Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. My disabilities made it hard to focus on one project and see it to completion. Sitting in classes my thoughts raced, and even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts that others seemed to find easy. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two different Pokemon together, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. Creating artwork helped me feel accomplished and happy. One of the most influential people in my artistic journey has been my art teacher, Greta Severson. She recognized the differences in how my mind worked weren’t weaknesses but strengths. In one of our first classes together, she complimented my design of a color wheel project. At the time, I didn’t think my choice of artform was particularly strong. I had used what had felt right. When she pointed out my instinctive understanding of contrast and harmony, it shifted the way I saw my work. What once felt accidental became purposeful. That moment directly influenced the art style I used today. A style that emphasizes geometric shapes and the interconnected relationships in different patterns. Beyond encouragement, she offered something equally important. Her constructive criticism has taught me a lot about myself. She did not simply tell me my work was good. She challenged me to do better. She would ask why I chose to place lines a certain way or why I chose certain colors.She would tell me what parts of my drawing looked better than others. At first, redoing my work felt uncomfortable. However I began to understand that good art is not usually created on the first attempt. With her guidance I learned to evaluate my pieces, redo sections with intent, and refine my art. This process has strengthened my skills and my discipline. It has helped me make drawings I like more and my ability to make more interesting drawings has improved. I've become more patient with my process and work on finding improvements rather than perfection . She has also expanded my understanding of what art could be. She helped me broaden my artistic pursuits to include multiple mediums. She showed me how much fun sculpting with clay is. She helped me explore different genres and taught me each required different problem solving approaches. She showed me that working with a sculpture didn’t have to be boring. She demonstrated that making complex structures was easier than I thought and it became less daunting. Working with three-dimensional figures has forced me to think about form, structure and movement in ways that drawing and painting never did. She's consistently encouraged me to try new things and not be confined to a traditional image of art. Because of her, I'm not afraid to try unfamiliar materials or techniques. I can see creative experiments as growth and I have more confidence in my art. Now if a project does not work the first time, I’m able to look at it as an opportunity to learn and not a failure. I've been able to approach other areas of my life with the same resilience and understanding that growth comes after multiple attempts.

Having ADHD and multiple learning disabilities shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing. My disabilities made it harder to focus on one project and to see it to completion.Sitting in classes my attention would wander or I would have too much energy with nowhere to put it. During long lectures my thoughts raced and even when paying attention I didn’t always make the connections between concepts that others in the class seem to find easy. Art was one of the one places my mind was able to focus on just one task at a time. From the first time I watched someone fuse two different Pokemon together on the TV, I knew art was for me. Creating artwork lets me feel accomplished and happy. It makes other people happy and I love doing it. I still struggle to produce work the way I want but that just fuels me to find new tools or techniques. Art has become a way to express ideas that I can't write down easily. It gave me a language for everything I struggle to express with my words. When words blur on the page or instructions feel overwhelming, drawing becomes a language I can understand. This is why I want to study art. It gives me a way to stay focused and to turn the challenges I face into something meaningful. Even before I knew what graphic design or animation art meant I knew I wanted to create things. Through different mediums like video games, I have found that art isn't just something in museums. I can be alive, interactive, and part of everyday life. Art is a place where my learning disabilities don’t limit my accomplishments, it fueled it. What looks like doodling is actually a tool that keeps my attention steady. By drawing geometric shapes on the corner of my notebook it helped me stay grounded. The moment my pencil moves, my thoughts slow down enough to process what I'm hearing. Over time, those doodles developed my linework, symmetry, and perspective without even realizing. They built my distress tolerance, problem solving, and patience skills as well. My brain constantly generating patterns and similarities between everyday objects helped me notice intricate patterns others overlooked. Instead of being punished for thinking differently, people started to want to look at my creations. They started to see I didn’t lack discipline but a way to show them what was happening in my brain. Art helped me see problems from unusual angles. Challenges stopped holding me back and instead pushed me to become more creative. When traditional expressive methods don't work or I can't explain an idea verbally I draw it. Art gives me confidence where academics sometimes takes it away. Art reminds me that intelligence doesn't come in just one form and reminds me visual thinking and curiosity are strengths too. When I draw or paint I can concentrate on intricate patterns for hours completely absorbed in the process. I feel a sense of calm and clarity. I want to study art at a deeper level, to be able to turn this passion into a skill and a career. I want to be able to use my unique way of thinking to show others my view of the world. Studying in art is not just about improving techniques. It's about building a future where I can have a sustainable career and a way to tune into what others want to see so I can help them embrace unexpected views and normal overlooked beauty.

Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. My disabilities made it hard to focus on projects to completion. Even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts others found easy. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two Pokemon together, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. One of the most influential people in my journey has been my art teacher, Greta Severson. She was able to recognize the differences in how my mind worked weren’t weaknesses but strengths. In one of our first classes, she complimented my designs. At the time, I didn’t think my choice of art was particularly strong. I had used what had felt right. When she pointed out my instinctive understanding of contrast and harmony, it shifted the way I saw my work. What once felt accidental became purposeful. That moment directly influenced the art style I used today. A style that emphasizes geometric shapes and the interconnected relationships in patterns. Her constructive criticism has taught me about myself. She challenged me to do better. She would ask why I chose to place lines a certain way or why I chose certain colors. She would tell me what parts of my drawing looked better. At first, redoing my work felt uncomfortable. However I began to understand that good art is not usually created on the first attempt. I also learned to decide if someone's constructive criticism was worth taking or if not how to defend my work. With her guidance I learned to evaluate my pieces, redo sections, and refine my art. This process has strengthened my skills and my discipline. I've become more patient with my process and work on finding improvements rather than perfection. She has also expanded my understanding of what art could be. She helped me broaden my artistic pursuits to include multiple mediums. She helped me explore different genres and taught me each required different problem solving approaches. Working with three-dimensional figures has forced me to think about form, structure and movement in ways that drawing and painting never did. She's consistently encouraged me to try new things and not be confined to a traditional art. Because of her, I'm not afraid to try unfamiliar materials or techniques. I can see creative experiments as growth and I have more confidence in my art. Now if a project doesn't work the first time, I am able to look at it as an opportunity to learn. I've been able to approach other areas of my life with the same resilience and understanding that growth comes after multiple attempts. When she displayed my artwork in the school and the local library it changed how I saw myself as an artist. Seeing other students and community members stop to look and engage with my art helped me build a sense of belonging and confidence. Having others finally be able to see things the way that I did helped me communicate in a way that my writing or words never could. Through her encouragement and critiques, she reshaped not only my art but my understanding of what I could accomplish. She has helped me to build confidence in my identity as an artist. Her belief in my potential has given me courage to consider pursuing a career in art.

Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. My disabilities made it hard to focus on projects to completion. Even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts as easily as others. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two Pokemon together, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. Creating artwork helped me feel accomplished and happy. One of the most influential people in my artistic journey has been my art teacher, Greta Severson. She was able to recognize the differences in how my mind worked weren’t weaknesses but strengths. In one of our first classes, she complimented my design of a color wheel project. At the time, I didn’t think my art was particularly strong. I had used what had felt right. When she pointed out my instinctive understanding of contrast and harmony, it shifted the way I saw my work. What once felt accidental became purposeful. That moment directly influenced the art style I used today. A style that emphasizes geometric shapes and the interconnected relationships in different patterns. Her constructive criticism taught me a lot about myself. She challenged me to do better. She would ask why I chose to place lines a certain way or why I chose certain colors. At first, redoing my work felt uncomfortable. However I began to understand that good art is not usually created on the first attempt. I also learned to decide if someone's constructive criticism was worth taking or if not how to defend my work. With her guidance, I learned to evaluate my pieces, redo sections with intent, and refine my art. This process has strengthened my skills and my discipline. I've become more patient with my process and work on finding improvements rather than perfection . She has also expanded my understanding of art. She helped me broaden my artistic pursuits to include multiple mediums. She helped me explore different genres and taught me each required different problem solving approaches. Working with three-dimensional figures has forced me to think about form, structure and movement in ways that drawing and painting never did. She's consistently encouraged me to try new things and not be confined to a traditional image of art. Because of her, I'm not afraid to try unfamiliar materials or techniques. I can see creative experiments as growth. Now if a project does not work the first time, I am able to look at it as an opportunity to learn. I've been able to approach other areas of my life with the same resilience and understanding that growth comes after multiple attempts. When she displayed my artwork in the school and the local library it changed how I saw myself as an artist. Seeing other students and community members stop to look and engage with my art helped me build a sense of belonging and confidence. Having others finally be able to see things the way that I did helped me communicate in a way that my writing or words never could. Through her encouragement and critiques, she reshaped not only my art but my understanding of what I could accomplish. She has helped me to build confidence in my identity as an artist. Her belief in my potential has given me courage to consider pursuing a career in art.

Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. My disabilities made it hard to focus on one project and see it to completion. Sitting in classes my thoughts raced, and even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts that others seemed to find easy. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two different Pokemon together on TV, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. Creating artwork helped me feel accomplished and happy. One of the most influential people in my artistic journey has been my art teacher, Greta Severson. She was able to recognize the differences in how my mind worked weren’t weaknesses but strengths. When she displayed my artwork in the school and the local library it changed how I saw myself as an artist. Seeing other students and community members stop to look and engage with my art helped me build a sense of belonging and confidence. Having others finally be able to see things the way that I did helped me communicate in a way that my writing or words never could. Through her encouragement and critiques, she reshaped not only my art but my understanding of what I could accomplish.This has been powerful for me. She has helped me to build confidence in my identity as an artist. This belief in my potential has given me courage to consider pursuing a career in art. In the future I hope to support other young artists the way she has supported me. I have started to be able to provide some constructive critiques to my peers and help them build their own confidence. I plan on using the skills I have learned from her both in and out of my art world. I have explored connecting to groups specifically around building leadership skills and connecting to the community. I aspire to continue to explore these options in the college that I will be attending. I dream that through the art I make, I will inspire others to try unique styles.With the Art, Science, and Innovation major at Allegheny College, I will be able to produce art that can be used in practical ways as well. I want to use my art to build industry and make it easier for all to access their environment. I want to challenge others to see the beauty in everyday objects we use. I hope through connections within the Allegheny college and Meadville community, I will remind people that young artists have meaningful perspectives to share. I dream my art will have the power to spark conversation and invite reflections. I aspire to build bridges between people . I will continue to propose ideas, take creative risks and step into roles to help coordinate projects where others might not. And just as she helped me find my voice I hope to help others recognize the value in their own work. I believe with these similarities to Dylan I would be a good candidate because like him I will continue to embrace my differences and share them with others. I will continue to make invisible struggles more visible to others through my art. And I will continue to fulfill my dreams with passion and success in accomplishments I can't even dream of yet.

Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. My disabilities made it hard to focus on one project and see it to completion. Sitting in classes my thoughts raced, and even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts that others seemed to find easy. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two different Pokemon together on TV, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. Creating artwork helped me feel accomplished and happy. One of the most influential people in my artistic journey has been my art teacher, Greta Severson. She was able to recognize the differences in how my mind worked weren’t weaknesses but strengths. When she displayed my artwork in the school and the local library it changed how I saw myself as an artist. Seeing other students and community members stop to look and engage with my art helped me build a sense of belonging and confidence. Having others finally be able to see things the way that I did helped me communicate in a way that my writing or words never could. Through her encouragement and critiques, she reshaped not only my art but my understanding of what I could accomplish.This has been powerful for me. She has helped me to build confidence in my identity as an artist. She treats my work as serious and worthy of others' eyes. Her belief in my potential has given me courage to consider pursuing a career in art. In the future I hope to support other young artists the way she has supported me. I have started to be able to provide some constructive critiques to my peers and help them build their own confidence. I expect through continued practice I can help create a creative space where others are encouraged and challenged to be their best. I plan on using the skills I have learned from her both in and out of my art world. I have explored connecting to groups specifically around building leadership skills and connecting to the community. I aspire to continue to explore these options in the college that I will be attending. I dream that through the art I make, I will inspire others to try unique styles. I hope through my art I can make invisible struggles more visible to others. With the Art, Science, and Innovation major at Allegheny College, I will be able to produce art that can be used in practical ways as well. I want to use my art to build industry and make it easier for all to access their environment. I want to challenge others to see the beauty in everyday objects we use. I hope through connections within the Allegheny college and Meadville community, I will remind people that young artists have meaningful perspectives to share. I dream my art will have the power to spark conversation and invite reflections. I aspire to build bridges between people who might not otherwise connect. I will continue to propose ideas, to try to build strength between others, take creative risks and step into roles to help coordinate projects where others might not. And just as she helped me find my voice I hope to help others recognize the value in their own work.

Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. My disabilities made it hard to focus on one project and see it to completion. Sitting in classes my thoughts raced, and even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts that others seemed to find easy. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two different Pokemon together on TV, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. Creating artwork helped me feel accomplished and happy. One of the most influential people in my artistic journey has been my art teacher, Greta Severson. She was able to recognize the differences in how my mind worked weren’t weaknesses but strengths. When she displayed my artwork in the school and the local library it changed how I saw myself as an artist. Seeing other students and community members stop to look and engage with my art helped me build a sense of belonging and confidence. Having others finally be able to see things the way that I did helped me communicate in a way that my writing or words never could. Through her encouragement and critiques, she reshaped not only my art but my understanding of what I could accomplish.This has been powerful for me. She has helped me to build confidence in my identity as an artist. She treats my work as serious and worthy of others' eyes. Her belief in my potential has given me courage to consider pursuing a career in art. In the future I hope to support other young artists the way she has supported me. I have started to be able to provide some constructive critiques to my peers and help them build their own confidence. I expect through continued practice I can help create a creative space where others are encouraged and challenged to be their best. I plan on using the skills I have learned from her both in and out of my art world. I have explored connecting to groups specifically around building leadership skills and connecting to the community. I aspire to continue to explore these options in the college that I will be attending. I dream that through the art I make, I will inspire others to try unique styles. I hope through my art I can make invisible struggles more visible to others. With the Art, Science, and Innovation major at Allegheny College, I will be able to produce art that can be used in practical ways as well. I want to use my art to build industry and make it easier for all to access their environment. I want to challenge others to see the beauty in everyday objects we use. I hope through connections within the Allegheny college and Meadville community, I will remind people that young artists have meaningful perspectives to share. I dream my art will have the power to spark conversation and invite reflections. I aspire to build bridges between people who might not otherwise connect. I will continue to propose ideas, to try to build strength between others, take creative risks and step into roles to help coordinate projects where others might not. And just as she helped me find my voice I hope to help others recognize the value in their own work.

Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. My disabilities made it hard to focus on seeing projects to completion. Even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts that others found easily. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two Pokemon together on TV, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. One of the most influential people in my journey has been my art teacher. She was able to recognize the differences in how my mind worked weren’t weaknesses but strengths. She also expanded my understanding of what art could be. She helped me broaden my artistic pursuits to include multiple mediums. She helped me explore genres and taught me each required different problem solving approaches. Working with three-dimensional figures has forced me to think about form, structure and movement in ways that drawing and painting never did. She's consistently encouraged me to try new things and not be confined by traditional art. Because of her, I'm not afraid to try unfamiliar materials or techniques. I can see creative experiments as growth and I have more confidence in my art. I've been able to approach other areas of my life with the same resilience and understanding that growth comes after multiple attempts. When she displayed my artwork in the school and the local library it changed how I saw myself as an artist. Seeing other students and community members stop to look and engage with my art helped me build a sense of belonging and confidence. Having others finally be able to see things the way that I did helped me communicate in a way that my writing or words never could. Through her encouragement and critiques, she reshaped not only my art but my understanding of what I could accomplish. She has helped me to build confidence in my identity as an artist. She treats my work as serious and worthy of others' eyes. Her belief in my potential has given me courage to consider pursuing a career in art. In the future I hope to support other young artists the way she has supported me. I have started to be able to provide some constructive critiques to my peers and help them build their own confidence. I plan on using the skills I have learned from her both in and out of my art world. I have explored connecting to groups specifically around building leadership skills and connecting to the community in college. I dream that through the art I make, I will inspire others to try unique styles. I hope through my art I can make invisible struggles more visible to others. I want to use my art to build industry and make it easier for all to access their environment. I want to challenge others to see the beauty in everyday objects we use. Through community connections, I will remind people that young artists have meaningful perspectives to share. I dream my art will have the power to spark conversation and invite reflections. I aspire to build bridges between people. I will continue to propose ideas, take creative risks and step into roles to help coordinate projects. And just as she helped me find my voice I hope to help others recognize the value in their own work.

Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. Sitting in classes my thoughts raced, and even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts that others seemed to find easy. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two different Pokemon together on TV, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. Creating artwork helped me feel accomplished and happy. One of the most influential people in my artistic journey has been my art teacher, Greta Severson. She was able to recognize the differences in how my mind worked weren’t weaknesses but strengths. When she displayed my artwork in the school and the local library it changed how I saw myself as an artist. Seeing other students and community members stop to look and engage with my art helped me build a sense of belonging and confidence. Having others finally be able to see things the way that I did helped me communicate in a way that my writing or words never could. Through her encouragement and critiques, she reshaped not only my art but my understanding of what I could accomplish. She has helped me to build confidence in my identity as an artist. She treats my work as serious and worthy of others' eyes. Her belief in my potential has given me courage to consider pursuing a career in art. In the future I hope to support other young artists the way she has supported me. I have started to be able to provide some constructive critiques to my peers and help them build their own confidence. I plan on using the skills I have learned from her both in and out of my art world. I have explored connecting to groups specifically around building leadership skills and connecting to the community in college. I dream that through the art I make, I will inspire others to try unique styles and make invisible struggles more visible to others. With the Art, Science, and Innovation major at Allegheny College, I will be able to produce art that can be used in practical ways as well. I want to use my art to build industry and make it easier for all to access their environment. I want to challenge others to see the beauty in everyday objects we use. I dream my art will have the power to spark conversation and invite reflections. I aspire to build bridges between people. I will continue to propose ideas, take creative risks and step into roles to help coordinate projects where others might not. And just as she helped me find my voice I hope to help others recognize the value in their own work.

Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. My disabilities made it hard to focus on one project and see it to completion. Sitting in classes my thoughts raced, and even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts that others seemed to find easy. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two different Pokemon together on TV, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. Creating artwork helped me feel accomplished and happy. When my artwork was displayed in the school and the local library it changed how I saw myself as an artist. Seeing other students and community members stop to look and engage with my art helped me build a sense of belonging and confidence. Having others finally be able to see things the way that I did helped me communicate in a way that my writing or words never could. Through my art teacher's encouragement and critiques, she reshaped not only my art but my understanding of what I could accomplish.This has been powerful for me. She has helped me to build confidence in my identity as an artist. She treats my work as serious and worthy of others' eyes. Her belief in my potential has given me courage to consider pursuing a career in art. In the future I hope to support other young artists the way she has supported me. I have started to be able to provide some constructive critiques to my peers and help them build their own confidence. I expect through continued practice I can help create a creative space where others are encouraged and challenged to be their best. I plan on using the skills I have learned from her both in and out of my art world. I have explored connecting to groups specifically around building leadership skills and connecting to the community. I aspire to continue to explore these options in the college that I will be attending. I dream that through the art I make, I will inspire others to try unique styles. I hope through my art I can make invisible struggles more visible to others. With the Art, Science, and Innovation major at Allegheny College, I will be able to produce art that can be used in practical ways as well. I want to use my art to build industry and make it easier for all to access their environment. I want to challenge others to see the beauty in everyday objects we use. I hope through connections within the Allegheny college and Meadville community, I will remind people that young artists have meaningful perspectives to share. I dream my art will have the power to spark conversation and invite reflections. I aspire to build bridges between people who might not otherwise connect. I will continue to propose ideas, to try to build strength between others, take creative risks and step into roles to help coordinate projects where others might not. And just as she helped me find my voice I hope to help others recognize the value in their own work.

Having ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and scoliosis has shaped the way I see the world and how people see me. School often felt confusing and painful. My disabilities made it hard to focus on one project and see it to completion. Sitting in classes my thoughts raced, and even when paying attention I didn't always make the connections between concepts that others seemed to find easy. Art was the one place that my mind was able to make sense of the world. From the first time I watched someone fuse two different Pokemon together on TV, I knew art was for me. In the art room, I could focus on problem solving visually and express ideas that felt bigger than words. Creating artwork helped me feel accomplished and happy. One of the most influential people in my artistic journey has been my art teacher, Greta Severson. She was able to recognize the differences in how my mind worked weren’t weaknesses but strengths. In one of our first classes together, she complimented my design of a color wheel project. At the time, I didn’t think my choice of artform was particularly strong. I had used what had felt right. When she pointed out my instinctive understanding of contrast and harmony, it shifted the way I saw my own work. What once felt accidental became purposeful. That moment directly influenced the art style I used today. A style that emphasizes geometric shapes and the interconnected relationships in different patterns. Beyond encouragement, she offered something equally important. Her constructive criticism has taught me a lot about myself. She did not simply tell me my work was good. She challenged me to do better. She would ask why I chose to place lines a certain way or why I chose certain colors.She would tell me what parts of my drawing looked better than others. At first, redoing my work felt uncomfortable. However I began to understand that good art is not usually created on the first attempt. I also learned to decide if someone's constructive criticism was something that I felt I should take or if not how to defend my work. With her guidance I learned to evaluate my pieces, redo sections with intent, and refine my art. This process has strengthened my skills and my discipline. It has helped me make drawings I like more and my ability to make more interesting drawings has improved. I've become more patient with my process and work on finding improvements rather than perfection . She has also expanded my understanding of what art could be. She helped me broaden my artistic pursuits to include multiple mediums. She showed me how much fun sculpting with clay is. She helped me explore different genres and taught me each required different problem solving approaches. She showed me that working with a sculpture didn’t have to be boring. She demonstrated that making complex structures was easier than I thought and it became less daunting. Working with three-dimensional figures has forced me to think about form, structure and movement in ways that drawing and painting never did. She's consistently encouraged me to try new things and not be confined to a traditional image of art. Because of her, I'm not afraid to try unfamiliar materials or techniques. I can see creative experiments as growth and I have more confidence in my art. Now if a project does not work the first time, I am able to look at it as an opportunity to learn and not a failure. I've been able to approach other areas of my life with the same resilience and understanding that growth comes after multiple attempts. When she displayed my artwork in the school and the local library it changed how I saw myself as an artist. Seeing other students and community members stop to look and engage with my art helped me build a sense of belonging and confidence. Having others finally be able to see things the way that I did helped me communicate in a way that my writing or words never could. Through her encouragement and critiques, she reshaped not only my art but my understanding of what I could accomplish.This has been powerful for me. She has helped me to build confidence in my identity as an artist. She treats my work as serious and worthy of others' eyes. Her belief in my potential has given me courage to consider pursuing a career in art. In the future I hope to support other young artists the way she has supported me. I have started to be able to provide some constructive critiques to my peers and help them build their own confidence. I expect through continued practice I can help create a creative space where others are encouraged and challenged to be their best. I plan on using the skills I have learned from her both in and out of my art world. I have explored connecting to groups specifically around building leadership skills and connecting to the community. I aspire to continue to explore these options in the college that I will be attending. I dream that through the art I make, I will inspire others to try unique styles. I hope through my art I can make invisible struggles more visible to others. With the Art, Science, and Innovation major at Allegheny College, I will be able to produce art that can be used in practical ways as well. I want to use my art to build industry and make it easier for all to access their environment. I want to challenge others to see the beauty in everyday objects we use. I hope through connections within the Allegheny college and Meadville community, I will remind people that young artists have meaningful perspectives to share. I dream my art will have the power to spark conversation and invite reflections. I aspire to build bridges between people who might not otherwise connect. I will continue to propose ideas, to try to build strength between others, take creative risks and step into roles to help coordinate projects where others might not. And just as she helped me find my voice I hope to help others recognize the value in their own work.

Having ADHD and multiple learning disabilities has shaped my worldview and how people see me. School often felt confusing. It was hard focusing on one project and seeing it to completion. In classes my attention wandered or I’d have too much undirected energy. During lectures even when paying attention, I struggled making connections between concepts others followed easily. Because of this I was held back in elementary school and spent every year in pull out classes. My first three years of formal education my mom was called weekly to be told how I was struggling and how my behaviors affected others. I felt overwhelmed by what the teachers wanted and was not getting support. After multiple yearly evaluations I was finally given an IEP in third grade. While still struggling things got a little easier. Then I found art. Art was the one place my mind could focus on a singular task. From the first time I watched someone fuse Pokemon together on the TV, I knew art was for me. Creating artwork lets me feel accomplished and happy. I still struggle to produce work the way I want but that fuels me to find new tools or techniques. Art became a way to express ideas that I can't easily write. It gave me a language I could rely on to express ideas when words were a struggle. When words blur on the page or instructions feel overwhelming, drawing brings clarity. This is why I want to study art. It gives me a way to stay focused and to turn the challenges I face into something meaningful. Even before I knew what graphic design or animation art meant I knew I wanted to create things. Through different mediums like video games, I have found that art isn't just something in museums. I can be alive, interactive, and part of everyday life. Art is a place where my learning disabilities don’t limit my accomplishments, it fueled it. What looks like doodling is a tool that keeps my attention steady. By drawing geometric shapes can stay grounded. The moment my pencil moves, my thoughts slow enough to process what I'm hearing. Over time, those doodles developed my linework, symmetry, and perspective. They built my distress tolerance, problem solving, and patience skills. My brain constantly generates patterns and similarities between everyday objects helping me notice intricate patterns others overlooked. Instead of being punished for thinking differently, people started wanting to see my creations. They realized I didn’t lack discipline but a way to reveal how my mind works. Art helps me see problems from unusual angles. Challenges stopped holding me back and instead pushed me into creativity. When traditional expressive methods don't work or I can't explain an idea verbally I draw it. Art gives me confidence where academics sometimes takes it away. Art reminds me that intelligence doesn't come in just one form and reminds me visual thinking and curiosity are strengths too. When I draw or paint I can concentrate on intricate patterns for hours completely absorbed in the process. I feel a sense of calm and clarity. I want to study art at a deeper level, to turn this passion into a skill and career. I want to be able to use my unique way of thinking to show others my view of the world. Studying in art is not just about improving techniques. It's about building a future where I can have a sustainable career and help others embrace unexpected beauty.

Having ADHD and multiple learning disabilities has shaped my worldview and how people see me. School often felt confusing. It was hard focusing on one project and seeing it to completion. In classes my attention wandered or I’d have too much undirected energy. During lectures even when paying attention, I struggled making connections between concepts others followed easily. Art was the one place my mind could focus on a singular task. From the first time I watched someone fuse Pokemon together on the TV, I knew art was for me. Creating artwork lets me feel accomplished and happy. I still struggle to produce work the way I want but that fuels me to find new tools or techniques. Art became a way to express ideas that I can't easily write. It gave me a language I could rely on to express ideas when words were a struggle. When words blur on the page or instructions feel overwhelming, drawing brings clarity. This is why I want to study art. It gives me a way to stay focused and to turn the challenges I face into something meaningful. Even before I knew what graphic design or animation art meant I knew I wanted to create things. Through different mediums like video games, I have found that art isn't just something in museums. I can be alive, interactive, and part of everyday life. Art is a place where my learning disabilities don’t limit my accomplishments, it fueled it. What looks like doodling is a tool that keeps my attention steady. By drawing geometric shapes can stay grounded. The moment my pencil moves, my thoughts slow enough to process what I'm hearing. Over time, those doodles developed my linework, symmetry, and perspective. They built my distress tolerance, problem solving, and patience skills. My brain constantly generates patterns and similarities between everyday objects helping me notice intricate patterns others overlooked. Instead of being punished for thinking differently, people started wanting to see my creations. They realized I didn’t lack discipline but a way to reveal how my mind works. Art helps me see problems from unusual angles. Challenges stopped holding me back and instead pushed me into creativity. When traditional expressive methods don't work or I can't explain an idea verbally I draw it. Art gives me confidence where academics sometimes takes it away. Art reminds me that intelligence doesn't come in just one form and reminds me visual thinking and curiosity are strengths too. When I draw or paint I can concentrate on intricate patterns for hours completely absorbed in the process. I feel a sense of calm and clarity. I want to study art at a deeper level, to turn this passion into a skill and career. I want to be able to use my unique way of thinking to show others my view of the world. Studying in art is not just about improving techniques. It's about building a future where I can have a sustainable career and help others embrace unexpected beauty.