I spend my Monday afternoons drawing and painting with children at the Greyhound bus station. They're the children of asylum seekers, part of their parents' legacies of incredible tenacity and courage. Their stories are different, they speak different languages, they are all different ages, but what they continue to have in common is that all of them, and myself right along side them, are brought into a time of much needed rest as we sit and play with crayons and paper. I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to volunteer as an arts and crafts director in many situations such as these, even in different cities around the world. I have seen time and time again that the arts offer moments of relief and healing to children and adults alike. At first glace, it doesn't seem like much; what place do the arts have in the incredible socioecomic struggles that bring weariness to humans in the first place? The struggles to live in peace and physical safety, to provide for oneself and one's family, are complex issues indeed with no easy answers. Still, in the midst of these things, communal art offers us the opportunity to stand in solidarity with one another, to affirm human dignity, and to express our emotions without needing to rifle through words. Usually when families arrive at the bus station, they are exhausted. They have endured months of travel, often on foot, and have been in survivor mode for so long. Parents have had to keep sharp, watchful eyes of their children every step of the way. These moments of arts and crafts are more than just for the children; they provide an opportunity for parents to breathe without having to be anxiously attentive to their most precious cargo. They get to hear their children laugh, knowing that they are safe. These times of drawing and coloring are just spectacularly human, and there is something so intangibly strengthening about them. My goal in education is to receive Bachelors of Fine Art and Masters of Social Work degrees. I want to be equipped with better knowledge of our world and its systems; I want to learn healthy ways of expressing emotion through art that can aide in healing from trauma. I want to be involved in creative arts counseling for vulnerable people in the US. Right now, I am employed as a seamstress, and I am able to work from home with a flexible schedule while I attend classes. Freelance work is a bit precarious, as there are no built-in safety nets like sick days or paid time off, and I am paid per-piece, not by the hour. I am happy to work with my hands to pay for my bills as I work through school, but the additional funding offered through this scholarship would relieve some of the anxiety I experience about making ends meet. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about what I love, about what makes me come alive and makes the world a better place.

I spend my Monday afternoons drawing and painting with children at the Greyhound bus station. They're the children of asylum seekers, part of their parents' legacies of incredible tenacity and courage. Their stories are different, they speak different languages, they are all different ages, but what they continue to have in common is that all of them, and myself right along side them, are brought into a time of much needed rest as we sit and play with crayons and paper. I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to volunteer as an arts and crafts director in many situations such as these, even in different cities around the world. I have seen time and time again that the arts offer moments of relief and healing to children and adults alike. At first glace, it doesn't seem like much; what place do the arts have in the incredible socioecomic struggles that bring weariness to humans in the first place? The struggles to live in peace and physical safety, to provide for oneself and one's family, are complex issues indeed with no easy answers. Still, in the midst of these things, communal art offers us the opportunity to stand in solidarity with one another, to affirm human dignity, and to express our emotions without needing to rifle through words. Usually when families arrive at the bus station, they are exhausted. They have endured months of travel, often on foot, and have been in survivor mode for so long. Parents have had to keep sharp, watchful eyes of their children every step of the way. These moments of arts and crafts are more than just for the children; they provide an opportunity for parents to breathe without having to be anxiously attentive to their most precious cargo. They get to hear their children laugh, knowing that they are safe. These times of drawing and coloring are just spectacularly human, and there is something so intangibly strengthening about them. My goal in education is to receive Bachelors of Fine Art and Masters of Social Work degrees. I want to be equipped with better knowledge of our world and its systems; I want to learn healthy ways of expressing emotion through art that can aide in healing from trauma. I want to be involved in creative arts counseling for vulnerable people in the US. Right now, I am employed as a seamstress, and I am able to work from home with a flexible schedule while I attend classes. Freelance work is a bit precarious, as there are no built-in safety nets like sick days or paid time off, and I am paid per-piece, not by the hour. I am happy to work with my hands to pay for my bills as I work through school, but the additional funding offered through this scholarship would relieve some of the anxiety I experience about making ends meet. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about what I love, about what makes me come alive and makes the world a better place.