Growing up in a low-income household shaped much of who I am today. From my early years through my teens, both of my parents worked long hours to provide for our family, which meant they were rarely able to attend school events or spend time together as a family. Weekends were filled with chores, grocery shopping, and household maintenance. Experiencing this taught me early that a life spent only working, without joy or purpose, is not the life I want for myself. This understanding guided my decision to take time off school after completing my associate degree. I needed to save money, work full time, and reflect on whether history was the right path for me. Through this period of reflection, I discovered my passion for creativity and problem solving, which led me to switch my major to Fiber and Material Studies. Entering a field where many of my peers had years of experience was intimidating, but I learned to focus on my own growth and embrace the learning process. Fiber arts became a way to explore patience, persistence, and self-expression, and creating something tangible with my own hands became both rewarding and grounding. I am actively working toward my goals through my studies, my work, and community involvement. I work part time as a Personal Care Assistant, supporting a child on the autism spectrum, and I participate in volunteer projects with my sorority, including food drives for children experiencing homelessness. These experiences have strengthened my empathy, resilience, and sense of responsibility. The challenges I have faced have taught me perseverance, and I am committed to using my voice, skills, and creativity to make a meaningful impact in my community and beyond. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay and consider my application.

I am an undergraduate student at Temple University majoring in Fiber and Material Studies with a minor in Art History. I previously earned an associate degree in History from Bucks County Community College. As a minority student pursuing a STEAM discipline, my academic journey has been shaped by perseverance, self-reflection, and a willingness to take risks in order to grow. I try to approach my work and my life with integrity, resilience, and a commitment to lifting up others, qualities that I know reflect the legacy of Anthony Belliamy. One of the biggest challenges I have faced was returning to school after taking time off to save money and figure out what I really wanted to do. While I valued my study of history, I realized it didn’t fully reflect the way I wanted to engage creatively and intellectually with the world. Deciding to change my major from history to Fiber and Material Studies was a huge leap. I had no formal background in art, and many of my classmates had years of experience in multiple mediums. At first, I felt out of place and unsure if I could keep up. It was intimidating, and there were moments when I questioned whether I belonged in this space at all. I also had to grapple with the technical and material challenges of fiber arts, from understanding the properties of different fibers to mastering complex techniques, which required patience and a commitment to learning. Getting through that challenge meant learning to focus on my own growth instead of comparing myself to others. I committed to practice, experimentation, and accepting constructive feedback. Fiber arts became more than just a subject I study; it became a way to understand myself, to explore patience, problem-solving, and persistence. The process of creating something with my own hands has been both soothing and rewarding. It has taught me that progress comes with consistent effort and reflection, and that the ability to make something tangible is itself something to be grateful for. Working with materials in both artistic and scientific ways has also reinforced my interest in the interdisciplinary nature of STEAM, where art and technical knowledge meet. My experiences outside of academics have further shaped how I see leadership and community. Working part time as a Personal Care Assistant for a child on the autism spectrum has taught me patience, empathy, and advocacy. Supporting his needs and speaking up for his dignity showed me how important it is to be consistent, attentive, and responsible. Being involved in my sorority has given me another chance to foster inclusive spaces, mentor peers, and contribute to volunteer projects. These experiences remind me that community building takes effort, care, and ethical leadership, and that meaningful contributions are made when you are willing to show up and support others consistently. These challenges and experiences have influenced my goals in STEAM. I plan to pursue graduate study that combines fiber arts, material research, and interdisciplinary innovation. I want my work to reflect resilience, ethical engagement, and community impact. Like Anthony Belliamy, I hope to approach life with integrity and optimism, using my skills and my voice to make meaningful contributions wherever I am. Through the challenges I have faced, I have learned to trust in my abilities, embrace growth, and use creativity as a tool for personal and communal transformation.

Standing up for what is right is not always an act of visibility or immediacy, but rather a sustained commitment to ethical action and community responsibility. For me, being an upstander means maintaining a willingness to intervene when inequity, exclusion, or marginalization occurs, even when doing so is uncomfortable or unnoticed. This understanding of advocacy extends beyond isolated moments and instead shapes how I engage with academic, professional, and social spaces. It informs both my daily actions and my long term goals, grounding my commitment to community building in consistency, accountability, and care. As a fiber arts major and art history minor, I am deeply aware of how material culture functions as both historical record and social commentary. Fiber arts has long been associated with labor, care, and communal knowledge, yet it has often been marginalized within traditional artistic hierarchies. Through my academic and creative work, I engage critically with these histories, using textile practices to explore themes of accessibility, identity, and collective memory. My studies in art history further strengthen my understanding of how visual culture shapes social discourse, challenges dominant narratives, and preserves lived experience. Together, these fields allow me to approach art making as a form of advocacy, one that values process, inclusivity, and context as much as aesthetic outcome. Outside of my academic commitments, I work part time as a Personal Care Assistant for a child on the autism spectrum. This work has significantly shaped my understanding of advocacy at an interpersonal level. Supporting a child with daily routines, communication, and developmental needs requires patience, adaptability, and attentiveness. Equally important, it demands the willingness to speak up to ensure that the child’s needs are understood and respected. In this role, being an upstander often means advocating for appropriate accommodations, challenging misconceptions, and reinforcing the child’s right to dignity and care. These experiences have strengthened my ability to listen deeply and act responsibly in moments that may seem small but carry lasting impact. My involvement in a sorority has further expanded my understanding of community building. Within this space, I prioritize inclusion, mentorship, and accountability. I actively contribute to creating environments where members feel supported academically, socially, and personally. Through open dialogue and collective engagement, I work to foster a culture that values empathy and shared responsibility over individual recognition. Through these experiences, I have come to understand that meaningful change is built through consistent, intentional action. Mohamed Magdi Taha’s legacy reflects the power of compassion guided by conviction, a principle that continues to inform how I use my voice. By integrating advocacy into my art, my work, and my community involvement, I aim to help build spaces grounded in equity, care, and collective responsibility. Standing up, even in quiet and unseen moments, is how I honor that commitment and contribute to lasting community transformation.

I would say that my grandmother has inspired me to pursue an education in fiber and material studies. Growing up, she would sew anything you could think of: dresses, pillows, curtains. In her prime, she was very skilled and in high demand. I think she’s always been an inspiration for me. When I was younger she taught me how to sew simple things like little dolls and pillows though it never stuck. Later in life, I had a friend show me some of her finished crochet garments. I expressed to her that I would love to learn something similar and that I’ve been looking for an activity that I could hone in on. I was never really one for drawing or painting or anything else artistically charged. She told me that it was a lot easier than I thought and if I gave it a shot, then I’d probably like it and she was right. I didn’t start out crocheting. I taught myself how to knit first and then later on how to crochet, spin, weave, and even sew. I find that I love the process of creating garments or accessories for myself and my friends. I think that it’s very fulfilling and being able to use a functional finish project made entirely by myself is still mind-blowing. This scholarship will help me in attending the program of my dreams and after touring the college campus I am sure it’s the place for me to continue my education. I’ll have access to state-of-the-art dying labs, knitting machines, and floor looms all machinery that I would otherwise not be able to use. I’m excited to learn the process of turning plans to dye, dying wool and working up to a finished project thats marketable. The university’s location in the city also allows me access to a wider variety of like-minded individuals who I could work with to further my education and career prospects.

As a textile fashion and apparel designer/student I know that the fashion industry is the top contributor to climate change and mass environmental destruction. The introduction of synthetic fibers while beneficial to the longevity of a garment is taking its toll on our environment and causing harm to our physical bodies. I want to see a push toward more natural animal and plant-based fibers as well as an incline in recycled, natural fibers. In a lot of big fashion brands, they are doing what’s called greenwashing lying to their target audience that a product is more naturally resourced than it is. For example, they might have a dress that they state is made of 100% recycled materials. The top layer of the dress will be 30% recycled cotton and 70% recycled polyester and the lining of the dress 100% recycled polyester. I would like to be an inspiration as a designer so that we can start moving away from harmful synthetics and start caring more about where we’re sourcing our fibers from. As more and more individuals become aware of the environmental and ethical impacts that fast fashion has on our society. I think that this is obtainable in the near future. I want to be able to create garments that are designed to last using high-quality and durable materials to extend the lifespan of said garment. I’ve already begun teaching social and environmental consciousness to those around me, offering knitting and crochet lessons as well as mending. As a former Girl Scout, the importance of being able to provide for oneself was instilled from a very young age these are all skills that as a society were once prominent and necessary to survive. As the cost of living skyrockets, and there are more pressing matters at hand than unaffordable fashion, clothing isn't a top priority for most. I want to be able to teach people the skills that they need to not just survive but to thrive as creative individuals. In an attempt to reduce my own personal carbon footprint via the fashion industry, I have ceased purchasing clothes that are not made of 100% natural fibers. I have begun spinning, my own yarn with a wool that is locally sourced from a farm where I have personally met and fed the animals that I am receiving my fiber from. I have also started a small backyard dying garden so that I can color my natural fibers using my own organically source material.

As a textile fashion and apparel designer, I know that the fashion industry is the top contributor to climate change and mass environmental destruction. The introduction of synthetic fibers while beneficial to the longevity of a garment is taking its toll on our environment and causing harm to our physical bodies. I want to see a push toward more natural animal and plant-based fibers as well as an incline in recycled, natural fibers. In a lot of big fashion brands, they are doing what’s called greenwashing lying to their target audience that a product is more naturally resourced than it is. For example, they might have a dress that they state is made of 100% recycled materials. The top layer of the dress will be 30% recycled cotton and 70% recycled polyester and the lining of the dress 100% recycled polyester. I would like to be an inspiration as a designer so that we can start moving away from harmful synthetics and start caring more about where we’re sourcing our fibers from. As more and more individuals become aware of the environmental and ethical impacts that fast fashion has on our society. I think that this is obtainable in the near future. I want to be able to create garments that are designed to last using high-quality and durable materials to extend the lifespan of said garment. I’ve already begun teaching social and environmental consciousness to those around me, offering knitting and crochet lessons as well as mending. These are all skills that as a society were once prominent and necessary to survive. As the cost of living skyrockets, and there are more pressing matters at hand than unaffordable fashion, clothing isn't a top priority for most. I want to be able to teach people the skills that they need to not just survive but to thrive as creative individuals.