My name is La' Shay Sweeney from Philadelphia PA, I Graduated from Norristown area high school on June 13th, 2019. I aspire to become a creative director in animation. Ever since I was young, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. My mom said the first time I ever tried to draw was when I was 3, I was with my older cousin, and she drew a bear and told me to try to copy it and I did it just like hers. Growing up I was lucky to have my mom because she always got me art materials and that allowed me to practice my craft and I never stopped since. During my 11th grade year in high school my oldest brother Clinton died in a car accident. He would have been the person to help me pay for college. After he passed it took a lot out of me, but I still pushed myself to be better because I knew he would have wanted me to graduate college. He always said he knew I would be the first in my family to graduate because of how talented I was. About 5 months after my brother passed, his father Billy passed away and that broke me because he was like my second dad. I started to feel like everyone I loved was leaving me because 2 days after Pop Billy passed away, Clintons best friend Relly was killed. I started to become depressed, but like my mom always says, "You can't let anything you go through make you lose your focus because no matter what you're going though, you will get past it." Now I'm planning to start school at Moore College of art and design because I was accepted for the animation and game arts program.

My name is Lashay Sweeney, I graduated high school in June of 2019 and I aspire to become a creative director in animation and game designing. Ever since I was young, I always knew I wanted to be an artist, my mom said the first time I ever tried to draw I was 3. I was with my older cousin and she drew the bear first and told me to try to copy it and I did it almost just like hers! Growing up I was lucky to have my mom because she always got me art materials and that allowed me to practice my craft and I never stopped. When I was in high school (11th grade) my oldest brother died in a car crash and that was the worst thing I ever had to go through in my life. Me and my brother had a really good relationship I really looked up to him and sometimes it seemed like he even looked up to me and that always inspired me to want to do better. He always wanted what was best for me and always was excited to see what I created and would give me ideas on what to make. He was like my best friend/ father figure. He was always proud of my grades and always told me to go to college and pursue my dreams and never let anything come between me and my path to success no matter what and although we didn't have a lot of money, he would find a way to pay for college for me so I wouldn't have to worry. I never really knew what it was like to lose anyone because I never really lost anyone close to me so when I lost my brother it took a lot out of me and made me lose my drive to create and even get up some days. I also felt like I maybe wouldn't be able to go to college because he would have helped me pay for it. It took a while for me to get my drive back but losing it really made me realize and learn a lot. You can't let anything you go through make you lose your focus because no matter what you're going though, you are going THROUGH so you going to get past it. You will get out and find that light again, I was in a dark place when I lost my brother but I found my light by instead of just being sad, do what he would have wanted me to do. He wanted me to be successful to keep going with my passion and not only do it for him, do it for me too.