My art degree is Dramatic Writing at New York University. It is a full four years on a course for writing screenplays, play writes, and television scripts. The reason I am pursuing arts as a major is because I want to express my creativity and understanding of the world in different complex ways. To create for a film not only requires deep thinking of themes and symbols, but a deep understanding of the world expressed through those themes. These things cannot be just told to the viewer, as unlike novels everything the writer wants to convey to the audience must be conveyed through the confines of a scene. While this seems like a limitation or an obstacle it's actually where films shine. Without the need of being told everything, the viewers can feel and understand ideas with characters acting in front of them. These characters embody us as people and with their personal experiences we learn and grow with them throughout the film. It is my goal and passion to continue this art of filmmaking. It not only changed my life through storytelling but taught me how to create my own stories to see the world in different ways. I will even get to experiment with plays and television, which both have their ways of creating stories in unique ways. For my professional career, I want to embrace different cultures in a digital age of monotony. Everything is leased or borrowed, even our art is being replicated by machines. Our way of talking to the world is becoming this commodity that companies can use to control us. All of this copy and pasted movies, with the abundance of sequels and remakes, is tearing down our cultures. So, my dream is not to reinvent the wheel but to remind us who created it. Our movies can truly be diverse and still be understood by two completely different people. With my hispanic roots, I want to bring my voice in a world that seems to be flooded with the same sounding voices. With my work to bring love back into our art, we could bring in a new age of innovation using these new AI and machines as our tools instead of our masters. But, most of all I want to inspire new artists. Not just a few, but I want to inspire a generation. While I can't live forever, my love for art can live through those who live beyond me. I don't want them to meet my expectations but exceed them. I don't want new artists to be like me, I want them to be better than me. In this new age of digital machines, I want us to keep dreaming. I want us to keep creating. No world can exist without a pen to guide it forward.

The reason I ever started creating art was because of my love for books, nurtured by my mother reading to me so much as a kid. Books were not just an escape from reality, but a way to understand how the world works. I started wanting to create my own stories. My understanding of the power of our stories and how they are a reflection of us fuels me and creates a sense of belonging I didn't experience with anything else, knowing we connect people across borders through our shared human experience. I moved a lot as a kid. While some could see those as a lot of options to meet friends, but I felt like an outcast. As a Hispanic kid, I never belonged to any group. I was either the “Spanish kid” or the “gringo”, which is a word used in Puerto Rico to call a foreigner. This feeling evolved into thinking that not many people cared about me, and this made me reclusive. I found myself trying to prove to people that I was competent by working hard and trying to be extra friendly, but I was exhausted at the end of the day. I became obsessed with my academics and felt that by working hard, I was going to belong. This experience shaped me into a determined person. I became obsessed with writing my own stories; by creating them, I found a safe outlet. All of the sudden if was not only about wanting others to accept me, but I also realized that I needed to challenge myself to be better, not to make someone else happy or to accept me. I shouldn’t do things or work hard just to make people happy; I should do it for myself. I am proud of all of it. My determination allowed me to get into NYU, my dream college. This experience is no different from that of other kids around me. The question of "where I belong" is something a lot of young people ask. Knowing those struggles, I work with my community by helping my town's youth. One of the organizations I am involved in is the Resources for Youth Success and Empowerment (RYSE) Assessment Center. This program is dedicated to intervention and diversion, to prevent the giant population of incarcerated citizens by tackling the issues we have with our youth. We are a hub where teens can come to find help, whether it be mental health challenges or issues within the family. My job is to provide context to the actions of the program. I look at everything and provide a perspective. I also worked with Prism Lab in Durham, who chose a few teens to unite into one group to create the idea of the “third space” for teenagers. This place is a physical place where teenagers can come to find new passions and develop their creative abilities. We created blueprints and used AI to create ideas for how these places would look like, I even created a sketch of a mural. This was then all looked over by professional architects that were guests, and then we took all of the information and gave a presentation at Durham City Hall. This is how I know you can create impact in a community. I would look for opportunities to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. I know a lot of talented kids through baseball who lose opportunities because they don't have people around them guiding them or believing in them.

The reason I ever started creating art was because of my love for books, nurtured by my mother reading to me so much as a kid. Books were not just an escape from reality, but a way to understand how the world works. As I grew up, I developed a taste for storytelling that kept me running my head with ideas and dreams to one day be able to have people read them and care for them. It didn't matter if it was large novels, complex films, or even narratives in video games, I would always pay attention to the character, their stories, and how they acted. My understanding of the power of our stories and how they are a reflection of us fuels me and creates a sense of belonging I didn't experience with anything else, knowing we connect people across borders through our shared human experience. There comes a point when an artist is born after not being able to hold onto more ideas and having a profound need to express them. I started young, doing doodles on paper while bored in class; those were my earliest works of art. Then, I started mocking art that challenged me and demanded time and purpose to complete. Never confining myself to just one form of art, I would look again at stories, drawings, and even teach myself how to do music. Loving the process of creating, sometimes more than the result, it became a piece of who I am. Creating for me was analyzing these characters and myself. When you write stories, you don't just create characters; you create reflections of yourself, and it is our responsibility to make sure all possible feelings are explored. For example, I have created a short story that examines the vanity of accomplishment when you can enjoy the process of growing and evolving. With my talent, I wasn't able to create more stories about our shared experience. I plan to make a large comic sci-fi horror series to transcend what we believe are the limitations of our artistic tools. My experience with writing, drawing, and reading can finally be translated into words and pictures. I was inspired to create art by my love of stories and art, and now I want to be the own who inspires the next generation.

As a Hispanic kid, I always face the question of where I belong. This is something a lot of us face in our lives. It's this foreboding question that demands our uniqueness, a force that changes who we are. I always felt that I wanted to create a space for people to belong and feel free to create. For example, last year I worked with Prism Lab in Durham, which chose a few teens to unite into one group to create the idea of the “third space” for teenagers. It was almost a year of events, once every month, in which we worked to create a physical place where teenagers could come to find new passions and develop their creative abilities. We created blueprints and used AI to create ideas for how these places would look like, I even created a sketch of a mural. A giant butterfly which was an inspiration from one of my group members. Like the butterfly, we go through pain and struggle to turn ourselves into beautiful things and the only thing we are locked out by is our minds. These concepts and concept art were then all looked over by professional architects who were guests, and then we took all of the information and gave a presentation at Durham City Hall. As an artist and writer, I never thought about how my talents could help my community or how my art could be healing for myself and others. But, this experience made me want my art to connect beyond my mind. Writing has always been a tool for me to escape, create possibilities, and play with the impossible. For the longest time, creating felt like something selfish I’d do to get away from the real world. But, participating in this program not only allowed me to learn about different tools, such as AI or 3D printing, but gave me a sense of value with what I can do with my talent. This experience gave me purpose, and I would continue supporting this effort in Durham virtually while I go to college in New York. I would find communities trying to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. Setting events and creating places for teens to express themselves. They could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. Even if it's something small like arts and crafts, by letting kids explore their passions, they can evolve into greater people. I know a lot of talented kids through sports who lose opportunities because they don't have people around them guiding them or believing in them. The same goes with kids at my school who don't have the privilege of affording school/classes for art. I want to create a place where people can express themselves; I want to create a place where art can connect all types of people who love it.

In middle school, I had a friend that I would always talk to during class. I had never seen them during afterschool hours or lunch but he was always a nice person to talk to in our time together. He was funny and connected with me by our shared love of video games and movies. Most of the time if we weren't taking notes or listening to the teacher lecture, we would share jokes and help each other with our work. He had a positive attitude and was a great student which had an equally positive influence on me. But, I learned as a young child that not everyone who looks happy is happy. He came into school one day and had no smile on his face. I had just gotten done eating lunch and he was hunched over looking away from the classroom door, staring off into the sky through the window. No one else had acknowledged it. When I came in he did not turn around. With no outside communication I had no idea what was going on so I just stayed distant from him out of fear of causing some problems between us. But, then he started writing something on paper with a hunched back. I had no idea why he was writing and I looked at his paper and saw that he was writing a letter to his mom saying he was going to run away from home. Just to note, I live in Durham which has some poverty-stricken areas and we were both young kids. Looking at the paper scared me because even though I knew it was bad, I could not gather the courage to confront him. I was too young. Instead, I used the “See Something, Say Something” app to anonymously report this, and ended up forgetting about it, even when my friend did not come to school for a day or two. Then, I was called to student services one day a few weeks after my report. Once I came into a room I was brought to a counselor and my friend who were more somber than I thought they would be. I was told that my report was taken seriously and that help was given to my friend. They were thankful for what I did and even were open to me asking questions about what happened. But, I was too scared and I had thought asking personal questions would be too nosey. In the end, my friend would go on to do great in high school even though we lost touch. He looks happier now. Reflecting on the past, it was weird how my school got my report even though it was anonymous. But, I’m just grateful that my old friend is doing better. I just hope more people have that one person who can stick out for them when things go wrong, even if it feels like you shouldn’t be involved. We all deserve someone looking out for us.

As a Hispanic kid, I never belonged to any group. I was either the “Spanish kid” or the “Gringo”, which is a word used in Puerto Rico to call a foreigner. This feeling evolved into thinking that not many people cared who I was, and this made me reclusive. To fight this feeling, I found myself trying to prove to people that I was competent by showcasing hard work and trying to be extra friendly, but I was exhausted at the end of the day. I became obsessed with my academics and felt that by working hard, I was able to create a group for myself. At some point, I got tired of wanting to be good for others and realized I needed to be good for myself. But this experience shaped me into a determined person. I never felt discouraged to appreciate my culture, but I do remember feeling disconnected of both my roots and the culture of being American. As I grew up, I became more creative. It was around high school that I finally understood. It wasn't all at once, but it was these little moments that changed me as a person, where I lean more and more into myself. Learning about music and visiting Puerto Rico and my roots helped me embrace who I was and feel empowered to celebrate it fully. I am a duality, a proud American who is also a Hispanic American. I learned we don't have to be one thing or be confined in a box to feel accepted. Part of being creative is embracing my authenticity. I want to go to college to build my knowledge and open my network. I want to create stories that speak about Latino and Caribbean communities. I want to bring our voices together and help us go deeper into the things we like and hate. I want to build my community and open the doors to kids like me who never thought I could be accepted into college, let alone a college that is mostly accessible to kids with money. If I were able to do it, you could also do it. As a Hispanic, I see a lot of generational fear in my family and loved ones. I want to be the face of no fear, don’t feel afraid to speak Spanish, celebrate and be proud of your culture, and do not feel afraid to pursue the craziest dreams.

As a child, I read books and watched movies to build up my storytelling skills. Different books, from fantasy to horror, would be the things I read in high school. I was blown away by the different themes and how these art forms explored these themes through different perspectives of culture, identity, and ideology. It was amazing how a basic idea could be filled with stories and morals that we could take into our everyday lives. Creating my own stories gave me a sense of identity, reminded me I have my things to say and use different ways, not only writing stories, drawing, and creating music that comes from my need to express myself. My creativity has helped me connect deeply with myself by writing stories that shine light on topics people is mostly afraid of. One of my favorite movies is “NOPE” by Jordan Peele. NOPE is a science fiction horror film released in 2022. It depicts a brother and sister suffering from the death of their father and the horse business he created running out of money. His death from the film's start and a monster, which dives into other themes, serve as these set pieces that connect them. Emerald, the sister, felt like she couldn’t match the skill her brother, OJ, had. She felt underappreciated when her father put all his efforts into OJ to continue the ranch's legacy. It made her more independent and brittle. But, OJ always made sure that she was loved and cared for, even as she started to drift from the business to be more independent. Though their relationships aren't perfect, it's the way they stand by each other that shows us why love is so important. After watching these characters change and develop, I wanted to become a better brother. Just as Emerald had jealousy for her brother, I had some for mine. Through her journey of pain and loss, I had to learn not just to be a better person but also a better role model for my younger sibling. Before, I would let my emotions control me. When that happened, I treated my brother not as a human but as a nuisance, and that was completely unfair to him. It is difficult to change when you feel the distance made between your family members and you, but seeing how love triumphs over hate in this movie, I had a drive to change myself for the betterment of my brother and my family. I may not be perfect, but because I put effort into changing, our love is stronger for it. This is why one of my favorite genres to create. Horror places us in random predicaments to show us what our values, morals, and priorities are. Instead of shunning away in fear from the monsters in the media, I have pushed forward. It’s not because I’m not afraid of what the world is but because I want to face it head-on. We as people are so afraid of the dark, yet we don’t realize that without knowing the truth about our reality, we sink deeper into the depths of violence and pain.  These monsters do scare me; I am terrified of them, but I have become more than the monsters that scare me. By pushing forward, I take control of my destiny. My fears won't guide me any longer.

As a child, I read books and watched movies to build up my storytelling skills. Different books, from fantasy to horror, would be the things I read in high school. I was blown away by the different themes and how these art forms explored these themes through different perspectives of culture, identity, and ideology. It was amazing how a basic idea could be filled with stories and morals that we could take into our everyday lives. Creating my own stories gave me a sense of identity, reminded me I have my things to say and use different ways, not only writing stories, drawing, and creating music that comes from my need to express myself. My creativity has helped me connect deeply with myself by writing stories that shine light on topics people is mostly afraid of. One of my favorite movies is “NOPE” by Jordan Peele. NOPE is a science fiction horror film released in 2022. It depicts a brother and sister suffering from the death of their father and the horse business he created running out of money. His death from the film's start and a monster, which dives into other themes, serve as these set pieces that connect them. Emerald, the sister, felt like she couldn’t match the skill her brother, OJ, had. She felt underappreciated when her father put all his efforts into OJ to continue the ranch's legacy. It made her more independent and brittle. But, OJ always made sure that she was loved and cared for, even as she started to drift from the business to be more independent. Though their relationships aren't perfect, it's the way they stand by each other that shows us why love is so important. After watching these characters change and develop, I wanted to become a better brother. Just as Emerald had jealousy for her brother, I had some for mine. Through her journey of pain and loss, I had to learn not just to be a better person but also a better role model for my younger sibling. Before, I would let my emotions control me. When that happened, I treated my brother not as a human but as a nuisance, and that was completely unfair to him. It is difficult to change when you feel the distance made between your family members and you, but seeing how love triumphs over hate in this movie, I had a drive to change myself for the betterment of my brother and my family. I may not be perfect, but because I put effort into changing, our love is stronger for it. This is why one of my favorite genres to create. Horror places us in random predicaments to show us what our values, morals, and priorities are. Instead of shunning away in fear from the monsters in the media, I have pushed forward. It’s not because I’m not afraid of what the world is but because I want to face it head-on. We as people are so afraid of the dark, yet we don’t realize that without knowing the truth about our reality, we sink deeper into the depths of violence and pain.  These monsters do scare me; I am terrified of them, but I have become more than the monsters that scare me. By pushing forward, I take control of my destiny. My fears won't guide me any longer.

Being Caribbean and Hispanic is a huge part of my identity. As a Hispanic kid, I never belonged to any group. I was either the “Spanish kid” or the “Gringo”, which is a word used in Puerto Rico to call a foreigner. This feeling evolved into thinking that not many people cared who I was, and this made me reclusive. To fight this feeling, I found myself trying to prove to people that I was competent by showcasing hard work and trying to be extra friendly, but I was exhausted at the end of the day. I became obsessed with my academics and felt that by working hard, I was able to create a group for myself. At some point, I got tired of wanting to be good for others and realized I needed to be good for myself. But this experience shaped me into a determined person. My creativity is also rooted in being Hispanic in a lot of ways. I had always been surrounded by music as a kid. We have so many connections with creativity in our culture, and we share a lot of it too. But it was hard for me to connect to music at first because I wasn't mature enough to appreciate what I was listening to. There are legends like Hector Lavoe, who changed Salsa music forever. I was impressed by his music, but I couldn't understand why. As I grew up, I became more creative. It was around high school that I finally understood. It wasn't all at once, but it was these little moments that changed me as a person, where I lean more and more into myself. Learning about music and visiting Puerto Rico and my roots helped me embrace who I was and feel empowered to use it fully. I am passionate about college because I want to build my knowledge and creativity, and I want to create stories that speak about Latino and Caribbean communities. I want to bring our voices together and help us go deeper into the things we like and hate. I want to build my community and open the doors to kids like me who never thought I could be accepted into college, let alone a college that is mostly accessible to kids with money. If I were able to do it, you could also do it. As a Hispanic, I see a lot of generational fear in my family and loved ones. I want to be the face of no fear, don’t feel afraid to speak Spanish, celebrate and be proud of your culture, and do not feel afraid to pursue the craziest dreams.

My biggest influence is my parents. My parents, unironically, have been the best critics in my life. They not only accept all of the artistic skills and projects I do, but they actively help me become a better artist by embracing my process and catching when I don’t do things with purpose. Pursuing art and horror ideas was considered "concerning" by a part of my family who led the church, they believe those images and stories are "devil" related. My parents stood by me and advised our family that I was exploring my art, and if they knew my heart, they should not be concerned. They invited them to spend more time with me. This was installed in my head, not only their love but also the space they always create for me to explore and be all the things I needed to be. They influenced me to apply to NYU, which I never thought was a possibility. The acceptance rate was so low, and me coming from a small town with no access, a Hispanic family full of generational fear. My mom said, "You reach for the stars, and the rest we will see it play out". Now I look at the opportunity I have to go to New York, a place where all these ideas turn into reality, I see my dreams of being a screenwriter as a real possibility. I owe it to them for fighting for my ideas more than I did and believing in me more than me. One of the things that helps me be innovative in my art is my appetite to tell stories that help people think more deeply. Deeper into the things we love and the things we hate, or we are scared of. I take time to do my research and like to learn about different points of view to play with the narrative of my stories. There is no way to do that but to integrate diversity; different minds can help build stories where different people can connect. I want to create and expand on things and teach people that looking outside the box requires time and different boxes to look outside of. The one thing that gives me individuality about my art is that I am a jack of all trades. I can write stories, screenplays, and poems. I can draw, make music, and take photographs. My love of art is not contained in one field. It's like a large painting of colors and shapes that illustrate not just my love for art but how my love for all kinds of art elevates my own.

I started writing stories a long time ago and my favorite things to write are horror. At the beginning, I remember members of my family being concerned about the darkness of my stories. To me, horror places us in random predicaments to show us what our values, morals, and priorities are. Instead of shunning away in fear from the monsters in the media, we should push forward. It’s not because I’m not afraid of what the world has for me but because I want to face it head-on. We as people are so afraid of the dark, yet we don’t realize that without knowing the truth about our reality, we sink deeper into the depths of violence and pain. These monsters do scare me; I am terrified of them, but I have become more than the monsters that scare me. By pushing forward, I take control of my destiny. My fears won't guide me any longer. That's why I want to create art to be able to open people's eyes to new ideas and help them navigate feelings through different lenses. I want to create art with a purpose, with new perspectives from people from different parts of the world. My goal is to publish novels and screenplays for movies and create sound design for those films, bringing new ideas, allowing others to challenge my stories, and helping me see beyond my own biases. But, as an artist and writer, I never thought about how my talents could help my community or how my art could be healing for myself and others. That's why I also want my art to reach beyond my mind. For the longest time, creating felt like something selfish I’d do to get away from the real world. Writing has always been a tool for me to escape, create possibilities, and play with the impossible. Participating in different art programs not only allowed me to learn about different tools, such as AI or 3D printing, but it gave me a sense of value on what I can do with my talent. This experience gave me purpose, and I would continue supporting efforts for young creativity in Durham and New York. I would find communities trying to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. By creating events and places for teens to express themselves, they could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. Even if it's something small like arts and crafts, by letting kids explore their passions, they can evolve into greater people. I know a lot of talented kids through baseball who lose opportunities because they don't have people around them guiding them or believing in them. I want to not just make stories for people but build possibilities for young people.

In high school, I was always focused on "academic" classes that would get me into college, but it was the art classes that I felt helped me grow. Now I may be biased since I am an artist and going to college for art, but I always believed that everyone should have a creative hobby to heal their soul. Art is the way we communicate with our deepest feelings so being able to do that daily like me is a short form of therapy that anyone can benefit from. So, when I would enter Mr. Pearson's class for digital art I had high hopes for the class. The class had different parts of digital art that we would learn about. There was graphic design in which we would learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to create posters and flyers that I would take with me when I designed movie posters and book covers. There was Photoshop where we learned how to alter photos to gain new perspectives on a subject, which taught me how to use different references that could help me with my drawing skills. There was also animation which taught us how to create moving pictures with Adobe Animate, which taught me how to create new inventive poses and backgrounds for characters that would add to a scene in my drawings and paintings. Finally, I learned how to use 3D modeling which not only helped me create new types of art but showed me to think in a different way. I think in a movie style where my train of thought isn't very clear unless I write it down or draw it, so by thinking in simple shapes my aptitude for all my creative works improved because I could think in different ways that allowed me to create new perspectives in my art. This was all thanks to my teacher Mr. Pearson. He was a laid-back teacher who had a class that wasn't that passionate in art, and he knew that. But, he saw that I did care a lot about the things I created, so he helped me in any way he could. Instead of just forcing me into a specific path, he let me experiment with these new tools I have never used before and that class became a fun way to work off stress while also working towards skills that would help me in the future. He showed me the diversity of art and how there are so many ways in which we can see pieces of ourselves in the world around us. Even in the new digital age it feels like we are becoming less creative, especially with the prospect of AI, but in reality we are becoming more in tune with our emotions than ever before. With this understanding of the human experience we created new tools to express ourselves in different ways, and Mr. Pearson taught me that experimenting with these new tools is not just for a grade, but for our souls. I may not be an expert, far from it, but having a teacher would be glad that I would try new things and fail until success was liberating. It showed me that for art, and even in life, we shouldn't be afraid to try new things. Because if we go forward and try our best even in the face of a novice result, we become a little closer to understanding humanity.

The opening scene of my life movie would be a bus entering a neighborhood. It's loud and annoying but it's only dropping out one kid, who is glad to finally be home after the day at school. He didn't have fun today and he walks back home kicking a rock as the sun sets behind him. He walks slowly to his home, and he distracts himself by looking at the floor. But, his mind is too empty so he fills it with memories. Some are of simple things like math equations and assignments, but others are of kids moving away from him when he sits down. Some of those memories are of him having to sit alone because no one wanted to form a group with him. Some of those memories are of kids never paying attention to him while he talks right in front of their faces, not even bothering to look at him. He rubs his head and puts those thoughts away. Let's just get home, I don’t want to think about that right now. He looks up from his walk and there it is as it gleams in the sunset like it's his escape into heaven. It's a humble house, nothing too big but it's filled with things he loves and people who care about him. He opens the door and lets out a sigh when he sets his bag down and the pressure of school is behind him. His mother calls for him and he smiles knowing that there's food ready. His mother hugs him as he enters and serves one of his favorite meals: rice and beans. It feels like a food that never can taste bad, it can only taste better with the different things you turn it into. He eats and does his homework for the day but instead of going to play outside with the loud kids who want to cause trouble, he stays inside and reads a story with his mom. They sit and huddle close as they read a Dr. Suess book that gleams green. It's one of his favorites and he smiles even though he knows the events of the story. He would wonder why but he guessed it's because a story doesn't lose flavor just because you know its ingredients, no matter how simple they may be. That peaceful time was one where the kid would think a lot about who he was, and how he would feel out of place in school because of the number of times he moved as a child; his “outsider” personality. After their story session, the kid goes to his room and draws new creations from the inspiration of his story. Little doodles become worlds as he draws them on one side and describes them on the other, like a little resume detailing the imaginary life of this colorful creature. He will soon read books with more words than pictures, one day he will draw pictures that aren't doodles anymore, and soon he will create entire worlds with a pencil and a piece of paper. But, today he's just a boy who smiles as he creates doodles of creatures that run in movies in his mind. Today, he's just a boy. This movie would be "The Art of Loving Art." For context, creating my art gave me an outlet to find authenticity. I wanted something different than always trying to be more efficient than the person next to me because I wasn’t satisfied at the end of the day. I didn't like being like everyone else. I realized that I needed to challenge myself to be better, not to make someone else happy or to accept me. I shouldn’t do things or work hard just to make people happy, I should do it for myself. My determination allowed me to get into NYU. While my academics earned me a spot at the top of my class, I didn’t think I could get it. I stayed determined and polished my essays over 8 times, reached out to great recommenders, kept my spot in the top 3rd of my class, and continued to create art. When the decision came in December, I was accepted to my dream college. I am committed to work, and my parents are committed to supporting me, but we can never afford that cost. With this scholarship, I can get a chance to continue opening the doors or a path to people like me. We are all working so hard to build a future, we want a chance to change it.

I started writing stories a long time ago and my favorite things to write are horror. In the beginning, I remember members of my family being concerned about the darkness of my stories. To me, horror places us in random predicaments to show us what our values, morals, and priorities are. Instead of shunning away in fear from the monsters in the media, we should push forward. It’s not because I’m not afraid of what the world has for me but because I want to face it head-on. We as people are so afraid of the dark, yet we don’t realize that without knowing the truth about our reality, we sink deeper into the depths of violence and pain. These monsters do scare me; I am terrified of them, but I have become more than the monsters that scare me. By pushing forward, I take control of my destiny. My fears won't guide me any longer. That's why I want to create art to be able to open people's eyes to new ideas and help them navigate feelings through different lenses. I want to create art with a purpose, with new perspectives from people from different parts of the world. My goal is to publish novels and screenplays for movies and create sound design for those films, bringing new ideas, allowing others to challenge my stories, help me see beyond my own biases. One of my favorite experiences in arts was creating my first student-made movie with a group of 4 students. We were in a pre-college at Duke for two weeks and in the second week we were assigned to create a movie to showcase on Friday before the program ended. Our group was small but we had amazing chemistry, because we all wanted to create a horror movie. At the start, I was more reserved. For context, I was inspired to write stories from the books I read in school. My favorite books taught me about different lives that faced things like discrimination, death, grief, and isolation. They showed me that life is fragile, and every single one has the ability to change things. My quiet nature allowed me to enjoy those books in a different way than others did. It allowed me to see things other people didn’t. I may not always be social and outgoing but that didn’t make me less of a hard worker or student. I know that I’m special in my way, just like how everyone is special in their own way. But, for this project to be successful I had to stand up and take charge. This was something I cared about and I could not let my anxiety get in my way. This is where my leadership came in as I was the one that put everything together. Instead of just trying to steer the group into my vision, I took a piece of each of our concepts for a movie and handcrafted a new one with their great ideas. This was the best decision I ever made in the time I was at Duke, because as I helped film the scenes to make sure there was good execution, I also made sure my group members had their chance to express themselves and change or add things if they wanted. I also helped with the editing but one of my group members was an amazing editor and letting him lead allowed the project to be expertly polished. Together we added extra touches to the film that would distance it from the other projects in the class. In the end, we created an amazing movie that truly couldn't have been created without their help and my leadership. I loved the whole process and it showed me that leadership without people to connect to and share friendship is just mindless ordering. I wouldn’t be as capable without the people that helped me so I give my credit all to them. No one can do great things alone. But, as an artist and writer, I never thought about how my talents could help my community or how my art could be healing for myself and others. That's why I also want my art to reach beyond my mind. For the longest time, creating felt like something selfish I’d do to get away from the real world. Writing has always been a tool for me to escape, create possibilities, and play with the impossible. Participating in different art programs not only allowed me to learn about different tools, such as AI or 3D printing, but gave me a sense of value with what I can do with my talent. These experiences gave me purpose, and I would continue supporting efforts for young creativity in Durham and New York. I would find communities trying to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. By creating events and places for teens to express themselves, they could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. Even if it's something small like arts and crafts, by letting kids explore their passions, they can evolve into greater people. I know a lot of talented kids through baseball who lose opportunities because they don't have people around them guiding them or believing in them. I want to not just make stories for people but build possibilities for young people.

I’ve been playing Baseball since I was 4 years old. Growing up, I moved a lot, from Puerto Rico to Texas, back to Puerto Rico, Florida, and then North Carolina. While some could see those as a lot of options to meet friends, I always felt like an outcast. As a Hispanic kid, I never belonged to any group. I was either the “Spanish kid” or the “gringo”, which is a word use in Puerto Rico to call a foreigner. I can’t point out the exact reason, but that was different in Baseball. When we moved from Florida to Durham, NC, I was scared of a new school. I told my dad that I felt out of place, and he said:” as soon as you make the team, you will find community and a sense of belonging”. He was right. Baseball has always been a safe space for me. All that changed when I started High School. I am in the International Bachelorette program, which i college-level classwork. The classes were more demanding, and the Baseball team at my school was, too. not only did we practice every day from 4:30 to 7:00, but whenever we had games, we needed to make up work. My interest in Baseball changed with all these expectations. I decided to at least finish the Season out of respect to my teammates and my coach. My mom said, give it all one more time and then move on. I put effort into finishing strong while thinking about the next Season and being more present in practice, thinking that was the last one. I started to realize how Baseball has been an outlet for me. While I love to read, write stories, draw, and make music, Baseball is the one thing in my life where I can be out of my mind, I can play, and have fun. While challenging to be in school and play sports, I knew Baseball had been a foundation for my academics. Being successful in a game depends on how much effort I put into preparing, the effort in practice, my capacity to communicate with my teams, listen to my coach, and overall do my homework. When I break that down, that is exactly what I do in school. Being a student outlet has helped me to develop juggling lots of demands, learn about balance, time management. More importantly, as an artist, it has helped me to enjoy the process more than the outcome. My creative process is important, how much research I do to make sense out of my stories, the enjoyment of the steps. I never left; I am now playing my last Season as a Senior.

I started writing stories a long time ago and my favorite thing to write is horror. In the beginning, I remember family members being concerned about the darkness of my stories. To me, horror places us in random predicaments to show us what our values, morals, and priorities are. Instead of shunning away in fear from the monsters in the media, we should push forward. It’s not because I’m not afraid of what the world has for me but because I want to face it head-on. We as people are so afraid of the dark, yet we don’t realize that without knowing the truth about our reality, we sink deeper into the depths of violence and pain. These monsters do scare me; I am terrified of them, but I have become more than the monsters that scare me. By pushing forward, I take control of my destiny. My fears won't guide me any longer. That's why I want to create art to be able to open people's eyes to new ideas and help them navigate feelings through different lenses. I want to create art with a purpose, with new perspectives from people from different parts of the world. My goal is to publish novels and screenplays for movies and create sound design for those films, bringing new ideas, allowing others to challenge my stories, and helping me see beyond my own biases. But, as an artist and writer, I never thought about how my talents could help my community or how my art could be healing for myself and others. That's why I also want my art to reach beyond my mind. For the longest time, creating felt like something selfish I’d do to get away from the real world. Writing has always been a tool for me to escape, create possibilities, and play with the impossible. Participating in different art programs not only allowed me to learn about different tools, such as AI or 3D printing, but gave me a sense of value on what I can do with my talent. This experience gave me purpose, and I would continue supporting efforts for young creativity in Durham and New York. I would find communities trying to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. By creating events and places for teens to express themselves, they could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. Even if it's something small like arts and crafts, by letting kids explore their passions, they can evolve into greater people. I know a lot of talented kids through baseball who lose opportunities because they don't have people around them guiding them or believing in them. I want to not just make stories for people but build possibilities for young people.

As a Hispanic kid, I always face the question of where I belong. This question is something a lot of us face in our uniqueness. I want to create a space for people to belong and feel free to create. Last year, I worked with Prism Lab in Durham, that chose a few teens to unite into one group to create the idea of the “third space” for teenagers. It was almost a year of events, where we worked to create a physical place where teenagers could come to find new passions and develop their creative abilities. We created blueprints and used AI to create ideas for how these places would look like, I even created a sketch of a mural. This was then all looked over by professional architects who were guests, and then we took all of the information and gave a presentation at Durham City Hall. As an artist and writer, I never thought about how my talents could help my community or how my art could be healing for myself and others. I want my art to connect beyond my mind. For the longest time, creating felt like something selfish I’d do to get away from the real world. Writing has always been a tool for me to escape, create possibilities, and play with the impossible. Participating in this program not only allowed me to learn about different tools, such as AI or 3D printing, but gave me a sense of value on what I can do with my talent. This experience gave me purpose, and I would continue supporting this effort in Durham virtually while I go to college in New York. I would find communities trying to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. Creating events and places for teens to express themselves, they could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. Even if it's something small like arts and crafts, by letting kids explore their passions, they can evolve into greater people. I know a lot of talented kids through baseball who lose opportunities because they don't have people around them guiding them or believing in them. The same with kids in my school, who are great at creating art, but most are discouraged because the world they see around them is exploiting them through their phones. I want to build possibilities for young people. This way they can see that they have power inside them to change things.

My parents decided to break up when I was two years old. They worked on their relationship and as a result, I moved a lot as a kid, from Puerto Rico to Texas, back to Puerto Rico, Florida, and then Durham, NC. While some could see those as a lot of options to meet friends, I always felt like an outcast. As a Hispanic kid, I never belonged to any group. I was either the “Spanish kid” or the “gringo”, which is a word use in Puerto Rico to call a foreigner. This feeling evolved into thinking that not many people cared who I was, and this made me reclusive. To fight this feeling, I found myself trying to prove to people that I was competent by showcasing hard work and trying to be extra friendly, but I was exhausted at the end of the day. I became obsessed with my academics and felt that by working hard, I was able to create a group for myself. This experience shaped me into a determined person. My mom always talks about education as the only thing nobody can take away from you; my mom always says that as Hispanics, we have to work extra hard, never in a complaining way, she will say it in an inspirational tone. She always read to me, I remember being little and creating images of the story she was reading. I became fascinated with reading and eventually writing my own stories. I wanted to make sure the stories were good, so I always did research, which developed in this need for me to learn before speaking or talking. Creating my art gave me an outlet to find authenticity, and I wanted something different than always trying to be more efficient than the person next to me because I wasn’t satisfied at the end of the day. I realized that I needed to challenge myself to be better, not to make someone else happy or to accept me. I shouldn’t do things or work hard just to make people happy; I should do it for myself. I am proud of all of it. My determination allowed me to get into NYU. While my academics earned me a spot at the top of my class, I didn’t think I could get it. I stayed determined and polished my essays over 8 times, reached out to great recommenders, kept my spot in the top 3rd of my class, and continued to create art. When the decision came in December, I was accepted to my dream college. There are experiences that shaped who we are, and while is hard to accept them, when we do, we can embrace the good of it. There is always a way to see something from a different perspective. I am glad my parents did their best to find their happiness and also, I know they work hard to try to be friendly, it took a couple of years, but I was able to have them both at the same events and now is just normal. There is a lot I would never know from their experience, but I know they love me.

I started writing stories a long time ago and my favorite things to write are horror. At the beginning, I remember members of my family being concern about the darkness of my stories. To me horror places us in random predicaments to show us what our values, morals, and priorities are. Instead of shunning away in fear from the monsters in the media, I have pushed forward. It’s not because I’m not afraid of what the world is but because I want to face it head-on. We as people are so afraid of the dark, yet we don’t realize that without knowing the truth about our reality, we sink deeper into the depths of violence and pain. These monsters do scare me; I am terrified of them, but I have become more than the monsters that scare me. By pushing forward, I take control of my destiny. My fears won't guide me. I want to create art to be able to open people's eyes to new ideas and helping them navigate feelings through different lenses. I want to create art with a purpose, with new perspectives from people from different parts of the world. My goal is to publish novels and screenplays for movies and create sound design for those films, bringing new ideas, allowing others to challenge my stories, helping me see beyond my own biases. As a Hispanic kid, I always face the question of where I belong. This question is something a lot of us face in our uniqueness. I want to create a space for people to belong and feel free to create. Last year, I worked with Prism Lab in Durham, who chose a few teens to unite into one group to create the idea of the “third space” for teenagers. It was almost a year of events, where we worked to create a physical place where teenagers could come to find new passions and develop their creative abilities. We created blueprints and used AI to create ideas for how these places would look like, I even created a sketch of a mural. This was then all looked over by professional architects that were guests, and then we took all of the information and gave a presentation at Durham City Hall. As an artist and writer, I never thought about how my talents could help my community. I want my art to connect beyond my mind. For the longest time, creating felt like something selfish I’d do to get away from the real world. Writing has always been a tool for me to escape, create possibilities, and play with the impossible. Participating in this program gave me a sense of value on what I can do with my talent. This experience gave me purpose, and I would continue supporting this effort in Durham virtually while I go to college in New York. I would find communities trying to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. Creating events and places for teens to express themselves, they could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. Even if it's something small like arts and crafts, by letting kids explore their passions, they can evolve into greater people. I know a lot of talented kids through baseball who lose opportunities because they don't have people around them guiding them or believing in them. The same with kids in my school, who are great at creating art, but most people say art is not a source of money. I want to build possibilities for young people.

I moved a lot as a kid. While some could see those as opportunities to meet friends, I always felt like an outcast. As a Hispanic kid, I never belonged. I was either the “Spanish kid” or the “gringo”, how they call foreigners in Puerto Rico. I felt not many people cared who I was and became reclusive. I found myself trying to prove that I was competent by working hard and trying to be extra friendly, but I was exhausted at the end of the day. I became obsessed with my academics and felt that by working hard, I was going to belong. From a young age, the only thing that made me feel free was reading. My mom always read to me; I would create images of the stories. I became fascinated with reading and re-writing the stories. Until I started creating my own. By creating my art, I found connection with myself. With time, this gave me the strength to stop pursuing the acceptance of others. I realized that I needed to challenge myself to be better, not to make someone else to accept me. I am proud of all of it. My determination allowed me to get into NYU. I didn’t think I could get it. I stayed determined and polished my essays over 8 times, reached out to great recommenders, kept my spot in the top 3rd of my class, and continued to create art. When the decision came in December, I was accepted to my dream college. While I always face the question of where I belong, this is something a lot of young people wonder. Knowing those struggles, I worked with Prism Lab in Durham, who chose a few teens to create the idea of the “third space” for teenagers. A place where teenagers can visit to find passions and develop creative abilities. We created blueprints and used AI to create ideas for how these places would look like, I even created a sketch of a mural. This was looked over by professional architects that were guests, and then we took all of the information and gave a presentation at Durham City Hall. I want to continue helping people lean into their abilities to find peace, to be around people like them who can help them find resources to build upon their dreams. Leaning into our uniqueness, accept who we are, and embrace all that we can bring to the world. Creating events and places for teens to express themselves, they could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. The five art pieces I submitted are, like my other pieces of art, extensions of me. While they aren’t all about me, they explain something I feel about the world. My poems outline the fragility of family and my fears of not death, but how my life beyond death will be interpreted by those who knew me. My drawings go into my fears of letting pride overtake my artform, like how religions can take over people's minds, and how art itself can be turned into a commodity that poisons our minds instead of enriching them. My story delves into ideas of going through life obsessed with competition and abandoning the joy of what makes growing stronger so fun. Thats why I find it so important that we as people accept each other's cultures to allow us to express ourselves in different ways. We can connect through our shared human experience because art can transcend all borders. Art is not about how or why; it's about you.

One of my favorite experiences was creating my first student-made movie with a group of 4 students. We were in a pre-college at Duke for two weeks and in the second week we were assigned to create a movie to showcase on Friday before the program ended. Our group was small but we had amazing chemistry, because we all wanted to create a horror movie. At the start, I was more reserved. For context, I was inspired to write stories from the books I read in school. My favorite books taught me about different lives that faced things like discrimination, death, grief, and isolation. They showed me that life is fragile, and every single one has the ability to change things. My quiet nature allowed me to enjoy those books in a different way than others did. It allowed me to see things other people didn’t. I may not always be social and outgoing but that didn’t make me less of a hard worker or student. I know that I’m special in my way, just like how everyone is special in their own way. But, for this project to be successful I had to stand up and take charge. This was something I cared about and I could not let my anxiety get in my way. This is where my leadership came in as I was the one that put everything together. Instead of just trying to steer the group into my vision, I took a piece of each of our concepts for a movie and handcrafted a new one with their great ideas. This was the best decision I ever made in the time I was at Duke, because as I helped film the scenes to make sure there was good execution, I also made sure my group members had their chance to express themselves and change or add things if they wanted. I also helped with the editing but one of my group members was an amazing editor and letting him lead allowed the project to be expertly polished. Together we added extra touches to the film that would distance it from the other projects in the class. In the end, we created an amazing movie that truly couldn't have been created without their help and my leadership. I loved the whole process and it showed me that leadership without people to connect to and share friendship is just mindless ordering. I wouldn’t be as capable without the people that helped me so I give my credit all to them. No one can do great things alone.

Last year, I worked with Prism Lab in Durham, who chose a few teens to unite into one group to create the idea of the “third space” for teenagers. It was almost a year of events, where we worked to create a physical place where teenagers could come to find new passions and develop their creative abilities. This is an idea that is being discussed to continue and one day make it a reality, our work was to build the options. We created blueprints and used AI to create ideas for how these places would look like, I even created a sketch of a mural. This was then all looked over by professional architects that were guests, and then we took all of the information and gave a presentation at Durham City Hall. As an artist and writer, I never thought about how my talents could help my community or how my art could be healing for myself and others. For the longest time, creating felt like something selfish I’d do to get away from the real world. Writing has always been a tool for me to escape, create possibilities, and play with the impossible. Participating in this program not only allowed me to learn about different tools, such as AI or 3D printing, but gave me a sense of value on what I can do with my talent. While I always face the question of where I belong, as a Hispanic, this question is something a lot of young people have. Knowing those struggles, I know that first had I know everyone should have a creative outlet. This experience gave me purpose, and I would continue supporting this effort in Durham virtually while I go to college in New York. I would find communities trying to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. Creating events and places for teens to express themselves, they could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. Even if it's something small like arts and crafts, by letting kids explore their passions, they can evolve into greater people. I know a lot of talented kids through baseball who lose opportunities because they don't have people around them guiding them or believing in them. The same with kids in my school, who are great at creating art, but most people say art is not a source of money. I want to build possibilities for young people.

I moved a lot as a kid, from Puerto Rico to Texas, back to Puerto Rico, Florida, and then Durham, NC. While some could see those as options to meet friends, I felt like an outcast. As a Hispanic kid, I never belonged to any group. I was either the “Spanish kid” or the “gringo”, a word uses in Puerto Rico to call a foreigner. I felt like nobody cared about me, and this made me reclusive. I found myself trying to prove to people that I was competent by working hard and trying to be extra friendly, but I was exhausted at the end of the day. I became obsessed with my academics and felt that by working hard, I was going to belong. This experience shaped me into a determined person. My mom always read to me, I remember being little and creating images of the story she was reading. I became fascinated with reading and eventually writing my own stories. Creating my art gave me an outlet, and then I wanted something different than always trying hard for others. I realized that I needed to challenge myself to be better, not to make someone else happy or to accept me. I shouldn’t do things or work hard just to make people happy; I should do it for myself. I am proud of all of it. My determination allowed me to get into NYU. While my academics earned me a spot at the top of my class, I didn’t think I could get it. I stayed determined and polished my essays over 8 times, reached out to great recommenders, kept my spot in the top 3rd of my class, and continued to create art. When the decision came in December, I was accepted to my dream college. These feelings are no different from that of other kids around me. While I always face the question of where I belong, as a Hispanic, this question is something a lot of young people have. Knowing those struggles, I work with my community by helping my town's youth. One of the organizations I am involved in is the Resources for Youth Success and Empowerment (RYSE) Assessment Center. This program is dedicated to intervention, prevention, and diversion. We are essentially a hub where teens can come to find help for the issues they have, whether it be mental health challenges or issues within the family. My job is to provide context to the actions of the program. I look at everything and provide a perspective. I also worked with Prism Lab in Durham, who chose a few teens to unite into one group to create the idea of the “third space” for teenagers. This place is a physical place where teenagers can come to find new passions and develop their creative abilities. We created blueprints and used AI to create ideas for how these places would look like, I even created a sketch of a mural. This was then all looked over by professional architects that were guests, and then we took all of the information and gave a presentation at Durham City Hall. This is something that I want to continue. I would find communities trying to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. Creating events and places for teens to express themselves, they could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. Even if it's something small like arts and crafts, by letting kids explore their passions, they can evolve into greater people.

As a Hispanic kid, I always face the question of where I belong. This question is something a lot of young people have. I work with my community by helping my town's youth. One of the organizations I am involved in is the Resources for Youth Success and Empowerment (RYSE) Assessment Center. This program is dedicated to intervention, prevention, and diversion. We want to prevent the giant population of incarcerated citizens by tackling the issues we have with our youth. We are essentially a hub in which teens can come to find help for the issues they have, whether it be mental health challenges or issues within the family. My job is to provide context to the actions of the program. I look at everything and provide the perspective. Now that I am moving to New York for college, I want to participate in similar opportunities. I know a lot of talented kids through baseball who lose opportunities because they don't have people around them guiding them or believing in them. Same with kids in my school, who are great at creating art, but most people say art is not a source of money. I want to do more for the community by providing a place where teens my age can express themselves. I believe that everyone should have a creative outlet, and I have worked with a group to develop this idea. The organization Prism Lab in Durham chose a few teens to unite into one group to create the idea of the “third space” for teenagers. This place is a physical place where teenagers can come to find new passions and develop their creative abilities. We created blueprints and used AI to create ideas for how these places would look like, I even created a sketch of a mural. This was then all looked over by professional architects that were guests, and then we took all of the information and gave a presentation at Durham City Hall. This is something that I want to continue. I would find communities trying to improve the lives of youth through creative expression. Creating events and places for teens to express themselves, they could find healing and growth, just like how I grew and changed by being an artist. Even if it's something small like arts and crafts, by letting kids explore their passions, they can evolve into greater people.

One of my favorite movies is “NOPE” by Jordan Peele. NOPE is a science fiction horror film released in 2022. It depicts a brother and sister suffering from the death of their father and the horse business he created running out of money. His death from the film's start and a monster, which dives into other themes, serve as these set pieces that connect them. Emerald, the sister, felt like she couldn’t amount to the skill her brother, OJ, had. She felt under-appreciated when her father put all his efforts into OJ to continue the ranch's legacy. It made her more independent and brittle. But, OJ always made sure that she was loved and cared for, even as she started to drift from the business to be more independent. Though their relationships aren't perfect, it's the way they stand by each other that shows us why love is so important. After watching these characters change and develop, I wanted to become a better brother. Just as how Emerald had jealousy for her brother, I had some for mine. Through her journey of pain and loss, I had to learn not just to be a better person but also a better role model for my younger sibling. Before, I would let my emotions control me. When that happened, I treated my brother not as a human but as a nuisance, and that was completely unfair to him. It is difficult to change when you feel the distance made between your family members and you, but seeing how love triumphs over hate in this movie, I had a drive to change myself for the betterment of my brother and my family. I may not be perfect, but because I put effort into changing, our love is stronger for it. This is what horror truly is. It places us in random predicaments to show us what our values, morals, and priorities are. Instead of shunning away in fear from the monsters in the media, I have pushed forward. It’s not because I’m not afraid of what the world is but because I want to face it head-on. We as people are so afraid of the dark, yet we don’t realize that without knowing the truth about our reality, we sink deeper into the depths of violence and pain. These monsters do scare me; I am terrified of them, but I have become more than the monsters that scare me. By pushing forward, I take control of my destiny. My fears won't guide me any longer.

I moved a lot as a kid, from Puerto Rico to Texas, back to Puerto Rico, Florida, and then Durham, NC. While some could see those as a lot of options to meet friends, I always felt like an outcast. As a Hispanic kid, I never belonged to any group. I was either the “spanish kid” or the “gringo”, a word use in Puerto Rico to call a foreigner. This feeling evolved into thinking that not many people cared about me, and this made me reclusive. To fight this feeling, I found myself trying to prove that I was competent by working hard and trying to be extra friendly, but I was exhausted. I became obsessed with my academics and felt that by working hard, I was able to create a group for myself. This experience shaped me into a determined person. My parents always talk about education as the only thing nobody can take away from you; my mom always says that as Hispanics, we have to work extra hard, never in a complaining way, she will say it in an inspirational tone. She always read to me, I remember being little and creating images of the story she was reading. I became fascinated with reading and eventually writing my own stories. I wanted to make sure the stories were good, so I always did research, which developed in this need for me to learn before speaking or talking. Creating my art gave me an outlet to find authenticity, and I wanted something different than always trying to be more efficient than the person next to me because I wasn’t satisfied at the end of the day. I realized that I needed to challenge myself to be better, not to make someone else happy or to accept me. I shouldn’t do things or work hard just to make people happy, I should do it for myself. I am proud of all of it. My determination allowed me to get into NYU. While my academics earned me a spot at the top of my class, I didn’t think I could get it. I stayed determined and polished my essays over 8 times, reached out to great recommenders, kept my spot in the top 3rd of my class, and continued to create art. When the decision came in December, I was accepted to my dream college. This scholarship is so important to that dream. My parents and I do not have enough money to afford college. The huge price for New York University is over 80,000 dollars a year. That will add up to 320,000 for the 4 years that I go. I am committed to work, and my parents are committed to supporting me, but we can never afford that cost. With this scholarship, I can get a chance to continue opening the doors or a path to people like me. We all work so hard to build a future, we want a chance at it!

I moved a lot as a kid, from Puerto Rico to Texas, back to Puerto Rico, Florida, and then Durham, NC. While some could see those as a lot of options to meet friends, I always felt like an outcast. As a Hispanic kid, I never belonged to any group. I was either the “spanish kid” or the “gringo”, which is a word use in Puerto Rico to call a foreigner. This feeling evolved into thinking that not many people cared who I was, and this made me reclusive. To fight this feeling, I found myself trying to prove to people that I was competent by showcasing hard work and trying to be extra friendly, but I was exhausted at the end of the day. I became obsessed with my academics and felt that by working hard, I was able to create a group for myself. This experience shaped me into a determined person. My parents always talk about education as the only thing nobody can take away from you; my mom always says that as Hispanics, we have to work extra hard, never in a complaining way, she will say it in an inspirational tone. She always read to me, I remember being little and creating images of the story she was reading. I became fascinated with reading and eventually writing my own stories. I wanted to make sure the stories were good, so I always did research, which developed in this need for me to learn before speaking or talking. Creating my art gave me an outlet to find authenticity, and I wanted something different than always trying to be more efficient than the person next to me because I wasn’t satisfied at the end of the day. I realized that I needed to challenge myself to be better, not to make someone else happy or to accept me. I shouldn’t do things or work hard just to make people happy, I should do it for myself. Learning I was enough was critical to pursue my art more honestly. While I continue to pursue excellence in my academics, and that is something that opened the doors of being accepted in the School of Arts in New York University, I also know is not the number one priority and that we are all a combination of things. I am proud of all of it. My determination allowed me to get into NYU. I never knew about this college until I started writing my college essays in 11th grade. Once I found out about its reputation for producing great artists, I was skeptical that I would ever get in. While my academics earned me a spot at the top of my class, I didn’t think I could get it. I stayed determined and polished my essays over 8 times, reached out to great recommenders, kept my spot in the top 3rd of my class, and continued to create art. When the decision came in December, I was accepted to my dream college. My parents were always beside me, especially my mom, and without them, I may not have made it. I not only owe it to them to take this opportunity to be the best artist I can be, but I owe it to myself to help that little kid who has so much potential to make an impact on the cultures that I love.

I had always been surrounded by music as a kid, especially a Hispanic kid from Puerto Rico. We have so many connections with creativity in our culture, and we share a lot of it too. But, it was hard for me to connect to music at first because I wasn't mature enough to appreciate what I was listening to regardless if it was music in Spanish or English. There are legends like Hector Lavoe, who changed Salsa music forever, and Al Green, who was one of the faces of R&B music, who I couldn't appreciate because I was too young to appreciate music as an art form. I was impressed by their music but I couldn't understand why. But, as I grew up I became more of a creative. I not only read hundreds of books but I drew until my sketchbooks were full. It was around high school that I finally understood music. It wasn't all at once but it was these little moments that changed me as a person. The first moment was after a little league baseball game. I was watching my brother win and he did a great job, and it was after the game the two of us with our parents listened to music in the car. My father had played this song called "RedBone" and my mind was thinking "wait I heard this before!" I was addicted to that song for a while because of how different from all the electric music I was listening to before. Then that summer I went to a Pre-College at NC State. It was for young people to learn about college but there I started listening to hip hop. A lot of it was old school like NWA and Kanye West, but I had that thought again, "wait I heard this before!" From then on started my journey of becoming a standard music enjoyer to a dedicated student of music. I went from all different genres like hip hop, rock music, jazz, R&B, Hispanic music, and even music from other countries like Japan. I not only became more appreciative of music as an art form but I was inspired to start creating my own. I felt like music was too impactful to not try out myself. That is exactly what I did when a few weeks later I would try my hands on creating beats on my phone and computer. I am a novice but I took months to practice music and I am still on my journey to become a great musician. High school wasn't perfect but it was the time when I experimented with my creative aspirations and now I can take these experiences to life. I am not afraid of trying something new, and one day I can become a young artist with a catalog of tracks to bounce off.

When I was a kid in elementary school, not many people cared who I was. This made me more reclusive; I was used to proving to people that I was competent by showcasing hard work. For example, when I had my first job I had adapted quickly to the high demands to not be shunned by my coworkers. I was always friendly and active but I was exhausted at the end of the day after a simple job. It was always like this for simple things like doing community service or doing class assignments. Then, as I grew up I wanted something different. I was always trying to be more efficient than what the person next to me was doing, but I wasn’t satisfied at the end of the day. I realized that I needed to challenge myself to be better, not to make someone else satisfied. I shouldn’t do things or work hard just to make people happy, I should do it so I'm satisfied and happy. In turn, this gave me an outsider's perspective, or to look outside myself. By seeing how people interacted, changed, and solved problems I used their lessons to teach myself. For example, I was inspired to write stories from the books I read in school. My favorite books taught me about different lives that faced things like discrimination, death, grief, and isolation. In those struggles I was able to take back their lessons and apply it to my own life. My quiet nature allowed me to enjoy those books in a different way than others did. This made me become a writer who would create stories that take from different perspectives, cultures, and identities. This drive allowed me to get into New York University with my academic and creative skill alone, as my family has no connections to New York. I never knew about this college until I was starting my college essays back in 11th grade. Once I found out about its golden reputation for producing great artists I was skeptical that I would ever get in. While my academics earned me a spot at the top of my class, I just didn’t think I could reach the same level as those who reached college already. But, I stayed determined and polished my essays over 8 times, reached out to great recommenders, kept my spot as the top 3rd of my class, and I continued to create art that I believed no one else could make except for me. This determination was not unfounded as when the decision came in December of my senior year, I was accepted to my dream college. My parents were always beside me, especially my mom who had been taking care of me since I was born in Puerto Rico, and without them I may not have made it. I not only owe it to them to take this opportunity to be the best artist I can be, but I owe it to myself to help that little kid who has so much potential to make an impact on the cultures that I love.

There needs to be an entire deconstruction of the identity of police officers. In the media, they are portrayed as heroes who use guns and big weapons to defeat evil gangs and save lives. While that is in some aspects true, you can see in history that was not how most police functioned. Giving someone a weapon is asking them to use it. It doesn't matter how many safety meetings they attend or how many people they save, the presence of a weapon is a presence of power that people cannot ignore. Now, should the police as a whole be removed? No, that would only create more chaos in an already fragile society. But, the way the system is now is very against people of color. Giving someone a tool to kill is always a problem and especially since police have lots of backup to ensure they have control over a situation, that power can be twisted into corruption. There has to be a middle ground and it's not just up to the government to solve this, it is our responsibility. We should as a society be able to shut down corrupt systems of power should we have enough evidence to prove it. We should be able to shut down the leaders and followers inside a police station if we prove that they are not bringing peace. Now, there are hundreds of court cases dedicated to this action but they have not worked. This goes back to my previous point, which is that we believe that police officers are the good guys and they only use their power for good because the media tells us so. This is not only false but our fetishization of guns has disillusioned us into believing violence is usually the best option, showing the world in this black-and-white view of "bad guys" and "good guys." The truth is that the world is way more complex than people like to think it is. This misunderstanding is why we give so many officers passes and not punish them for their crimes. While this also goes deeper into connections with the government and people being paid off to pardon criminals, which should be heavily investigated by law enforcement, the main thing we can do as a society is teach ourselves perspective. While yes, there are many officers are brave who would go running headfirst into danger to protect people, there are bullies who love to use their weapons to fuel their egos. That mentality can cost lives. So, the best thing these agencies can do is become more intelligent and attentive of these people so we can shut them down before they cause harm. An officer is supposed to bring peace, not instigate violence.

Even before school, I have always wanted to excel. As a child, I read books and watched movies to build up my storytelling skills. Different books from fantasy to horror would be the things I read through high school. I was blown away by the different themes and how these art forms explored these themes through different perspectives of culture, identity, and ideology. It was amazing how a basic idea could be filled with stories and morals that we could take into our everyday lives. But, now I feel I am ready. I have my own things to say and I have started writing stories, drawing, and creating music that comes from my need to express myself. I not only want to write stories that shine light on me and my culture but also the cultures that inspired me to create stories. With college there to help me, I want to publish my own novels that will be shared across the world and eventually, with my degree in dramatic writing, create screenplays for movies. New York University will be a high stepping stone for me and being able to have my stories seen on that scale will be amazing for my artistic journey. It has a huge reputation of creating fantastic artists that don't just make lots of intriguing art, but ripples in culture that change how we view the world. One of my favorite artists, Childish Gambino, comes from NYU with a degree and has made great art pieces like "This is America" and the show "Atlanta." I am aspiring to innovate art. I want to be hailed as one of the greatest artists like Standley Kubrick, Jordan Peele, and George Orwell. I know people like me only get a few opportunities to succeed and it is only me who can take them. So, by using the love and lessons from home and money from scholarships, I will use college to take me to places that so few people can't reach. The way I want to drive change within my clubs and community is by inspiring diversity and fostering creativity. Diversity is something people have a lot of controversy about but in the end the reason we succeed in life is by having lots of different people do different things. Our cultures are so different and by letting them interact even in small ways, such as events for young people of all races to volunteer for a food drive, we can break walls and allow bonds to form and heal our community. Creativity is also in the same boat as creativity is inspiration from others to create something new that speaks through you. Allowing our youth to express themselves, like art exhibitions and games, will allow us to understand ourselves as people. In turn, we can create more innovation within our community I will become a legendary artist that reaches deep into your mind and comes out with your soul in my hands.