One thing that has always made me stand out is my smile. One of my upper canine teeth is crooked and sticks out just enough that, when I smile with my mouth closed, it looks like I have a tiny dragon fang. My friends joke about it all the time and lovingly call me "Little Dragon." It has become one of my favorite nicknames. I didn't always feel that way. I grew up in Bangladesh, where a slightly prominent canine tooth is often considered a charming and attractive feature. It wasn't something I ever thought much about. But when I moved to the United States in middle school, I quickly realized beauty standards were different. Everywhere I looked, people seemed to have perfectly straight teeth. Before long, I became self-conscious about my smile. I worried people would notice my tooth before they noticed me. I smiled less in photos and even considered getting braces in middle school just to straighten that one tooth. Looking back, it's funny how much energy I spent trying to hide something so small. Over time, I began to realize that the people who mattered didn't see my tooth as something strange. My friends started calling me "Little Dragon," not because they wanted to make fun of me, but because they thought it was adorable and uniquely me. Instead of making me feel insecure, they helped me see it as something memorable. Little by little, I stopped wishing I looked like everyone else. Now, I genuinely love my little dragon fang. It's one of the first things people notice about me, and it's something no one else has in quite the same way. More importantly, it reminds me that beauty isn't universal. What one culture sees as unusual, another may see as beautiful. Growing up between Bangladesh and the United States has taught me that there is no single definition of what someone should look like. Learning to embrace that difference has helped me become more confident in every part of who I am. My crooked canine has become more than just a quirky feature. It's a reminder of where I came from, the cultures that shaped me, and the confidence I gained by learning not to measure myself against someone else's standards. The thing I once wanted to change has become something I wouldn't trade for anything. After all, every dragon needs a fang and this one happens to make my smile unmistakably mine.

Growing up, I always understood that education was a privilege. My mother made sure I never forgot that. My family is originally from Bangladesh, and my mother grew up in a rural village on the outskirts of Dhaka. After my grandfather passed away, her family faced severe financial hardship. With eleven siblings to care for, education became a luxury, and in a patriarchal household, the boys' schooling came first. My mother was forced to leave school after primary education. Although she never had the opportunity to continue her own education, she understood the doors it could open. Determined to give me the opportunities she never had, she enrolled me in a private English-medium school despite the financial burden. Later, she made the difficult decision to immigrate to the United States when I was in middle school so I could have access to better educational opportunities. Starting over in a new country was not easy. I had to adapt to a new language, culture, and school system while watching my mother work tirelessly to build a stable life for us. As a single mother, she has sacrificed countless hours and opportunities of her own so that I could pursue mine. Today, I am a first-generation college student studying Animation at the Maryland Institute College of Art with a minor in Illustration and Sequential Art. My goal is to become a 3D animation generalist, combining storytelling, character design, and environment creation to produce meaningful animated films. I want to create stories that bring Bangladeshi voices and culture to a wider audience. Growing up, I rarely saw people who looked like me or shared my experiences represented in animation. I hope to change that by creating work that celebrates our traditions, history, and everyday lives while making them accessible to audiences around the world. This scholarship would not only help me continue pursuing that dream but would also ease the financial burden my mother has carried for so many years. She has invested everything she could into my education because she believes it is the greatest gift she can give me. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to help cover tuition and educational expenses while reducing the amount of student loan debt I will carry after graduation. Every dollar of support is a dollar that relieves some of the weight my mother has carried alone. My mother's story reminds me that education can change the course of a family's future. She was denied the opportunity to continue learning, but she refused to let that be my story. Because of her sacrifices, I have the chance to pursue a career I love and create work that inspires others. This scholarship would be more than financial assistance. It would be an investment in a first-generation student determined to honor her mother's sacrifices, uplift underrepresented voices, and use animation to tell stories that deserve to be seen.

My name is Munjila Mojlish, and I am a Bangladeshi-American artist pursuing a degree in Animation with minors in Illustration and Sequential Arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Growing up in Dhaka, Bangladesh, before moving to Texas, I developed an appreciation for storytelling, culture, and creativity that continues to influence my work today. I am passionate about creating stories and experiences that connect people through art. Whether I am working in 2D illustration, animation, character design, or 3D modeling, I enjoy exploring how visual storytelling can communicate ideas, emotions, and cultural experiences. My goal is to build a career in animation and visual development while continuing to create independent projects that reflect diverse voices and perspectives. The pieces I am submitting represent different aspects of my artistic interests and growth. My 3D modeling work demonstrates my technical skills and interest in creating immersive environments and objects through digital art. My character design piece reflects my love for storytelling and developing personalities through visual design. The interior pages from my bilingual children's book, *Bangla Bornomala*, showcase my passion for education, illustration, and cultural representation. Through this project, I combined art and learning to help children engage with the Bengali alphabet in an accessible and creative way. I like to constantly challenge myself to explore new tools, techniques, and mediums because I believe growth comes from experimentation. I also value representation and hope to create work that allows people from different backgrounds to see themselves reflected in the stories being told. I hope to use my artistic skills to create animated films, books, and visual narratives that inspire curiosity, empathy, and understanding. Through my work, I want to celebrate culture, share meaningful stories, and contribute to a more diverse and inclusive creative industry.

My father passed away when I was three years old, so I was raised by my mother. She grew up in the rural outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and was unable to continue her education beyond primary school. Despite this, she always believed that education could create opportunities that she never had. Her dream was for me to pursue an education and build a future through it. When we moved to the United States, my mother worked hard to support our family and help fund my college education. Watching her navigate a new country while carrying the responsibilities of a single parent taught me perseverance, resilience, and gratitude. Whenever I face challenges, I think about the sacrifices she has made and the opportunities she worked so hard to provide for me. Coming from a single-parent and low-income household has motivated me to make the most of every opportunity. I actively pursue scholarships, internships, and work opportunities to support my education and professional growth. I am currently an Animation major with minors in Illustration and Sequential Arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where I am building the skills needed for a career in animation and visual storytelling. I plan to use my experiences to make a positive impact through art. As a Bangladeshi-American artist, I want to create stories that promote cultural understanding and representation. Through animation, illustration, and projects such as my bilingual children's workbook, *Bangla Bornomala*, I hope to help people connect with cultures and experiences different from their own. My greatest motivation is making my mother proud. Her sacrifices have shown me the value of hard work and determination. By pursuing my education and using my art to inspire, educate, and connect others, I hope to honor her efforts and create opportunities for future generations.

Art has the power to connect people across cultures, generations, and experiences. As a Bangladeshi-American artist and Animation major at the Maryland Institute College of Art, I plan to make a positive impact on the world by creating stories and artwork that foster understanding, representation, and education. Growing up between Bangladesh and the United States gave me a unique perspective on identity and culture. I rarely saw my experiences reflected in the media I consumed, which inspired me to create work that highlights diverse voices and stories. Through visual storytelling, I hope to introduce audiences to cultures, histories, and perspectives that are often underrepresented in mainstream media. One example of this mission is my bilingual children's workbook, Bangla Bornomala. I wrote and illustrated this book to help children learn the Bengali alphabet while celebrating Bangladeshi language and culture. The project showed me how art can be both educational and meaningful. By making learning engaging through colorful illustrations and storytelling, I was able to create a resource that helps young learners connect with their heritage while also introducing others to a different culture. In the future, I hope to work in animation and visual development while continuing to create independent projects such as illustrated books, comics, and animated films. I want my work to encourage curiosity, empathy, and cross-cultural understanding. Whether I am creating a children's book, a short film, or a graphic narrative, my goal is to tell stories that help people see the world through a different lens. The artwork I am submitting reflects different aspects of my artistic practice. My life drawings demonstrate my commitment to strengthening my technical foundations and observational skills. The pages from *Bangla Bornomala* highlight my passion for storytelling, education, and cultural representation. Together, these works represent both my artistic growth and my dedication to using creativity as a tool for communication. I am also including a link to my portfolio website, which contains additional examples of my illustration, animation, and design work. My portfolio reflects my ongoing exploration of different artistic mediums and my desire to continually learn and grow as a creator. Through my work, I hope to create stories that inspire others, preserve cultural experiences, and contribute to a more diverse and inclusive creative landscape. By sharing perspectives that are often overlooked, I aim to use my artistic voice to build empathy and understanding, one story at a time.

My goal is to become a professional storyteller working in animation while also creating independent projects that preserve and share diverse cultural stories. As a Bangladeshi-American artist and Animation major at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), I want to use animation, illustration, and visual storytelling to create meaningful work that entertains, educates, and builds understanding between cultures. My long-term goal is to work as a visual development artist, storyboard artist, or animator while continuing to publish personal projects such as illustrated books, comics, and animated short films. I have developed a detailed plan to achieve these goals. Currently, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation with minors in Illustration and Sequential Arts. My education provides technical training in animation principles, storyboarding, 3D modeling, digital tools, and visual storytelling. Through coursework and independent projects, I am building a professional portfolio that demonstrates versatility across multiple creative disciplines. My first objective is to graduate in 2027 with a strong portfolio and relevant industry experience. To accomplish this, I am actively seeking internships and professional opportunities. I have already participated in animation collaborations and internship experiences that have strengthened my teamwork and production skills. Over the next year, I plan to complete at least one additional internship in animation, film, or visual development. These opportunities will allow me to gain industry knowledge, receive mentorship, and expand my professional network. My second objective is to continue creating independent projects that showcase my unique voice as an artist. One example is my bilingual children's workbook, Bangla Bornomala, which introduces children to the Bengali alphabet through illustration and design. I plan to create additional educational and narrative projects that draw inspiration from my cultural background and experiences. By dedicating several hours each week to personal work, I can continue developing a body of original projects alongside my academic responsibilities. To support these goals, I have created a practical budget. Tuition, housing, supplies, software subscriptions, and project expenses represent the largest costs associated with my education. Art supplies, software, printing, and portfolio development typically cost several hundred dollars each semester. Additional expenses include conference attendance, internship travel, and equipment upgrades such as drawing tablets or computer hardware. Scholarships play a critical role in helping me cover these costs while reducing the need for student debt. My timeline is clear. During the remainder of my undergraduate education, I will focus on academic excellence, portfolio development, internships, and networking. Within one to three years after graduation, I hope to secure a position within the animation or entertainment industry while continuing freelance and independent creative work. Within five to ten years, I aim to establish myself as a professional artist with a portfolio of published and produced projects that reflect both artistic excellence and cultural authenticity. I recognize that success can take multiple paths. While my primary plan is to work within the animation industry, I am also preparing for opportunities in illustration, publishing, education, and freelance storytelling. Developing skills across multiple disciplines provides flexibility and resilience in a competitive creative field. Joe Gilroy's motto, "Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan," resonates deeply with me because success in the arts requires both creativity and discipline. Through education, internships, portfolio development, and consistent personal growth, I have created a roadmap that will help transform my goals into reality. Every project, class, and opportunity brings me one step closer to becoming the artist and storyteller I aspire to be.

Growing up in Dhaka, Bangladesh, before moving to Austin, Texas, has had a profound impact on who I am as an artist. The biggest influence in my life has been my family, particularly my mom, who encouraged my creativity even when pursuing art was not always seen as the most practical path. She taught me the value of perseverance, hard work, and maintaining a connection to my cultural roots. Her support gave me the confidence to pursue a career in the arts and to tell stories that reflect experiences that are often overlooked. Today, I am an Animation major with minors in Illustration and Sequential Arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Through my work, I aim to combine visual storytelling with cultural representation. As a Bangladeshi-American artist, I rarely saw stories that reflected my experiences growing up. This has inspired me to create artwork that bridges cultures and introduces audiences to perspectives they may not encounter elsewhere. After graduating, I plan to work in animation and visual storytelling while continuing to create independent projects that highlight diverse voices and experiences. I believe art has the power to build empathy and understanding across communities. Whether I am developing animated films, illustrated books, comics, or digital experiences, I want to create work that entertains while also encouraging people to learn about cultures, histories, and identities different from their own. I am particularly interested in using animation as a way to preserve stories and traditions for future generations. What makes my artistic voice different is my combination of cultural influences and storytelling approaches. My work draws inspiration from Bangladeshi culture, folklore, architecture, and everyday life, while also incorporating contemporary animation, illustration, and digital media techniques. I enjoy experimenting across multiple disciplines, including 2D animation, 3D modeling, comics, film, and children's book illustration. This versatility allows me to approach stories from different angles and create immersive visual experiences. One project that reflects this passion is "Bangla Bornomala," a bilingual children's workbook that I wrote and illustrated to help young learners engage with the Bengali alphabet. Through colorful illustrations and educational design, I sought to make language learning more accessible and engaging for children. I have also directed a short horror film and created graphic narrative projects that explore history, identity, and storytelling through visual art. As a minority artist, I understand the importance of representation and access to creative opportunities. Receiving the Christian 'Myles' Pratt Foundation Fine Arts Scholarship would allow me to continue developing my artistic practice while honoring the foundation's mission of supporting minority students with creative ambitions. I hope to use my artistic skills to create meaningful stories, inspire future artists, and contribute new perspectives to the creative industries.

My favorite dinosaur is the Gigantoraptor, a giant feathered dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. I chose to draw the Gigantoraptor because I find its unique appearance fascinating. Its skeleton combines features of both dinosaurs and modern birds, giving it a very distinctive look. I especially like its long legs, large claws, and bird-like beak. For my artwork, I used watercolor and black Micron pens. I used watercolor to create colorful feathers and black Micron pens for the line art and details. Since scientists have not discovered the exact colors of Gigantoraptor feathers, I used my imagination when choosing the colors. Fossilized color pigments have not been found for this species, so its appearance remains a mystery. However, many modern birds use bright colors for communication and mating displays, so I imagined my Gigantoraptor with vibrant feathers. In my drawing, I included a nest of eggs arranged in a circular pattern. This was inspired by discoveries of nests and eggs belonging to relatives of Gigantoraptor. These discoveries suggest that some feathered dinosaurs may have cared for their young in ways similar to modern birds. By adding the nest, I wanted to show another side of the dinosaur beyond its impressive size. What I enjoy most about Gigantoraptor is how unusual it looks compared to more famous dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex or Triceratops. It challenges the idea that all dinosaurs were giant reptiles covered in scales. Instead, it reminds us that many dinosaurs had feathers and shared characteristics with birds. Learning about Gigantoraptor helped me appreciate how diverse dinosaurs really were. Drawing this dinosaur allowed me to combine scientific facts with creativity. Because so much about its appearance is unknown, I was able to imagine what it may have looked like while still staying inspired by real paleontological discoveries. That combination of science and art is what makes Gigantoraptor my favorite dinosaur.

Hello! My name is Munjila Mojlish, and I am currently a freshman pursuing a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts at the Maryland Institute College of Arts. My plan is to major in Animation. As a kid I have always loved to draw, which continues to this day. Inspired by my fascination with cartoons and comic books, I would study and attempt to draw characters. I would draw from picture books, including people around me—family, friends, teachers, and classmates. Art became my love language. When I was in middle school recognizing my passion for art, my family supported me by giving me a drawing tablet for my birthday. Using my school Adobe account, I embarked on a self-taught journey into digital art using software like Photoshop and learned video editing through YouTube tutorials for programs like After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Adobe Animate, creating small animations. Digital art has become my favorite medium. Although I had enjoyed watching cartoons, I noticed a lack of representation of Bengali people in animation. I chose to pursue animation as a career path because I wanted to tell stories Bengali people can relate to. As a first-generation Bengali immigrant from Dhaka now living in America, I understand the impact of not seeing oneself in the media. This lack of representation can lead to feelings of alienation and insecurity among people from different backgrounds. When I arrived in the U.S, I noticed a communication gap between Bengali immigrant parents and their American-born children. This was mostly rooted in a language barrier caused by a storage of educational resources available on how to read and write in Bangla. To contribute to my Bengali community in America using my digital art skills, I collaborated with a Bengali teacher in New York during high school to illustrate a children's book titled "My Country is Bangladesh." The aim being to empower the U.S.-born Bengali youth to confidently embrace their heritage. Alongside acquiring my BFA, I am currently working on illustrations on two other children’s books about the Bangla language. Through the drawing and digital skills acquired in my Animation major at MICA, I want to continue making children's book illustrations about Bengali culture. As an animator I want to be able to bring the stories of Bengali and other South Asian people into the animation industry. As well as, feature stories about people we are not used to seeing on the big screens.