I have always been a fan of the superhero genre but when we moved into the city it took over my lifestyle. Reading about Batman and Superman and learning about them inspired me to create my own character. Two months into the pandemic I created my superhero, Sir Orlean and the impact he had on me was greater than I thought possible. Two weeks into the pandemic, my dad was diagnosed with ALS. I am the oldest of 5 kids and my parents have been married for 20 years. The ALS diagnosis was very hard on me. I felt like I had to be the older brother, who held it together and did whatever my little siblings needed. I had to be strong for my mom. Stuck at home and trying to figure out my own grief I was able to create a character where I could express my feelings. When my dad started to fall due to ALS, I would be so upset that I could not catch him in time. My mom taught me that if we can’t catch him, we still need to be there to pick him up. This is where my character, Sir Orlean came in. Sir always gets there on time. Like me, Sir likes to help people, so during my hard times of grief, I was able to create Sir Orlean's story. The last 3 years I have been able to create and self-publish my first comic book funding it through kick starter. I raised $5K and sold over 100 copies. My art is my passion and I will continue evolving Sir Orlean. Once the pandemic restrictions started to lift, I was able to start working and could pay for my own car insurance and gas. Our family of 7 now lives on a fixed income. Money is tight and we have to raise funds for my dad’s care. My mom has been the sole caregiver up until the tracheotomy in November 2022. We now have some part-time caregivers, including myself. Starting college in the fall, I decided to stay local because I don't want to miss any opportunities with my dad. However, I would love to live on campus if I receive funding. I decided to major in Business with a focus on marketing. This will give me opportunities in a lot of different avenues, whether it be continuing to publish comic books, creating characters for others, digital art and so much more.