I have been raised by a family whose foundation is built upon loving care and strong faith. I have always had an incredible passion for helping others and lending a hand whenever needed. Especially since I come from a Hispanic household, these traits run through our blood. My compassionate heart has been put to use more than ever after my grandmother became an amputee during my junior year of high school. Watching her go from raising me to me taking care of her every day has been a transition I never thought I was going to have to endure. During the first few months of endless hospital visits, sleepless nights, tears, and watching my grandmother suffer through her pain I matured and grew immensely. Not only did this transform me into the person I am today, but it allowed me to discover what exactly I wanted to pursue in terms of higher education. Because of my pre-established love for the arts being both a competitive and recreational dancer for 15+ years as well as having a great passion for art, I knew my career should follow somewhere along these lines. At first, I was stuck and did not know how exactly I could combine both my love for the arts as well as caring for others. Until one day while doing some research I stumbled upon art therapy. I had no idea what it was and after some reading, I immediately knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. What drew my attention the most was the fact that this field is so much more than "talk therapy". It allows the client to discover parts of themselves they never knew existed through art mediums. They can express their inner child, work through trauma, cope with illness, gain confidence, become self-aware, improve relationships and behavior, and much more. I believe art therapy is an amazing outlet for those who are opposed to "talk therapy" due to the resistance to sharing certain information. The beauty of art therapy is that there doesn't even need to be any talking involved. Art can truly speak where words fail. Throughout my education in this major thus far, I have discovered that I would love to work with children, adolescents, and those in underserved populations. I look forward to offering them a safe environment to be themselves where they can reach their fullest potential. I want them to feel comfortable with finding themselves through an artistic and creative side they each possess. Furthermore, my main goal is to open up my own practice one day so I can provide an accessible space to build community and togetherness with my clients. Because I personally have felt the healing benefits of art, I cannot wait to provide that same feeling for my clients. I am so eager to change lives for the better within my career and beyond.

My parents have shown me from day one that hard work, determination, and faith are key qualities in obtaining success. Being Latina and a child of an immigrant (Half Puerto Rican and half Costa Rican) has taught me what pride and overcoming obstacles truly mean. In learning all of these important lessons, the most impactful has been to stay positive through it all as well as become an inspiration for others around me. Through finding my deep love and passion for art growing up, I've been able to discover ways in which I can use it to help others. When I heard about what art therapy entailed, I knew it would be an amazing fit for me. Seeing the sacrifices and trials my parents faced getting to where they are today showed me that success doesn't come easy, although it is extremely rewarding in the end. Not only this but being able to positively impact those around you while pursuing your passions is the best part. Doing things straight from the heart is where this all begins. Whether it's been serving my on and off-campus community, running meaningful art therapy club meetings and events, or mentoring younger art therapy students and my little cousins, it's all been such an amazing experience. I strive to be a joyful energy, an inspirational outlook, and a remarkable role model for those that surround me each day. I want to be someone that they remember having a great influence on them through each act of service down to each conversation. In wanting to continue striving towards my goals of helping others, I hope to become a Licensed Professional Art Therapist as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor. My future career is the ultimate path toward being able to have a great impact on those around me every day. I will be able to use my knowledge about the healing powers of art and mental health counseling to improve the well-being of others. I will provide them a safe space to express themselves, open up about their daily struggles, heal from trauma, cope with illness, work through relationships, and more all through the beautiful media of art. I seek to do this in several ways by first attending graduate school and then working to build my own business/private practice which is the pinnacle of my goals. I strive to create a welcoming, warm environment for my clients. I see myself impacting the lives of children and adolescents in underserved, minority communities to ensure a brighter future for them. I also intend to foster art therapy groups for those who have dealt with racial or social injustice such as those discriminated against due to being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community and more. The Cuervo Rincon Scholarship of Excellence for Latinas will be an immense help in setting a foundation to allow me to accomplish my goals. It will increase my savings not only for graduate school but to jumpstart my private practice one day. This scholarship will bring me one step closer to changing lives for the better one art therapy session at a time. I have never been more eager to embark on a journey that I know will be nothing short of incredible. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity.

Nobody thinks about when the day will come when roles are reversed between their caregivers and them. I was so blessed to be taken care of by two incredible women; those being my mother and grandmother (a.k.a. "Mima"). They would cook me homemade meals, do my laundry, take me to and from dance classes, and so on. Until the summer of 2018 came where it all changed for my mom and I. Mima had undergone heart surgery which was her first ever major surgery. It was an anxiety-ridden time for my family and I. All was well until Mima had begun complaining about constant nerve pain in her legs and feet which kept getting worse. Eventually, the doctor broke the news that she would have to undergo a double amputation of her right leg from the knee down, as well as remove all of the toes from her left foot. This was a complete shock of course not only for Mima to hear at the age of 83 but for our family as well. We all knew that we would need to step up to the plate and support her in anyway possible now more than ever before. My family is truly built on togetherness. We will drop anything if it means helping each other. This is especially true when it comes to Mima. Mima is the foundation, the backbone, and the glue of our family. We would not be here or the people we are today if it was not for her lessons and sacrifice. Coming from Puerto Rico at the age of 14, making a life for herself in Brooklyn, NY, raising 4 outstanding kids was not easy. The least we could do was be there for her every step of the way. Because Mima has lived in my house my whole life, I knew that my mom and I would do most of the caregiving. Being an incoming senior in high school at the time, this was an intimidating role of immense responsibility to take on. I knew that there were going to be sleepless nights, at-home nurse visits, meals to cook, events to miss, and unfortunately unknown hospital stays to attend. Words cannot describe the amount of pain and suffering she was in. It absolutely broke my heart hearing her scream when her bandages would need to be changed. It was tearjerking knowing that all I could do was hold her and offer a hand to squeeze for support. Fast forward to today, it makes me proud knowing that I have helped her so much within the past four years. I am so blessed to say that she is stronger and healthier as ever. My caregiving experience has had its ups and downs, but it has taught me lessons that I am so grateful for. My identity has been completely shaped. I have truly found my passion for caring for others and this has just solidified my decision to pursue art therapy and aid those who are in pain whether it be physical or mental. My goals have been expanded to wanting to open up my own business and work with more populations than one. I want to help people of all ages and situations grow and be able to overcome obstacles such as these. The importance of caregiving has shown to be a huge priority in my eyes throughout this journey. I cannot wait to see where it will lead me next as I begin my career and beyond.

This is a self portrait I created in my “2D Design” class freshman year which I decided to add a funky twist to. I used chalk pastels to add a wacky design with bright colors, swirls in the sunglasses, and even a missing tooth to add humor, which my professor loved. I gave myself rainbow lips and flowers in my hair and used line work to make the piece even more animated. I believe art is about having fun and of course getting creative even if it means adding some silly elements! I believe this piece displays my wit and humor pretty well. I loved watching cartoons as a kid and the humor used in those definitely inspired this piece and captures my own humor as well.