It’s in our human nature to express creativity. To create, look at, or listen to art is to be human. Whether you actively create art or not, we all have it in us to do so, whether the art is to be drawn, performed, or played. While many people love art, many don't pursue it as a career. Many may not be able to do so either because they can't afford to, or they simply want a career in something else, and have art as a hobby. Regardless, I believe that everyone should get the opportunity to create art, whether it's a career they want to pursue or not. I would like to contribute to my community by making art accessible to as many people as possible. My first contribution to giving others access to music and art was when I created a GoFundMe campaign in 2018 at 12 years old. This GoFundMe was centered around donating ukuleles to the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena’s Slavik Branch. I raised enough money for 10 ukuleles and even taught other kids at the branch how to use them. I’d like to continue my reach as well. I’m currently a junior at CSULB pursuing a B.A. in studio arts, and this spring I received my AA-T in studio arts from Pasadena City College. My goal is to pursue a career in art education and I plan to teach children grades K-12 the fundamentals of art along with introducing them to different media and methods. Though I’ve always had the drive to help others, that drive was strengthened after having my first art teacher be my worst. In high school, I had an art teacher who led a very rigorous course with very little room for originality which is ironic for a position that lies on the foundation of creativity. While I’m thankful for her guidance on the elements of art so early on, I believe that she left out creativity, which I believe is the other half of what makes art so special. Considering she left me and many other classmates demotivated and uninspired, I hope to be different and have a balance of both the elements of art while allowing more creative freedom than I was given. I hope that my past and future contributions to art in my community have and will leave a positive impact on the world.

My mental health has played a key role in my life. The things I have experienced these past few years and the impact these experiences have had on my mental health have shaped who I am today. Since 8th grade, I’ve known I wanted to be a pilot. The idea of being in the air, traveling, and having a new view outside your window at work each day is so appealing to me. The catch however is that the mental health requirements to be an airline pilot are strict. I didn’t think those requirements would hinder me until my 9th-grade year. 9th grade was less than the ideal time to be alive; being cheated on, getting hospitalized after a suicide attempt, losing your uncle to suicide shortly after, living through a pandemic, and losing your home to a fire during said pandemic would drive anyone crazy. After being displaced by the fire and living out of a hotel for a month, both my self-esteem and will to live were sent to an even lower point. This time of my life is what I consider my rock bottom. Though I wanted nothing more but to disappear forever, I knew that deep down I didn’t want to kill myself, but that I wanted the pain to end. I knew that I had career goals; one thing that didn’t change during this traumatic period of my life was my love of flight, and I knew that if I just stuck it out for a little longer, I’d be able to pursue my love of aviation. So, I tried therapy during this time. The therapy, however, wasn’t that good of an experience. I was still living in a small hotel room with 4 other family members at the time and considering we were in the middle of a pandemic, there weren’t many places one could go outside to have some privacy. So I’d sit in a corner of the hotel lobby for most of my sessions. Again, the therapy wasn’t effective. My therapist didn’t offer much advice; she would just ask me questions and provide no solutions; each session felt like an interview. I’d often leave each session feeling more hopeless. At the end of 2020, my family and I moved out of the hotel and into our new apartment. Around this time, I got a new therapist. This is when my life took a turn for the better. I was hesitant at first because I was not used to having a male therapist, however, it was nice to have a Black therapist, as race plays a huge role in both my life and mental health. Around the beginning of 2021, I spoke with my parents regarding my mental health, and their support coupled with the support of my therapist helped me recover. 2021 was my year of healing. I regained a sense of purpose and improved my self-esteem through some much-needed self-care. In 2022, I saved up money and was able to get my first flight lesson. I was able to co-pilot a plane, and I loved the lesson. This reaffirmed what I’ve been striving for for all these years. My career goals and support from my parents have played a massive role in my recovery. I’m still with my therapist from 3 years ago, and I plan on starting flight school next year. Not only has my therapist seen me improve my mental health, but so have my family and friends. I’m very proud of myself; I’ve become more resilient, and I am excited for the years to come.

The dream version of my future self is being a Black female pilot that can give other Black children a chance to achieve their aviation goals in an accessible and affordable manner.

Most people don't think of a Black woman when they think of a pilot. If I’m being honest, neither did I. I want you to be honest, when was the last time you saw a Black woman flying a plane? How many Black female pilots do you know? There aren’t many. In fact, less than 0.5% of certified pilots are Black women according to Sisters of the Skies. People are quite surprised when I tell them that I, a Black woman, want to be a pilot. A lot of people ask where I got the idea of wanting to be a pilot. In 8th grade, I had to take part in my school’s science fair. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do so I looked to the internet for inspiration. After scrolling for a while, I came across a topic that involved stealth fighter jets. From there I decided to base my project on how fighter jets manage to stay hidden in midair. After I presented my project at school, I made it to the LA County Science Fair. When asked by judges if I planned to be a pilot myself, I told them yes. The truth however was that I had no idea what I wanted to do. After the science fair, I looked into what being an airline pilot consists of. I watched YouTube videos in which airline pilots spoke about their jobs and the perks that came with the job. I began to do more research and became more inspired the more I read. In the same school year, we had a college fair come to our school and I was able to talk to someone who worked at California Aeronautical University. At this point, my parents were aware of my new career goals. I tested out of high school in 11th grade and skipped my senior year to pursue my goals in a better environment. During my 11th-grade year, I also took a discovery flight because at this point I had been talking about my pilot goals for years but had only been in planes as a passenger. After taking an hour-long discovery flight in February of 2022, I got my first logged hour of flight and that’s when I knew for sure that I wanted to be a pilot. In the Fall of 2022, I began my first semester of College at Glendale Community College and took a private pilot ground school class. I’m now at Pasadena City College and plan to go to CSU Long Beach, as ATP Flight School is also in Long Beach. I find it difficult to stay inspired sometimes because I don't see a lot of people who look like me in aviation. A family friend of ours is a Black pilot who helps answer my aviation questions and seeing him helps me feel better, but it’s not the same feeling I get when I see a Black female pilot. I found a page on Instagram called @aviatorsofcolor; I enjoy keeping up with their posts as I feel a boost of motivation when I see other Black women pursuing aviation. My hope is not only to receive my ATP certification but to also inspire other Black people, especially Black women, to pursue a career in aviation. I’m using this time to connect with other students at PCC who are interested in pursuing aviation and I’m working to save up for training. I’m excited to continue training when I transfer and can’t wait to achieve this long-term goal.