I first discovered this work of art while I was taking art history during my freshman year of college. This class heavily focused on western art and introduced me to Roman and Greece sculpture and architecture. One piece that caught my eye was “The Abduction of a Sabine Woman,” a sculpture that can easily be deemed as a beautiful tragedy. "The Abduction of a Sabine Woman'' was sculpted by Giambologna during the Late Renaissance/ Mannerism (16th c.) era. It is located outside the Palazzo Vecchio, in Florence, and was completed between 1579 to 1583. I was captivated by the snake-like spiral movement of each figure and how Giambologna demonstrated emotion through not only facial expressions but body language. The contoured form allows the sculpture to have no single viewpoint. The story behind the Abduction of a Sabine Woman is a tragic one. It demonstrates the heinous actions of the Roman male and the distresses of the Sabine woman as another male lies beneath them representing the vanquished Sabine male. Giambologna created a twisted harmony between each figure as it displays an event in early Roman history. After the city of Rome was founded in 750 B.C.E, the predominantly male population desired women to ensure the success and fertility of their city. They had thought to negotiate with the neighboring town of Sabine to receive women of the town to help their city prosper. The Sabine town refused this offer, but that did not stop the Roman's schemes. As a result of the rejection, the Roman men successfully captured the Sabine women, leaving the Sabine male in a state of defeat. Though the sculpture depicts such a tragic story, it captives the emotion in an elegant way, creating it a true masterpiece.

Most would agree that art is a subjective form of expression, but my 8th-grade art teacher disagreed. She was my first advanced art teacher and made her biases blatantly obvious as she praised certain artists but spoke negatively about others. Based on my grades, it was apparent that she did not like my art style. It shocked me as I was an AB honor roll student and had excelled in my previous art classes. At this point, I was still trying to develop my artistic skill as I did not have prior experience with advanced-level art classes. The amount of negative feedback I got from my teacher was very discouraging and almost made me quit art entirely. However, with the support of my parents, I was able to overcome the negativity in my teaching environment. This adversary had helped me discover what fine arts mean to me. Art is more than a skill, it's a fiery passion that guides expression. It's a declaration of emotion, which showcases a piece of one's self. Something we can relate to whether it be a shared experience, emotion, opinion, or memory. I believe I can pave the way for my community through art because art has one primary function in terms of its role in contemporary society: Art is a product or service designed to entertain and provoke deep thinking and conservation. Art promotes diversity of culture and encourages unity between communities. I have always had a passion for the arts since I was a small child, creating doodles after finishing my homework and excelling in my art classes. I was always interested in maximizing my artist knowledge and skill through youtube tutorials and drawing books. Art has always been an interest of mine as I have participated in and won multiple art competitions, like the Scholastic Art & Writing competition and the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE). As an artist, I feel that it's my duty to start a discussion through my pieces that will help the world change for the better. Art allows individuals to portray messages that are significant to themselves or of interest to a specific cause. In many of my previous portfolio's each piece exemplifies a similar theme. For example, in one of the recent works, I depict the influence of the male gaze on society and how women are affected by the pressurized standards. In this portfolio, I use multiple media to portray sub-topics like conflicting identities, beauty, over-sexualization of women, depression, and more. Having the ability to communicate these topics creatively is what drives me as a creator. In the future, I want to be a role model that inspires the younger generation to enact their dreams and make changes within the world. I want to showcase the importance of art within the media and its power of representation. In my future artworks, I want to demonstrate the beauty within poorly represented communities and eliminate the surrounding stereotypes. The career I would like to pursue in the near future is being an Art Director. This position is responsible for the visual style and images seen in magazines, product packaging, movies, television products, and newspapers. Through this career path, I want to improve black representation within the media. African Americans are often portrayed negatively in the media industry, which results in various stereotypes. My goal as an artist is to show the abundance and beauty of the black community; eliminating perpetuating concepts like the “angry black women'' and the “thug”. I want to be the change that positively influences society’s view and extinguishes the bias/prejudice the world created.

Art is more than a skill, it's a fiery passion that guides expression. It is a declaration of emotion, which showcases a piece of one's self. Something we can relate to whether it be a shared experience, emotion, opinion, or memory. I believe I can pave the way for my community through art because art has one primary function in terms of its role in contemporary society: Art is a product or service designed to entertain and provoke deep thinking and conservation. Art promotes diversity of culture and encourages unity between communities. I have always had a passion for the arts since I was a small child, creating doodles after finishing my homework and excelling in my art classes. I was always interested in maximizing my artist knowledge and skill through youtube tutorials and drawing books. Art has always been an interest of mine as I have participated in and won multiple art competitions, like the Scholastic Art & Writing competition and the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE). My dreams are to be an artist that enacts change through her brush strokes. As an artist, I feel that it's my duty to start a discussion through my pieces that will help the world change for the better. Art allows individuals to portray messages that are significant to themselves or of interest to a specific cause. In many of my previous portfolio's each piece exemplifies a similar theme. For example, in one of the recent works, I depict the influence of the male gaze on society and how women are affected by the pressurized standards. In this portfolio, I use multiple media to portray sub-topics like conflicting identities, beauty, over-sexualization of women, depression, and more. Having the ability to communicate these topics creatively is what drives me as a creator. One of the best things about being an artist is the process. Some may find it frustrating, but I feel it is the best time to explore your creativity even if it leads you astray. Creative allows you to shift your perspective and look at your failures and mistakes, not as something to feel ashamed about but to value it as an opportunity. Artistry is about the process; it's about questioning, disrupting, and improving on what has come before. Failure is a fundamental element of our success. Creativity is a journey that involves taking the wrong turns. Art is about coming up with ideas, while also acknowledging that some of them may not work. Creative thinking allows one to find better opportunities in life and helps to uncover ways to improve constantly. In the future, I want to be a role model that inspires the younger generation to enact their dreams and make changes within the world. I want to showcase the importance of art within the media and its power of representation. In my future artworks, I want to demonstrate the beauty within poorly represented communities and eliminate the surrounding stereotypes. The career I would like to pursue in the near future is being an Art Director. This position is responsible for the visual style and images seen in magazines, product packaging, movies, television products, and newspapers. Through this career path, I want to improve black representation within the media. African Americans are often portrayed negatively in the media industry, which results in various stereotypes. My goal as an artist is to show the abundance and beauty of the black community; eliminating perpetuating concepts like the “angry black women'' and the “thug”. I want to be the change that positively influences society’s view and extinguishes the bias/prejudice the world created.

This year we have experienced an unexpected turn of events due to the coronavirus pandemic. This outbreak has caused a significant amount of human suffering and has provoked a major disturbance in the economy. People all over are getting sick and are suffering financially due to unemployment. Due to covid-19, my family has encountered financial struggles which have significantly affected our ability to pay tuition. My family plays a big part in my educational journey as they have repeatedly made sacrifices for the sake of my happiness and future success. Though COVID-19 had obstructed my path, I stayed resilient. I obtained a job in the summer to help pay for textbooks in the upcoming school years. I need this financial aid to ensure my parents can retire comfortably and without the worry of future college bills. By obtaining this scholarship I will be able to contribute to my family and my tuition. Financial support is essential to my success as it will help contribute to my studies at Baylor University. Though I will be participating in a work-study, this scholarship will allow me to have fewer work hours and enable me to focus on my studies. Without outside sources, it would be difficult for me to pursue my passion; I have always had a passion for the arts since I was a small child, creating doodles after finishing my homework and excelling in my art classes. I was always interested in maximizing my artist knowledge and skill through youtube tutorials and drawing books. Art has always been an interest of mine as I have participated in and won multiple art competitions, like the Scholastic Art & Writing competition and the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE). As an artist, I feel that I must start a discussion through my pieces that will help the world change for the better. The career I would like to pursue in the near future is an Art Director. This position is responsible for the visual style and images that are seen in magazines, product packaging, movies, television products, and newspapers. To become an Art Director I must have at least a bachelor's degree in an art or design-related subject, which is why I will be majoring in studio art and minoring in business. Through this career path, I want to improve black representation within the media. We as black people are often portrayed negatively in the media industry which results in various stereotypes. My goal as an artist is to show the abundance and beauty of the black community; to eliminate perpetuating concepts like the “angry black women," the “thug," the “black best friend," the "domestic," etc. I have always had a strong commitment towards the arts and my community throughout the years. Through this organization, I can enhance my artistic skill and refine the media, which will induce a significant change within the world. I sincerely appreciate the time in evaluating my application and hope to be in contact soon.

My BOLD moment was receiving the Gold Key award for my artwork in the Scholastic Art and Writing competition. Along with this, I have also completed my AP portfolio that consisted of 15 new artworks! These achievement has given me the confidence and the courage to pursue a career within the art industry! I am truly grateful and blessed to have a family that supports and wishes great things for my future. I will be attending Baylor University this fall pursuing a major in Studio Art and a minor in Business!