Like many other kids, I grew up watching animated movies like Tangled, The Lion King, and Shrek. But as I grew older, I became more interested in how these movies were created, watching the “special features” for every animated movie my parents had on DVD. Watching behind-the-scenes clips never ceased to amaze me with their use of impressive technologies and talented artists to create completely new worlds and stories that seemed so real. I wanted to know more about how movies and shows were created from start to finish and the different roles involved; I wanted to be part of the team that takes ideas and turns them into visually stunning movies. I believe I can combine my love of art and filmmaking by following my childhood dream of being an animator. After graduating from high school, I plan to attend Virginia Tech to study Creative Technologies and work as a 3D animator. One of the main reasons why I’ve chosen to pursue art is my family. I come from a family full of creative people: my father loves to play the viola, my mother likes to bake and decorate desserts, my sister loves to sing and play guitar, and I love to draw. Because of my parents’ interests, they never discouraged me from pursuing my artistic passion. However, they’ve also discussed with me the more realistic side of trying to pursue a creative career in this world and the difficulties that come with it. Around my age, my father wanted to become a professional viola player in a symphony orchestra. However, without his parents’ support, he was unable to pursue his dreams. Instead, he joined the Marine Corps. He grew to love his job and the ability to serve his country, but due to medical reasons, he was no longer able to serve. Because of his unexpected discharge from the military, he had to look for whatever jobs were hiring to make a living. Ever since then, he has been working tirelessly, doing everything he can to provide for our family. He even decided to complete a bachelor’s degree online while working full-time and raising me, hoping to provide a better life for us. When my dad decided to go to college, he prioritized versatility and practicality because of his situation at the time, so he chose to major in business administration. He worked hard and graduated, but he ended up hating business. When he got a job using his degree, he hated his job as well. To avoid this, he has advised me to choose a career that I will find enjoyable and fulfilling before the world chooses for me. And because I have my parents' support unlike my father did, I have chosen animation. With my education, I hope to inspire audiences around the world and amaze whoever sees the animations I create just as they did for me. I want to help take people’s minds off the daily struggles of life by making movies and TV shows that can transport viewers into another world, even if it’s only for an hour or two. I also hope to motivate others to follow their own dreams, no matter who they are or what they look like. For those who believe that they are limited in their options because of their race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, or any other demographic factors, I want to be their role model by proving that someone like myself, a mixed-race woman from a low-income family, can be a successful artist with enough hard work and dedication.

Like many kids, I loved watching animated movies like Tangled, The Lion King, and Shrek growing up. But what made me different was that, as I grew older, I became more interested in the “behind-the-scenes” rather than the movie or show itself. I loved learning about the process that turned ideas into reality through impressive technology and talented artists, and I wanted to be a part of it. After graduating from high school, I hope to attend Virginia Tech, major in Creative Technologies, and work as a 3D animator. I may have to start in an entry-level position, but I will work my way up by continuously improving my portfolio. My ultimate goal is to manage my own team of animators. With my education, I hope to inspire audiences around the world. I want my work to amaze whoever sees the animations I create just as they did for me. I also hope to motivate others to follow their own dreams, no matter who they are or what they look like. For those who believe that they are limited in their options because of their race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, or any other demographic factors, I want to be their role model by proving that someone like myself, a mixed-race woman from a low-income family, can be a successful artist with enough hard work and dedication. However, pursuing higher education has become extremely difficult and stressful for my family because of the cost. My parents are the hardest-working people I know, but life hasn’t always been kind to them. They’ve done everything they can to provide the best life they can for my siblings and I, and I am extremely grateful for their perseverance, but they haven’t had the luxury of being able to save tens of thousands of dollars toward our college education like some parents. Part of the reason my father wanted to go into the military and serve until retirement was because of all the benefits he could receive, including those that could help pay for my education. But because he had to leave unexpectedly for medical reasons, he had to utilize his G.I. Bill benefits himself in order to find a new job and provide a better life for my family. Unlike some of my friends who are lucky enough to have resources like the G.I. Bill, I will not be able to utilize those resources. Unfortunately, my father having to leave the military is just one example of my parents’ struggles. Because my parents have had to start over and work their way up from the bottom so many times, they will not be able to contribute much towards my college education. Receiving this scholarship would mean giving my parents relief by not having to worry about being able to afford college without taking on high student loan debt as my father struggled with for a long time, even with help from the military. I would also be one step closer to being able to attend my dream school to study my passion. This scholarship would also allow me to focus on finding a job that fits my passions and goals instead of settling for an unrelated job to make a living on top of paying back student loans. This will help me follow my dreams and build a career I can truly enjoy and be proud of.

This artwork is part of my AP Art portfolio. At the beginning of the year, each student chooses a theme to investigate, and we create 15 different artworks throughout the year. I chose to explore transitioning into adulthood and the common experiences that occur during that time. I decided on this theme because I felt it was very relatable and I thought about it a lot as I was beginning my final year of high school. Especially at the beginning of the year, I felt very stressed and anxious about approaching the end of high school, becoming an adult, and having to handle the responsibilities and difficult decisions that come with these new changes in my life. Although everyone’s specific experiences with transitioning into adulthood may look very different, I believe there are many common feelings that most can relate to. Like many other teenagers, I have mixed feelings about “growing up.” I am excited about gaining independence from my parents, being able to follow my childhood dreams of pursuing a career in animation, and thinking of all the possibilities in my future. But if I’m being completely honest, there is also an overwhelming worry that I feel when I think about the uncertainty of the future. I often asked myself, “Am I making the right decision by pursuing an artistic career?” “Should I keep art as a hobby?” “How will I be able to pay for college?” “Am I talented enough to be successful in the entertainment industry?” “Will I be happy living the lifestyle of a typical animator, constantly looking for new jobs as soon as a project finishes?” I have since come to terms with my decision and decided that I should follow my dream and at least attempt to become an animator because I know I will regret it otherwise. After discussing my situation with my parents, we also decided that going to college would be the best decision for me and that they would do everything they could to help me in my journey, despite being a low-income family. There is no way for me to predict the future or get rid of the anxiety that comes with adulthood, but I still wanted to express how I felt because I know that many of my peers also deal with similar struggles of not knowing whether they will be successful and trying to do everything they can to avoid failure. In this particular piece, titled “Overworked Student,” I created a colored pencil drawing of myself falling asleep while studying at my desk late at night. I chose to use myself as the main subject because I can personally relate to sacrificing sleep to manage a rigorous courseload, symbolized by the stack of textbooks on the left with classes that are known to be challenging. There may be many motivations behind doing well in school for students, but I prioritized taking challenging classes like AP and dual enrollment classes in the hopes that they will benefit me in the future and save me money. Since I started middle school, I have been taking the most advanced classes I can, so I’d have space in my high school schedule to take AP classes to earn college credit early. I have been following my parents’ advice to do my absolute best, so I have the most opportunities available to me in the future. I plan to continue working hard, no matter what may be working against me, to achieve my dreams of being a successful artist and animator.

During my sophomore year, I took Mathematical Analysis, the equivalent of a pre-calculus class at my school. It was one of the most challenging classes I had taken up to that point, so I sometimes struggled to understand due to the complex topics and fast pace. We took quizzes in almost every class and took notes on new material from the moment we finished going over the quiz to the moment the bell rang, leaving little time for me to process what I had just learned. I was so busy trying to copy down what my teacher wrote down on the board that oftentimes I couldn’t even think through the example problems she did and how she got to the answer. I asked questions as much as I could, but sometimes it was not enough for me to fully comprehend certain lessons. With few opportunities to ask questions during class, I decided to attend my teacher’s weekly tutoring sessions after school. Whenever I got stuck on a question on my homework, I could ask my teacher to explain in detail what I was doing wrong, which was very helpful for me. And I could tell that she truly wanted to help because she frequently mentioned her love for math and teaching. Fairly quickly, I understood how to solve the math problems the correct way and do the rest on my own. Because I sought her help, I was able to succeed in her class. But I knew that math did not come as easily to other students. So instead of leaving after I got my questions answered, I stayed until the end of tutoring to help my classmates who were still struggling. There were some weeks when many students attended tutoring; too many for my teacher to help on her own. To make sure other students weren’t left with unanswered questions due to a lack of time, I volunteered to help some of them work through math problems. Although I did not enjoy the math itself, I did enjoy helping other students understand how to do math so they could feel confident in their answers. I liked seeing my classmates have that “aha” moment where they finally “get it,” just as I experienced. I continued to help for the rest of the school year and felt glad to be able to help my teacher as well as my classmates with a subject as difficult as pre-calculus. I think that in a way, teaching others also made me better at pre-calculus and helped me to get an A in the class. After this experience, I wanted to continue helping students who are determined but just need extra help to be successful. When I was inducted into the National Honor Society, I joined the peer tutoring committee to help students with a variety of subjects that may be challenging. At home, I even help my younger siblings with their homework, explaining to my sister how to solve difficult algebra equations and teaching my little brother how to add and subtract large numbers by hand. It always gives me joy to see when they finally understand how to do their homework on their own or when I hear that they got a good grade on a test or quiz because of my help. I always look to help and serve others, and I will continue to do the same, not just in an academic context, but in other ways as well, including helping my parents with daily chores, volunteering at my church, and supporting my friends through difficult times.