As part of the first generation who has had computers, phones, and other forms of modern technology exist during their entire lifetime, it's safe to say that I was practically raised by my crappy 2000s windows desktop computer. I still remember its cable-connected external speakers that you would have to manually turn the dial of to adjust the volume, I still remember how that dial would regularly fall off. I grew fond of the yellowing keyboard with its rubbed off letters and numbers that I would have to roll out from beneath the desk and its complimenting mouse's motion-tracking ball that I would fiddle with while I waited for the computer to boot up. I remember having to crawl under that wooden desk and dig through the mountain of cables underneath it to make sure that the ethernet cable was connected and figure out which loose cord was the issue behind our house phone not working and our cable box following suit. In my house it was basically known that if there's a technological issue-- Marshall could most likely fix it. (It still is to this day) I took those early experiences with tech into my adulthood and along with my lifelong love of art and endless imagination was born my dream of pursuing 3D animation, modeling/ texturing, and VFX. My favorite type of projects are the ones where I get to teach myself something new. I love solving problems and learning, especially self learning. I could spend hours downloading new programs such as Blender, Substance Painter, Maya, Unreal Engine, etc. and teaching myself through trial and error what each button does and how to create something within the program. I love the process of learning a new skill and being able to create something that's yours out of it. I also realize that a lot of Black Americans were not given the opportunity to be exposed to tech and the things you can do with it through financial and domestic challenges. I was one of those cases, though even though I didn't realize it then, tech became my way out. Though multiple experiences with homelessness, domestic violence, financial struggles, and mental health challenges, it was that hand-me-down desktop computer that kept me going and opened a new world for me. I want to expose underprivileged communities to the endless possibilies and power of tech and the internet. Through my degree I will uplift black stories and voices in film and animation, as well as foster the next generation of black learners through using my degree in 3D to make educational material for black children and teens in schools as more visual, hands on learning experiences become more popular in schools. I also wish to give back to my community one day though donating money towards tech programs and devices in schools as underprivileged communities struggle a lot financially to get these essential learning equipments into their schools. I dream of volunteering/ speaking at schools encouraging black children and teens to explore the world of tech because a new passion, a new career, could just be one jammed wire away.

"And when my prayers to God were met with indifference, I picked up a pen-- I wrote my own deliverance" This is a quote from one of my favorite songs from a play that impacted me the most growing up--Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Hamilton', an innovative hip-hop musical detailing the beginnings of a new country and the life of a man who believed in his ability to make a difference in society and used his talents to achieve that change despite being dealt a tough hand in life. Since the moment I was first introduced to 'Hamilton', Lin-Manuel had always been a big inspiration for me creatively. I was always drawn to the ingenious wordplay in his songs and the way he used those words to describe the feelings and emotions each character was going through, the way he integrated pop culture references into his bars so that audiences would be able to relate to his characters bringing their world into ours. I was drawn to the stories he tended to depict in his work, stories about people being able to bring change to their communities through their voice. From I heard the opening song for Hamilton, I knew I wanted to be just like Lin-Manuel. Lin-Manuel himself, like Hamilton, came from humble beginnings. But it was his creativity, passion, unique voice, and most importantly, his belief in himself, that got him to where he is today. I am currently reading his Biography; Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist, and it further proves how hungry Lin was to speak through his art, to use it to process just how complex life can be, how determined he was to create something new out of seemingly nothing, just like his titular character (fittingly played by Lin himself) in Hamilton. I believe that art has the power to change the world. There is nothing else that has the power to transcend barriers such as language, education, and poverty. Art is unique because anyone can create it, there is no barrier for entry, and because of that it is possible to hear voices that are very often silenced by society due to lack of resources and visibility. Art gives people an outlet where they can give physical form to their voice, their struggle, their story, and their needs, and connect with others who share those same things. It has the possibility to motivate and inspire people to be the change they want in the world. My art is different because it is mine, it is an amalgamation of all of the life experiences and influences I have experienced in my 22 years on this planet, something that will continue to grow and evolve as I get older. It is something that can never be replicated by another person or machine. This is what keeps us going back to pieces from hundreds, even thousands of years ago. Even though our technology has evolved, we still face the same core needs, wants, and experiences as the generations who came before us. Art is one done thing that will continue to speak for us and to us, even when the creator is long gone. Change could be right at your fingertips.

In April 2020, I was waitlisted from my dream school. I was 15 years old, a sophomore in highschool, and had just poured my soul into months of curating a portfolio for the chance to transfer into a different, specialized, highschool designed to turn aspiring teen artists and performers into young professionals-- a dream for any kid who grew up with a creative spark in their eye. I was devastated. How could something I worked so hard to achieve slip away so close, just out of reach, through my fingers? I began to rethink everything, my worth, my skill, my dream-- was any of it really achievable? I began to rethink the years I spent as a kid watching other young artists to pursue their dreams, as well as the people who had already made it. I saw myself in them-- one day being in their shoes and making YouTube videos documenting my success for others to watch as they grown up and inspire a new generation of creatives. In my sadness I went back to those videos. And it was in those videos that I saw the answer to my question. All of the people that I idolized did not make it their first time around, all of them faced setbacks and barriers that made them rethink their dreams. But they did not give up, they took a step back, reevaluated, and came back even stronger. With my passion lit anew inside of me, I took the next school year and made a plan to learn from my application's shortcomings and build an even stronger portfolio. I studied anatomy, practiced painting, fine-tuned my illustrative skills, and filmed a video interview baring my heart about what I had done this past year. And for a few weeks, I heard nothing. Until my mom knocked on my bedroom door one unassuming night with a look in her eye that I understood without her moving a muscle to say it-- I was accepted. She handed me the acceptance letter in its small envelope and it felt like a weight was lifted from my body. It was in that moment I knew that through work, dedication, and planning, anything you want to achieve is possible. I took that lesson into my senior year after transferring schools, and made an even better portfolio for my next goal, to be accepted into an art College. I then got into The Rhode Island School of Design during one of its hardest application years with only about a 17% acceptance rate. It was through my perseverance during hard times that I was able to achieve what I set out for. My ultimate goal is to work in film-- specifically animation. I know that in order to do this, I need to graduate college, move from my small city, and get my foot in the door. In order to graduate college, I need $40,000 in tuition my junior and senior year. During those two years I will need to once again curate a portfolio, a professional one, to secure a good internship will will bridge the gap for me to be able to meet with other people in the industry, in order to get to that internship, I will need to save around $5000 for me to be able to move across the country successfully and support myself. I know that with this scholarship, I will be closer in completing the first step in this plan for my future, and I know that with the dedication and resistance I have shown throughout my life-- I can do it.

In a world full of a multitude of people, each one so unique in their own ways, there is one thing that unites all of us: The undeniably complex experience of being alive. Sadness over failing a test, the grief of losing a loved one, falling in love for the first time, longing for something or someone you can't have, the burning passion for something that is important for you-- We've all experienced these feelings at multiple points throughout our lives. Art tends to draw on these seemingly mundane moments in life and breaks them down to their core values, values that we all share as human beings. Movies like Toy Story bring us back to the simplicity of childhood and what it was like to imagine, Shows like Steven Universe teaches us the importance of of found family and repairing familial bonds through communication and forgiveness while Sailor Moon teaches about the strength found in womanhood and the power of friendship, and the list goes on. People see themselves in these pieces and are able to find connection, process feelings or past trauma, or even unlock a new part of themself that they didn't know existed through engaging with media that is made through the lens of the human experience. As an artist, a filmmaker, a character creator; but most of all, as a storyteller-- I want to help people break down these moments of life into characters that they can place themselves in at any moment, no matter their age, sex, race, orientation, or where they come from. I want to use my own life experiences as well as others' to give people a voice to thoughts and feelings they had no other place for, and build community through my work.