At a young age, I was exposed to various art museums over the years like the Salvador Dahlí, Art Institute of Chicago, Perez Art Museum, and many more. In terms of my interest in architectural design, began when I started designing small wooden cottages in the snowy and prairie Minecraft biomes when I was around eight years old. In middle school, I would design various interiors and exteriors of houses and apartments within the game Sims 4. Even now during my time in AP Art History, I’ve expanded my interest in art history as well and how it has shaped the way I look at the world and other cultures. I'm interested in studying architecture because of its power in creating not just buildings and structures, but various experiences instead. Even the idea that architecture creates experiences motivated me to learn about the importance of hospitality within architecture. As I reached the middle of high school, I attended a ‘Science and Society Class’ where I discovered the development of 'dementia villages' worldwide and incorporated their concepts into my research project. I learned that these dementia villages were designed to provide communal living environments that better supported the residents’ needs, rather than traditional institutions that proved to be crammed and otherwise harmful for those suffering from dementia. This was when I realized I also wanted to study architectural innovation to assist in designing sustainable spatial experiences accessible to all. When I participated in an introductory architecture program in middle school at WUSTL's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, my love of art and design became a vision for the future. The program exposed me to logical model building and propelled my interest in the field of architecture. I was able to get my first real hands-on experience in the aesthetic and practical aspects of architectural design. I experimented with materials like basswood sticks, collages, and cardboard all concerning structural integrity. This program heightened my interest in architecture. I even learned how to make a model of a Japanese sliding door using basswood sticks and fabrics for my Japanese-inspired traditional dining room which still proudly sits on my shelf to this day. After my sophomore year of high school, I attended WUSTL's NOMA program where I learned about the importance of how structural integrity and aesthetics integrate. Also, I attended the University of Kansas 2023 Design Camp, which developed my understanding of the importance of spatial awareness and design within architecture. I finished the summer attending Washington University in St. Louis’s Pre-College Architecture Program. During this highly selective, two-week program, I explored the concepts of form and volume, functionality, urbanism, digital fabrication, and spatial flow all concerning architecture. While I often felt under pressure and underrepresented as a black young woman among my peers, I still made sure my voice was heard despite the difficulty. Even still, I gained experience with physical and digital model building on software like Rhino 3D as well. As for what I want to accomplish after receiving my degree, I want to revive neighborhoods affected by redlining without pushing out the black and brown locals like me who positively benefit their community, similar to the work done within the "Beyond Housing" organization located in my hometown, St. Louis. But in the end, architecture has the power to create community, improve lives, and enrich aesthetically. Architecture represents the opportunity for me to combine my love of design with my commitment to building inclusive communities.

At a young age, I was exposed to various art museums over the years like the Salvador Dahlí, Art Institute of Chicago, Perez Art Museum, and many more. In terms of my interest in architectural design, began when I started designing small wooden cottages in the snowy and prairie Minecraft biomes when I was around eight years old. In middle school, I would design various interiors and exteriors of houses and apartments within the game Sims 4. Even now during my time in AP Art History, I’ve expanded my interest in art history as well and how it has shaped the way I look at the world and other cultures. I'm interested in studying architecture because of its power in creating not just buildings and structures, but various experiences instead. Even the idea that architecture creates experiences motivated me to learn about the importance of hospitality within architecture. As I reached the middle of high school, I attended a ‘Science and Society Class’ where I discovered the development of 'dementia villages' worldwide and incorporated their concepts into my research project. I learned that these dementia villages were designed to provide communal living environments that better supported the residents’ needs, rather than traditional institutions that proved to be crammed and otherwise harmful for those suffering from dementia. This was when I realized I also wanted to study architectural innovation to assist in designing sustainable spatial experiences accessible to all. When I participated in an introductory architecture program in middle school at WUSTL's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, my love of art and design became a vision for the future. The program exposed me to logical model building and propelled my interest in the field of architecture. I was able to get my first real hands-on experience in the aesthetic and practical aspects of architectural design. I experimented with materials like basswood sticks, collages, and cardboard all concerning structural integrity. This program heightened my interest in architecture. I even learned how to make a model of a Japanese sliding door using basswood sticks and fabrics for my Japanese-inspired traditional dining room which still proudly sits on my shelf to this day. After my sophomore year of high school, I attended WUSTL's NOMA program where I learned about the importance of how structural integrity and aesthetics integrate. Also, I attended the University of Kansas 2023 Design Camp, which developed my understanding of the importance of spatial awareness and design within architecture. I finished the summer attending Washington University in St. Louis’s Pre-College Architecture Program. During this highly selective, two-week program, I explored the concepts of form and volume, functionality, urbanism, digital fabrication, and spatial flow all concerning architecture. While I often felt under pressure and underrepresented as a black young woman among my peers, I still made sure my voice was heard despite the difficulty. Even still, I gained experience with physical and digital model building on software like Rhino 3D as well. As for what I want to accomplish after receiving my degree, I want to revive neighborhoods affected by redlining without pushing out the black and brown locals like me who positively benefit their community, similar to the work done within the "Beyond Housing" organization located in my hometown, St. Louis. But in the end, architecture has the power to create community, improve lives, and enrich aesthetically. Architecture represents the opportunity for me to combine my love of design with my commitment to building inclusive communities and I believe that the Morgan Stem Scholarship will only aid further toward my journey and goals.

At a young age, I was exposed to various art museums over the years like the Salvador Dahlí, Art Institute of Chicago, Perez Art Museum, and many more. In terms of my interest in architectural design, began when I started designing small wooden cottages in the snowy and prairie Minecraft biomes when I was around eight years old. In middle school, I would design various interiors and exteriors of houses and apartments within the game Sims 4. Even now during my time in AP Art History, I’ve expanded my interest in art history as well and how it has shaped the way I look at the world and other cultures. I'm interested in studying architecture because of its power in creating not just buildings and structures, but various experiences instead. Even the idea that architecture creates experiences motivated me to learn about the importance of hospitality within architecture. As I reached the middle of high school, I attended a ‘Science and Society Class’ where I discovered the development of 'dementia villages' worldwide and incorporated their concepts into my research project. I learned that these dementia villages were designed to provide communal living environments that better supported the residents’ needs, rather than traditional institutions that proved to be crammed and otherwise harmful for those suffering from dementia. This was when I realized I also wanted to study architectural innovation to assist in designing sustainable spatial experiences accessible to all. When I participated in an introductory architecture program in middle school at WUSTL's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, my love of art and design became a vision for the future. The program exposed me to logical model building and propelled my interest in the field of architecture. I was able to get my first real hands-on experience in the aesthetic and practical aspects of architectural design. I experimented with materials like basswood sticks, collages, and cardboard all concerning structural integrity. This program heightened my interest in architecture. I even learned how to make a model of a Japanese sliding door using basswood sticks and fabrics for my Japanese-inspired traditional dining room which still proudly sits on my shelf to this day. After my sophomore year of high school, I attended WUSTL's NOMA program where I learned about the importance of how structural integrity and aesthetics integrate. Also, I attended the University of Kansas 2023 Design Camp, which developed my understanding of the importance of spatial awareness and design within architecture. I finished the summer attending Washington University in St. Louis’s Pre-College Architecture Program. During this highly selective, two-week program, I explored the concepts of form and volume, functionality, urbanism, digital fabrication, and spatial flow all concerning architecture. I also gained rigorous experience with physical and digital model building during this time. As a result, I have gained a better understanding of what it means to study architecture. My preparation for an architecture degree program has helped me know I want to focus on environmental design, hospitals, and how they correlate. As for what I want to accomplish after receiving my degree, I have a dream of reviving neighborhoods affected by redlining without pushing out the locals who positively benefit their community, similar to the work of the Beyond Housing organization located in my hometown, St. Louis. In the end, Architecture has the power to create community, improve lives, and enrich aesthetically. My future is to contribute to the human experience through architecture. Architecture represents the opportunity for me to combine my love of design with my commitment to building inclusive communities. The greatest challenge I faced began when COVID-19 hit. During this time, my emotional turmoil became so great that it was often hard to get out of bed or eat, even when I wanted to. There were many times when I just wanted to give up and not attend high school through zoom. Even still, I learned to adapt and find new outlets instead of scrolling on my phone or reminiscing on how life was before then. So, I turned to art, and during this time, I slowly but surely worked through the previous art block and frustrations surrounding my perfectionism within my art outside of architecture. During this time, my interest in different art mediums developed when I started using my paintbrushes and acrylics for the first time in a while instead of solely graphite. I also started assembling small structures using whatever I could get my hands on. My resources ranged from a simple ballpoint pen or sharpie, prints of my favorite photographs, the cardboard in an abandoned shoe box, hard plastic from my recycling bin, cut-outs from my old magazines at both mine and my grandmother's, and even my used makeup wipes. For the first time in my art journey, I felt truly unburdened from my sense of perfectionism as I experimented with the often unconventional and random supplies in the confinements of my own home. My mind felt at ease whenever I decided to add just one more splotch of paint that dripped along the paper or another piece of collage over a bright pink sticky note filled with my thoughts that I would cross out later. eventually, my collage would become featured in the St. Louis Art Museum's "2021 Young Artist's Exhibition" where my experimental collage on the topic of empowering black women in STEAM (I was also inspired by the artist Deborah Roberts and the way she created bodies using the medium). Even now, I've started using ceramics for the first time after many years and while centering clay on a wheel is challenging and messy among other things- I believe I've come so far in the way I've healed. Throughout my journey as an artist, I believe that my early introduction to design through my father's work, magazines, design-integrated video games, art museums, and even the pandemic have helped round my interests in art and its relation to design over the years, and I hope that it continues to do so.

At a young age, I was exposed to various art museums over the years like the Salvador Dahlí, Art Institute of Chicago, Perez Art Museum, and many more. In terms of my interest in architectural design, began when I started designing small wooden cottages in the snowy and prairie Minecraft biomes when I was around eight years old. In middle school, I would design various interiors and exteriors of houses and apartments within the game Sims 4. Even now during my time in AP Art History, I've expanded my interest in art history as well and how it has shaped the way I look at the world and other cultures. I'm interested in studying architecture because of its power in creating not just buildings and structures, but various experiences instead. Even the idea that architecture creates experiences motivated me to learn about the importance of hospitality within architecture. As I reached the middle of high school, I attended a ‘Science and Society Class’ where I discovered the development of 'dementia villages' worldwide and incorporated their concepts into my research project. I learned that these dementia villages were designed to provide communal living environments that better supported the residents’ needs, rather than traditional institutions that proved to be crammed and otherwise harmful for those suffering from dementia. This was when I realized I also wanted to study architectural innovation to assist in designing sustainable spatial experiences accessible to all. When I participated in an introductory architecture program in middle school at WUSTL's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, my love of art and design became a vision for the future. The program exposed me to logical model building and propelled my interest in the field of architecture. I was able to get my first real hands-on experience in the aesthetic and practical aspects of architectural design. I experimented with materials like basswood sticks, collages, and cardboard all concerning structural integrity. This program heightened my interest in architecture. I even learned how to make a model of a Japanese sliding door using basswood sticks and fabrics for my Japanese-inspired traditional dining room which still proudly sits on my shelf to this day. After my sophomore year of high school, I attended WUSTL's NOMA program where I learned about the importance of how structural integrity and aesthetics integrate. Also, I attended the University of Kansas 2023 Design Camp, which developed my understanding of the importance of spatial awareness and design within architecture. I finished the summer attending Washington University in St. Louis’s Pre-College Architecture Program. During this highly selective, two-week program, I explored the concepts of form and volume, functionality, urbanism, digital fabrication, and spatial flow all concerning architecture. I also gained rigorous experience with physical and digital model building during this time. As a result, I have gained a better understanding of what it means to study architecture. My preparation for an architecture degree program has helped me know I want to focus on environmental design, hospitals, and how they correlate. As for what I want to accomplish after receiving my degree, I have a dream of reviving neighborhoods affected by redlining without pushing out the locals who positively benefit their community, similar to the work of the Beyond Housing organization located in my hometown, St. Louis. In the end, Architecture has the power to create community, improve lives, and enrich aesthetically. My future is to contribute to the human experience through architecture. Architecture represents the opportunity for me to combine my love of design with my commitment to building inclusive communities.

At a young age, I was exposed to various art museums over the years like the Salvador Dahlí, Art Institute of Chicago, Perez Art Museum, and many more. In terms of my interest in architectural design, began when I started designing small wooden cottages in the snowy and prairie Minecraft biomes when I was around eight years old. In middle school, I would design various interiors and exteriors of houses and apartments within the game Sims 4. Even recently during my time in AP Art History, I have expanded my interest in art history as well and how it has shaped the way I look at the world and other cultures. I'm interested in studying architecture because of its power in creating not just buildings and structures, but various experiences instead. Even the idea that architecture creates experiences motivated me to learn about the importance of hospitality within architecture. As I reached the middle of high school, I attended a ‘Science and Society Class’ where I discovered the development of 'dementia villages' worldwide and incorporated their concepts into my research project. I learned that these dementia villages were designed to provide communal living environments that better supported the residents’ needs, rather than traditional institutions that proved to be crammed and otherwise harmful for those suffering from dementia. This was when I realized I also wanted to study architectural innovation to assist in designing sustainable spatial experiences accessible to all. When I participated in an introductory architecture program in middle school at WUSTL's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, my love of art and design became a vision for the future. The program exposed me to logical model building and propelled my interest in the field of architecture. I was able to get my first real hands-on experience in the aesthetic and practical aspects of architectural design. I experimented with materials like basswood sticks, collages, and cardboard all concerning structural integrity. This program heightened my interest in architecture. I even learned how to make a model of a Japanese sliding door using basswood sticks and fabrics for my Japanese-inspired traditional dining room which still proudly sits on my shelf to this day. After my sophomore year of high school, I attended WUSTL's NOMA program where I learned about the importance of how structural integrity and aesthetics integrate. Also, I attended the University of Kansas 2023 Design Camp, which developed my understanding of the importance of spatial awareness and design within architecture. I finished the summer attending Washington University in St. Louis’s Pre-College Architecture Program. During this highly selective, two-week program, I explored the concepts of form and volume, functionality, urbanism, digital fabrication, and spatial flow all concerning architecture. I also gained rigorous experience with physical and digital model building during this time. As a result, I have gained a better understanding of what it means to study architecture. My preparation for an architecture degree program has helped me know I want to focus on environmental design, hospitals, and how they correlate. As for what I want to accomplish after receiving my degree, I have a dream of reviving neighborhoods affected by redlining without pushing out the locals who positively benefit their community, similar to the work of the Beyond Housing organization located in my hometown, St. Louis. In the end, Architecture has the power to create community, improve lives, and enrich aesthetically. My future is to contribute to the human experience through architecture. Architecture represents the opportunity for me to combine my love of design with my commitment to building inclusive communities.