelry that I created myself. Designing is a huge part of who I am as a person, and I would love the chance to get to know myself better. The future of fashion. Sustainability, gender neutrality, and inclusivity are the things I want my work to exemplify. The fashion industry is a major contributor to air and water pollution. With the rising emergence of fast fashion, the amount of pollution the fashion industry is creating is only rising. Cheap clothes are being made to follow the trend cycle, not only creating waste in the production process but also filling up landfills after the trend has ended. The future has to be sustainable to maintain our current way of living, and what better place to start than with the clothes on our backs. Using recycled, well-constructed material will not only create clothing that takes away from the waste of fast fashion but is also constructed in a manner that will last a long time. Currently, the fashion industry is a very exclusive one, you need to look one way and behave this way to succeed. I disagree. Everyone deserves the chance to see themselves represented on the runway or in digital campaigns. Gender-neutral and inclusive fashion is the future. The fashion industry needs designers who are ready to be a part of the wave of change that is coming with the new ideas and beliefs arising within the younger generations. Sustainability, inclusivity, and gender neutrality are all my visions of what the future of vision can be. As a designer, I plan on turning those visions into a reality.

I am passionate about art. My medium of choice is fashion. The fashion industry is a way for people to express themselves and share their ideas with the world. Though the industry has many positives to it there are also a lot of negatives. I plan on going to college to learn as much as I can and become the solution to the problems in the fashion industry. The fashion industry is very exclusive, often excluding women of color and plus-sized models. With the rise of fast fashion, the fashion industry is growing in the amount of pollution it contributes. Lastly, good quality clothing is becoming harder to find at an affordable price. I have been inspired by fashion for the last 10 years of my life. The media likes to show a very specific Eurocentric standard of beauty, and as a larger then stick thin, black woman, I did not often find myself represented in the media. Through the representation in the media, which is now becoming more popular, and through the confident black women around me I finally begin to be able to love my body and myself the way I am. Learning to love yourself has taken a lot of perseverance. As a kid, I moved schools often resulting in it becoming difficult to make friends because everyone already had their friend group established. Being the addition to a friend group and the new kid at school often made me the target of bullying. Struggling to make friends and getting bullied took a toll on my mental health and my self-image. Eventually, I met the right people and made real friends and we have been friends ever since. I am very thankful for them and the time for self-reflection that covid provided. Since covid closed everything down and we were all stuck at home I had time to focus on my passions. I discover that having affordable clothing that fits all body types is very important and something that all people should have access to. Giving people the gift of being able to express themselves and love themselves is the impact I want to have on the world. I plan to create sustainable clothing made with recycled materials and use water-conserving practices, to help combat the effect that the fashion industry is currently having on our plant. With a sustainable clothing brand, I plan to offer a wide range of sizing to combat the exclusivity of the fashion industry. Also includes a variety of models so that the next generations will be able to see themselves represented in the media. Knowing that they are perfect as they are and do not need to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards. I want to have a lasting impact on our plants and the way the next generation grows up in this world. Currently, the fashion industry is a very exclusive one, you need to look one way and behave this way to succeed. I disagree. Everyone deserves the chance to see themselves represented on the runway or in digital campaigns. Gender-neutral and inclusive fashion is the future. The fashion industry needs designers who are ready to be a part of the wave of change that is coming with the new ideas and beliefs arising within the younger generations. Sustainability, inclusivity, and gender neutrality are all my visions of what the future of vision can be. As a designer, I plan on turning those visions into a reality.

From a young age, my parents have enlisted the importance of giving back to my siblings and I. We grow up donating items and our time to different organizations in the communities around us. During covid, it became very easy to see just how much certain parts of the community needed help and were not giving the help they needed. After the Lockdown, I and a close friend began looking for volunteer opportunities around to give back. We looked through multiple options such as volunteering at an animal shelter or with local schools and churches before we settled on volunteering at the local community library. I have been volunteering at the library once a week for the last year and a half. Although sometimes it can feel a tad repetitive, it is worth it to see the relief from the librarians when we clear carts that have been piled high all day. I wouldn't replace this experience with anything. The librarians are very sweet and a few times I have had the opportunity to help with programs put on for children in the community. Giving back is something I always hoped to be able to do in my life, whether it be with my time or with items. There are always people who are going to need help around us. I am going to college to study fashion design and fashion business and management. After my time in the industry, I wish to establish my own company to which I will be able to give back on a larger scale. One of the programs that I wish to implement is providing opportunities for schools around the country, particularly in low-income areas, and giving them access to the arts. The arts are very important, especially as a child. it provides children with the opportunity to explore and engage in ways that they previously may not have been able to. I believe that one of the best ways to give back to the community is to start with the next generation. the next generation is like a fresh start, if they are provided with the opportunity to learn and grow they can now contribute to the betterment of their community. It is better to fix the problem at the root than to just patch it up. I want to contribute to long-term solutions in communities everywhere. Like the way my parents and those around me have raised me in an environment where giving back and caring for others is important, I would like to do the same for the generation after me.

I am the youngest of 3 and will be the first to attend college. I have known what I wanted to do since I was in the 4th grade, And I have been working toward that goal ever since. I get my hard work ethic from my parents who even through difficult times have managed to thrive and support our family. This scholarship will help me by allowing me to pursue my dream education with less financial worry placed on me and my family. Art is my passion and an education that allows me to fine-tune my skills and zero in on my place in the fashion industry will be beneficial to not just me but to those around me and those who chose to support me in the future. Fashion is one of the simplest forms of self-expression. Fashion allows people to adorn their bodies with garments from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and identities. What people wear can determine how confident or comfortable they feel in their skin. People need to have access to clothing and accessories that help them express themselves. I am interested in fashion design because I want to create that for people. I want to provide spaces where people feel like they can truly be themselves. Learning different techniques and fashion history will allow me to grow as a designer. The future of fashion. Sustainability, gender neutrality, and inclusivity are the things I want my work to exemplify. The fashion industry is a major contributor to air and water pollution. With the rising emergence of fast fashion, the amount of pollution the fashion industry is creating is only rising. Cheap clothes are being made to follow the trend cycle, not only creating waste in the production process but also filling up landfills after the trend has ended. The future has to be sustainable to maintain our current way of living, and what better place to start than with the clothes on our backs. Using recycled, well-constructed material will not only create clothing that takes away from the waste of fast fashion but is also constructed in a manner that will last a long time. I want to create a more inclusive and healthier plant and fashion is just the medium by which I have chosen to do so. I have been working since I was 15 and with that experience, I have learned that it splits my attention between my school work and maintaining a job. I have worked hard to maintain a 4.0 GPA through multiple jobs. I would greatly appreciate the chance to through all my energy into my school work in college with the help of this scholarship.

I am passionate about art. My medium of choice is fashion. The fashion industry is a way for people to express themselves and share their ideas with the world. Though the industry has many positives to it there are also a lot of negatives. I plan on going to college to learn as much as I can and become the solution to the problems in the fashion industry. The fashion industry is very exclusive, often excluding women of color and plus-sized models. With the rise of fast fashion, the fashion industry is growing in the amount of pollution it contributes. Lastly, good quality clothing is becoming harder to find at an affordable price. I have been inspired by fashion for the last 10 years of my life. The media likes to show a very specific eurocentric standard of beauty, and as a larger then stick thin, black woman, I did not often find myself represented in the media. Through the representation in the media, which is now becoming more popular, and through the confident black women around me I finally begin to be able to love my body and myself the way I am. Learning to love yourself has taken a lot of perseverance. As a kid, I moved schools often resulting in it becoming difficult to make friends because everyone already had their friend group established. Being the addition to a friend group and the new kid at school often made me the target of bullying. Struggling to make friends and getting bullied took a toll on my mental health and my self-image. Eventually, I met the right people and made real friends and we have been friends ever since. I am very thankful for them and the time for self-reflection that covid provided. Since covid closed everything down and we were all stuck at home I had time to focus on my passions. I discover that having affordable clothing that fits all body types is very important and something that all people should have access to. Giving people the gift of being able to express themselves and love themselves is the impact I want to have on the world. I plan to create sustainable clothing made with recycled materials and use water-conserving practices, to help combat the effect that the fashion industry is currently having on our plant. With a sustainable clothing brand, I plan to offer a wide range of sizing to combat the exclusivity of the fashion industry. Also including a variety of models so that the next generations will be able to see themselves represented in the media. Knowing that they are perfect as they are and do not need to conform to eurocentric beauty standards. I want to have a lasting impact on our plants and the way the next generation grows up in this world.

I want to make something of my life, to create something for others and myself. My dream is to have an environment where I feel safe and comfortable and can create not only art but change. I want to serve as an inspiration, someone young BIPOC children can look up to and see themselves in.

I have always been in love with art. I was always creating with whatever materials I had whether it was paper and a stapler, making outfits for my dolls, when creating I truly feel like myself. In the third grade, I discovered fashion design. I was always one to draw and doodle on the side of worksheets and had a difficult time making friends. In my class there was a girl who was even shyer than I was and I tried to befriend her, she rarely talked and would always sit by herself. Always trying to include her I discovered our mutual love of a show called Winx Club. The characters in Winx club were always so stylish, one of the characters even wanted to be a fashion designer like I would soon want to be. We would constantly draw these characters and that's when I discovered how much I enjoyed drawing different outfits and slowly discovered my passion for designing them. A lot has changed since then, I'm now in my senior year of high school and have grown and changed a lot with the events of the past years. Through everything that has happened, I still want to be a fashion designer, but there have been periods when I just didn't feel as inspired as I wanted to be. This feeling, a lack of inspiration led me to try to find ways to spark new ideas, one of those ways happened to be watching a design contest show "Next in Fashion". The winner of this show was fashion designer and brand owner Minju Kim. Minju Kim during the show wasn’t my favorite designer but I adored her partnership with Angel. Her partner and friend Angel remind me of my friend from the third grade Sophie. Angel constantly pushed Minju to try new things and push her to be the best artist she could be, and that is one of the reasons that Minju Kim is my favorite artist she reminds me of who I used to be and who I want to be. Minju Kim's designs have this powerful feminine feeling to them they are both delicate while giving off a strong sense of self, her designs are both modern yet classic. Minju Kim is my favorite artist because she is everything I want to be as a designer. She is able to push herself out of her comfort zone while maintaining her sense of identity and strong personal style which is reflected in her work. When I see her new collection I feel that sense of inspiration that I once felt was missing. She inspires me to put bits of myself into my work. I want to be able to create the feeling I get when I see her work in other people. Minju Kim is my favorite artist because I want the next generation of designers to feel the way I feel about her work, to feel about my work.