I was only diagnosed with Autism and ADHD last year, which ment for almost all of my life I thought I was fundamentally broken. I felt different than everyone else and I could tell they felt it too. I could always tell the moment a potential new friend seemed to shrink away uncomfortably from me and I never knew why. When I would watch tv I never related or understood the characters on screen, I didn't understand why they did things or said things that seemed so odd or unnatural, like lying or being indirect. The characters I did relate to were almost exclusively in animated movies and shows, I would find out later that these characters were coded to be neurodivergent. They were the only representation that wasn't just bizarre stereotypes I was told to laugh at in sitcoms or other live action works. I also didn't understand why I had such a problem making friends when I worked so hard to be an empathetic and hardworking person, or why everything was so much more overwhelming for me than everyone else, and why my interests were so different than anyone else. It's my dream to work in animation because I would love to advocate for the inclusion of people like me on TV. I felt so alone and confused for so long, and during that time the only thing that told me that I was normal, that I was worthy of love, and that the things I struggled with didn't make me stupid was animated films and shows. But even so, the characters were never labeled as autistic, or as having ADHD, or being queer, they were just quirky. They too were often misunderstood. I want more from the media we watch, and I specifically want people to see themselves fully and unabashedly. Coding characters as autistic or queer isn't enough, it implies that autism or queerness is something that shouldn't be talked about. But if we don't talk about it then autistic and/or queer people won't just be misunderstood by others, but also they will struggle to learn about themselves. I've spent most of my life trying desperately to be neurotypical, and with each failed performance my self confidence sunk lower and lower till I felt useless and Invisible. No one should ever feel that way, and it's unacceptable that our media now still shrinks away from directly telling the audience a character is autistic, or has ADHD, or is queer in some way. I would love to have an autistic main character whose plot isn't just that they are a white man who is a genius at something but bad at a bunch of other things whose story consistently points out how bizarre they are to everyone else. I want representation made by the community for the community, instead of a hollow piece of media made to make neurotypical people feel vindicated for not learning about autistic people because our needs or struggles are too "confusing" or "random" to possibly understand. I want to be able to watch something and see a character who is open about their diagnosis, and for the plot to validate their feelings and teach autistic people self love and neurotypical people empathy for neurodivergent people. I don't want to squint and pretend in order to have a character like me on TV, we deserve more than that. Hopefully someday I can work to make a difference and push animated TV from being praised for having vague coded representation to being praised for having genuine, direct, and helpful representation for all minorities.

Growing up I was suffering with severe depression, generalized anxiety disorder, gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia, and PTSD, which is a lot for anyone to deal with, let alone a child. That's why I believe my mental health has been the main factor in deciding my goals, how I connected with others, and how I perceive the world even now. Many years later, with the right therapists, gender affirming care I'm finally able to reflect on this because I'm separated enough from my disorders to see from an outside perspective. My goals for the seventeen years were determined by how visible I had to be when achieving them. I joined multiple sports and got intense enjoyment from them, but then everytime right before our first competition I would leave. I couldn't handle the idea that others would see me, especially because I convinced myself they would tear me apart in their minds and that strangers opinions of me mattered. But my mental health also made it incredibly difficult to plan anything for the future. I couldn't see myself surviving past eighteen, so figuring out what college I wanted to go to, where i wanted to live, what I actually liked to do, all of it seemed meaningless. I had almost no connections to the people around me too, even now, because of this intense fear of others seeing my shortcomings or hurting me in some bizarre way. I also struggled with seeing the world as a place I wanted to be in. Everything seemed so dark and terrifying all the time, I remember when I was seven thinking about how nice it would be if I could turn into a cat and just be able to sink away from everything. This thought later evolved into something that was realistic, a 'solution' in my mind, and it made it the world all the more terrifying because I knew the alternative. It's only now that I am older that I can truly become my own person, not just a creature trying to survive. I don't know who I would be if i didn't have mental health problems, but I know I'd be a very different person.

My Barbie Dream House would be a castle in a magical and moody forest. The environment surrounding the dream house would be a thick forest of dark oak trees, towering above the mossy forest floor. There would always be a cloudy sky, threatening to rain at any second. A dense fog would hug the ground at all times, so that with each step it would drift around my feet and legs (because no one moves the Barbies for each and every step). The castle itself would be open like Barbie's Dream House, but the walls would be grey with a plastic brick texture. The architecture would be based on classic Gothic Horror settings, with Victorian style spires and elaborate wooden embellishments. Also it would have a manual lift to bring me to the upper stories! Inside it would have more Gothic inspired decorations with a childish Halloween take. On the third story, there would be a study with bookshelves and a desk for when inspiration hits. It would come with a cushioned ledge beside the window for a comfortable place to read. My bedroom would have a large bed, with red curtains, and a walk out balcony. At the end of the bed would be a futon for my cat. Next to my bed would be a wardrobe, filled with all kinds of outfits for any kind of adventure. The second story would also have a bathroom with a grey old timey shower-bath combination and red wall paper, with candles all around the thick hot tub like edges. Fibally, the second story would also have an indoor greenhous filled to the brim woth plants. The first story would have a lloving room, dining room, and kitchen, all with the appropriate dramatic Victorian styling. In the kitchen there would be an opening to enter the extravagant yard. The yard would have a garden with stone statues, a fountain, and a pool with leaves in it. There would also be hedges and iron fences bordering the entire perimeter. I would also have a bat box, bird house, birdbath, and feeder. The yard would have all kinds of flowers as well, but especially roses and lilacs. Finally, my Barbie Dream House would have a "broken off" part in the foundation of the hollowed out front porch, so that a coffin or other things could be stored for any classic monster movie Barbie fun!

In the magical world of Harry Potter, I would immediately be sorted into HufflePuff. My strengths, values, and aspirations all align perfectly, and I feel that even my life story spells out this decision. HufflePuffs are great at being compassionate, versatile, and unique, all of which I fit perfectly. Throughout my life I've been compassionate to others, my strongest moral rule is to treat others with kindness and respect like they are a good person unless shown otherwise. versatility had been something I relied on since a very young age. Being multifaceted while in the midst of chaos and hardship makes life significantly easier and safer. It is through this hardship that I have mastered versatility, and now consider myself a jack-of-all-trades. When you don't have others looking out for you, the need to fill many different roles becomes paramount. Since a young age I've filled the roles of student, parental figure, cook, housekeeper, artist, financial planner, and much more. And uniqueness is an easy one. Throughout my life I have been outlasted due to my odd nature, and now I know why. I am queer, neurodivergent, mentally ill, and poor, all of which give me an incredibly unique perspective. But even regardless of all that, I maintain a strong and unique personality, always striving to be my truest self, unaltered by the pressures of many different societal norms. Just as other HufflePuffs, I value loyalty, empathy, and individuality. I have always put a heavy weight on loyalty, treating my family as if we were a team, and my boyfriend was an angel. My loyalty has never been in doubt for any of my loved ones, and I can't foresee that changing. I also highly value empathyI plan on pursuing my art degree, which I will use to help others like me. It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. It's because of seeing animations on TV that I found art in the first place, and so if I could show a new generation this skill and If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have achieved my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, my purpose, all because of the empathy it requires. Individuality has been something I have never been able to ignore. I am out as a transman in a gay relationship partially because of my importance on individuality and rebelling against conformity. I am who I am, and the world will have to change for me. Even my aspirations align! Most HufflePuffs strive for creative careers focused on exploring a part of themselves or helping others, I want both. My animation career is incredibly focused on these attributes. Creativity and self discovery, and even discovery of others has always been one of my strongest focuses. I believe that the only house that I could be in would be HufflePuff, no other house could fit me in the same way. I will always and forever be a HufflePuff.

My life has consistently put me to the test, and the only reason I have made it to where I am today is because of my utilization of DRIVE. I have demonstrated determination throughout my life because of my use of this trait to overcome the numerous obstacles that have fallen in my path. Because of my determination, I was able to achieve incredible grades regardless of the alcoholism my mother was facing and the video game addiction my father was subjected to. I've overcome homelessness, and coming out in a conservative town, all with me coming out on top and ready to face college. I show respect by taking care of and being polite to myself and others. After everything I've been through, I have begun to respect myself and those in my life who help me grow. Bow I respect my teachers to a level I don't see in my colleges, and I respect minorities, people struggling, and many more groups of people because of the experiences I've been through. Innovation has been something I utilize everyday as the impoverished art student that I am. Innovation is not only a given in my art career, being the foundation of my work, but it has also been what has helped me survive till now. Creating things to solve my problems, patching things, planning things, all of these activities has helped my family and I flourish even through poverty. I have managed to scrape by as if I was any other student simply through my innovative thinking. Working with what I had. Versatility had been something I relied on since a very young age. Being multifaceted while in the midst of chaos and hardship makes life significantly easier and safer. It is through this hardship that I have mastered versatility, and now consider myself a jack-of-all-trades. When you don't have others looking out for you, the need to fill many different roles becomes paramount. Since a young age I've filled the roles of student, parental figure, cook, housekeeper, artist, financial planner, and much more. I have nurtured my skills and mental health to become the best person I can be. Over time I have slowly worked on my skills as an artist, adult, and much more to achieve my dreams and work towards a better future. My mental health was something I began to work on in 2019, when I first finally reached out to a mental health professional for help. Now I see a therapist weekly and have medications that have saved my life. To nurture is one of the most important things I've had to do in my life. With these qualities I plan on pursuing my art degree, which I will use to help others like me. It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could show a new generation this skill and If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have achieved my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, my purpose, and I could only achieve this dream by utilizing DRIVE.

My favorite thing about Disney is simply their use of animations. Art, specifically forms of expressing stories, became my one true escape because being a minority in our society means that you are constantly ignored, misunderstood, and struggling. Drawing has always been one of the places where I could always be safe, accepted, and understood, all without the judgment of others. Its because of Disney that I even discovered the beaty of art, and bringing it to life, without them i never would have had an escape, a purpose, and now a career path. It's also always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from just like they did for me. My first glimps of what animation was capable of was Mulan, and after that I became truly transfixed. The humor of its songs, the horror of its tragities, and the beaty of its setting, the animators captured all of this with one entertaining film that set me on the path i walk today. Tangled, Mulan, Brave, Princess and the Frog, Reck it Ralph, they all permeated my childhood in a way that nothing else has managed to. I fell madly in love with art and have never turned back. It has not only helped find me find a hobby, but a career path often ignored. I discovered who was really behind all of the films I loved, and it inspired me even more. Concept art, animation trials, frames, every single aspect of an animations production became my obsession. Now I have a career I hope to achive, and also goals. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. Because of Disney's animations I found a career I truly love: animating. With this job I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose, without Disney's animations in my childhood I never would have discovered this amazing art form.

It's my dream to use my future art degree to help those who have been in bad situations like I've experienced. My passion for art stems from my difficulties in childhood and being a minority. When I was younger I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my youngest years had completely faded. I am a different man now entirely because of my art. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better because I found an outlet and a form of communication. I have begun to shed the pain of my childhood neglect and trauma. Now, I’m stronger than I have ever been. With the realization of my queer and neurodivergent identity, my childhood trauma wasn't the only thing I needed to work through. Art became my one true escape because being a minority in our society means that you are constantly ignored, misunderstood, and struggling. Drawing has always been the one place where I could always be safe, accepted, and understood, all without the opinions of others. It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. Its because of seeing animations on TV that I found art in the forst place, and so if I could show a new generation this skill and If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With my art degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness, all while helping others.

It's my dream to use my future art degree to help those who have been in bad situations like I've experienced. My passion for art stems from my difficulties in childhood and being a minority. When I was younger I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my youngest years had completely faded. I am a different man now entirely because of my art. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better because I found an outlet and a form of communication. I have begun to shed the pain of my childhood neglect and trauma. Now, I’m stronger than I have ever been. With the realization of my queer and neurodivergent identity, my childhood trauma wasn't the only thing I needed to work through. Art became my one true escape because being a minority in our society means that you are constantly ignored, misunderstood, and struggling. Drawing has always been the one place where I could always be safe, accepted, and understood, all without the opinions of others. It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. Its because of seeing animations on TV that I found art in the forst place, and so if I could show a new generation this skill and If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With my art degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness, all while helping others.

I am Simon Hall, hopefully, a future animator. I love art, obviously, but I also really have a passion for writing, DND, and other nerdy things of the like. I am a first-generation, impoverished, mentally ill, and queer future college student! So, I do have a lot of struggles when it comes to my education, but I am incredibly passionate about learning and am very excited to see what I will learn in college. Not only that but what I will see! Unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to leave the state for more than a few hours, and I want to see everything there is! I have never seen the ocean, mountains, deserts, skyscrapers, or anything like that. After attending The University of Wisconsin - Green Bay I am going to go to The California College of the Arts, where I hope to begin my real journey. I have many educational, career, and life goals all of which link directly with my future college education. I love to learn, and this has always been aided by my love for art and character creation. Creating stories and worlds was not just a creative endeavor, but an educational one. I have always loved to research how the world works, how people talk to each other, how animals become the way they are. This research is something I never plan to stop, but instead hope to fuel with my college education. I want to see things I've never seen before, meet interesting people, and most of all learn all kinds of art techniques out there to express the stories I have created. In college I also hope to learn more social skills, random facts, and important tools for my future career and life. One thing highschool has taught me is that being educated by someone who knows what they are doing can be one of the best and fastest ways to learn and gain new perspectives. I want to get an animation degree, specifically it would be under Illustration or Studio Art. This is where my degree directly ties in with my career. I have always wanted to bring my drawings to life. I've wanted a job that will pay me well to do the thing I love, and my biggest fear has always been entering a career that I am unhappy with. Animation, however, has always been a love of mine and the more I explore it the more connected I seem to be to it. I love animation, and art in general. My career means everything to me and I know a degree will help me get there. Working towards this degree could also help me learn what role I want exactly in the animation industry and how my future life as a part of that career will really be like. My life goals have also been deeply affected by my choice in major because it's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me and the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. Becoming an animator would help me be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life.

I am a leader through my advocacy, personal life, and even professional life. As a member of the LGBT+ community, whose friends and family are also in the community, I am consistently in a position where I must advocate for myself and others. This has forged me into a leader because of the bravery, compassion, and intellect that advocacy consistently requires. My advocacy has gone further than most through my leadership of the GSA at my high school. The Gender and Sexuality Alliance was and still is after my graduation this June, a club for queer people to have a space to talk about their experiences and receive guidance. It is also a place for allies to learn about and grow acceptance of the community. In co-leading this with my sibling, Rye, I have learned a lot about who I am, how to communicate with others, and how to lead a group of people to success. I have also personified leadership throughout my day-to-day life. Consistently throughout my life, I have fallen or climbed into, depending on your perspective, a leadership position. I have led my friend groups since I was young, utilizing my decisiveness, bravery, and improvisation to create memorable experiences for us. Not only have I guided my friend groups, but I have also led my home. Because of numerous unfortunate circumstances in my youth, I had to step up to fill the role of the head of the house. Because of my leadership, our home was clean, semi-healthy, and stable. Because of my guidance, my family tapped into resources to better our lives and continue when it seemed impossible. My leadership abilities have also been shown through my work life. I have been working at my job for less than a year and have been put in a supervisor role several times, leading a group of housekeepers. I have also helped train new employees, delicately, and have gone above and beyond to help my coworkers. Because of my leadership, I've advanced far in my job, and I am consistently relied on by my manager and other coworkers. I exemplify leadership through all aspects of my life, and it has become an unavoidable event. Because of my natural ability to lead, I have a lot of people who depend on me. While I found this incredibly stressful earlier in my life, it has grown to become something I find purpose in and cherish. Because of this change, my advocacy, personal, and professional life have been permanently marked by my leadership abilities.

Math is the reason humanity has even a semblance of understanding surrounding our universe, and that is something we cannot ignore. The main reason I love math is because math is an escape, it helps us understand the world, and because it's mostly universal. Math has always been an incredible tool for healthy escapism during my life, something that made me feel confident, intelligent, and eager to discover more that's out there. It's the foundation of science as we know it, and somehow manages to be a language that most of the world can rally behind and understand together. Something that I never have been able to deny about math, even while struggling through the confusing jungle of geometry, is that math is a wonderful escape. Math works your mind in ways that most subjects can't, observing the entirety of your focus as you work through problems like puzzles. It's amazing how involved math can be. It's because of this process that I realized how intelligent I really am, and how confident I deserve to be. Even when struggling more than others, I found that after putting my nose to the grindstone I achieve a level of understanding that most of my peers don't seem to see. I have always actively engaged in all my classes, even though math was one of the more difficult ones for me, so math was one of the most rewarding ones because I was able to see myself concur with the challenge in front of me. This gave me a level of confidence in my intelligence that no other subject could rival, even my favorites. Math also helps us understand the world around us to a degree no other subject can master. While literature courses explore perceptions of the world, math explores the creation and building blocks of it. It took me a long time to realize it, but math is truly one of the most important things someone can learn. It's not just about counting and using money like I thought in elementary school. Math is used to understand movement, depth, volume, height, it is the tool of measurement for everything in our world, without it humanity would have no concept of any of these important things. Without it, there is no way possible that humanity would have achieved the technological advancements it has today. No math means none of the luxuries we have found ourselves using in our day to day lives. Somehow, math is one of the most universal languages on the planet. It's no surprise that math, being as important as it is, has remained incredibly versatile across the globe. I love math because people from all walks of life can rally behind something and work together to survive the betterment of humanity and build on our understanding. Yes, there are different symbols and styles of math, but in the end it is all the same at its core. Math is one of the few things that remains consistent across every culture. Math is one of the most important subjects in the world, and that's why I love it. I love how intriguing it is, how important, and how versatile. There's just no denying its use, even with people who struggle with it.

Math is the reason humanity has even a semblance of understanding surrounding our universe, and that is something we cannot ignore. The main reason I love math is because math is an escape, it helps us understand the world, and because it's mostly universal. Math has always been an incredible tool for healthy escapism during my life, something that made me feel confident, intelligent, and eager to discover more that's out there. It's the foundation of science as we know it, and somehow manages to be a language that most of the world can rally behind and understand together. Something that I never have been able to deny about math is that its a wonderful escape. Math works your mind in ways that most subjects can't, observing the entirety of your focus as you work through problems like puzzles. It's because of this process that I realized how intelligent I really am, and how confident I deserve to be. Math was one of the most rewarding subjects because I was able to see myself concur the challenge in front of me, so it remained loves by me even though I struggled with it. This gave me a level of confidence in my intelligence that no other subject could rival, even my favorites. Math also helps us understand the world around us to a degree no other subject can master. While literature courses explore perceptions of the world, math explores the creation and building blocks of it. Math is used to understand movement, depth, volume, height, it is the tool of measurement for everything in our world. Without it, there is no way possible that humanity would have achieved the technological advancements it has today. No math means none of the luxuries we have found ourselves using in our day to day lives. Somehow, math is one of the most universal languages on the planet. I love math because people from all walks of life can rally behind something and work together to survive the betterment of humanity and build on our understanding. Yes, there are different symbols and styles of math, but in the end it is all the same at its core. Math is one of the most important subjects in the world, and that's why I love it. I love how intriguing it is, how important, and how versatile.

My passion for art stems from my difficulties in childhood and being a minority. When I was younger I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why I was born this way. I hated everything about my appearance. It got to the point where I would hide under my clothes. Soon any self-confidence that had once been in my youngest years had completely faded. I am a different man now entirely because of my art. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better because I found an outlet and a form of communication. I have begun to shed the pain of my childhood neglect and trauma. Now, I’m stronger than I have ever been. With the realization of my queer and neurodivergent identity, my childhood trauma wasn't the only thing I needed to work through Art became my one true escape because being a minority in our society means that you are constantly ignored, misunderstood, and struggling. Drawing has always been one of the places where I could always be safe, accepted, and understood, all without the[actions of others. It's also always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With my art degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness. I only found this love because of my favorite artist, LavenderTowne on Youtube. I was originally drawn in by her horror art but fell in love because of her webcomics and descriptions of her life as an artist. It's because of her that I truly fell in love with the idea of being an animator and living my life for art. Without her I would never have thought of being an artist as a career, nor would I have realized that I could express the stories I've been creating since childhood to others and that there was a chance others would listen. Art is my life, my consistent love, and without her, I would never have realized how important it was to me.

My leadership is shown each day through my advocacy, personal life, and even professional life. As a member of the LGBT+ community, whose friends and family are also in the community, I am consistently in a position where I must advocate for myself and others. This has forged me into a leader because of the bravery, compassion, and intellect that advocacy consistently requires. My advocacy has gone further than most through my leadership of the GSA at my high school. The Gender and Sexuality Alliance was and still is after my graduation this June, a club for queer people to have a space to talk about their experiences and receive guidance. It is also a place for allies to learn about and grow acceptance of the community. In co-leading this with my sibling, Rye, I have learned a lot about who I am, how to communicate with others, and how to lead a group of people to success. I have also personified leadership throughout my day-to-day life. Consistently throughout my life, I have fallen or climbed into, depending on your perspective, a leadership position. I have led my friend groups since I was young, utilizing my decisiveness, bravery, and improvisation to create memorable experiences for us. Not only have I guided my friend groups, but I have also led my home. Because of numerous unfortunate circumstances in my youth, I had to step up to fill the role of the head of the house. Because of my leadership, our home was clean, semi-healthy, and stable. Because of my guidance, my family tapped into resources to better our lives and continue when it seemed impossible. My leadership abilities have also been shown through my work life. I have been working at my job for less than a year and have been put in a supervisor role several times, leading a group of housekeepers. I have also helped train new employees, delicately, and have gone above and beyond to help my coworkers. Because of my leadership, I've advanced far in my job, and I am consistently relied on by my manager and other coworkers. I exemplify leadership through all aspects of my life, and it has become an unavoidable event. Because of my natural ability to lead, I have a lot of people who depend on me. While I found this incredibly stressful earlier in my life, it has grown to become something I find purpose in and cherish. Because of this change, my advocacy, personal, and professional life have been permanently marked by my leadership abilities.

My own struggles, nature, and my inspirations have influemced me to halp my community. It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. I also already have begun to make changes. I have volunteered more than a few times to help others and the environment. I have served/talked to the elderly to create a better environment for them, I have planted trees, and I have helped to clean my local park. I also worked towards sustainability by lowering my power, plastic, and water usage in my life. Recently I've begun to thrift to get away from the constant waste produced by buying new. I have helped people move who I don't even know, I've brought the groceries in for my neighbor who struggles with mobility, and I've spent hours landscaping to help the environment around the low-income buildings in my area. All of these things I have done have been for the betterment of the world around me because I believe that the good you do has an impact, even if it is small. I have also helped by donating to others. Throughout my life I have needed the help of others, utilizing state benefits, housing, and pantries, and because of that, I have donated as much as I can throughout my life. As soon as I could I began donating my blood each time it came to my high school. I have also donated electronics I no longer use to people at my school who I know would struggle to receive. I have also donated money, but very little amounts when I have enough money to be comfortable. I also have spoken out for the betterment of my community. My work has mostly centered around the school, but as an activist for queer individuals, I had become the co-leader of my school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance in my junior year. With the work of the other leader, my older sibling, we created a safe place for the queer community to talk and learn. The GSA even spread to middle school. I speak out against any bigotry that I, or others, face whenever I can. I have also been a part of petitions to help change the school for the better, one of which aims to change our school bell to be less over-stimulating for the neurodivergent community at our school. Everything I have worked for has not been selfless, however, because my work has been to make the world a better place, which directly impacts me. I believe in positive change, and that anyone can make the world a better place one deed at a time. These things may not even be remembered, but I know in my heart that even if it helped someone for a moment that it was worth it.

Health is so much more important than I ever thought before I began to work on it. I have had both physical health issues and mental health issues in the past. I have moderate to severe depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, body dysmorphia, PTSD, obsessive thinking, and gender dysphoria. A long list of issues affected me daily and prevented me from taking care of my physical health till I made a change. I began therapy in 2019 to start making my life better. It was only then that I started to realize how much I was struggling. Before I treated my mental health I had no aspirations for the future and was just preparing for something. I didn't know what I wanted and didn't think I would live to be an adult, but I worked hard because I loved learning and it provided a distraction. Eventually, when I began to treat my issues I became incredibly motivated and aspirational. Now I have dreams and am 18 in less than two weeks. Now Ater a lot of work, and medications, I finally began to have enough energy to work on my physical. There was also a tight-knit connection between the two for me, with exercise being one of my tools to help myself. Now I have a regular exercise class and a gym membership. I have so many more resources to work on myself. I also moved from my father's house with my boyfriend, and have been eating much healthier since. I have been eating fresh, healthy, and diverse foods that I thought were impossible to incorporate into my everyday diet. After beginning this process of working on my mental and physical health I began to see the changes fairly quickly. My body and brain have much more energy than I thought possible before this process, and now I exercise consistently. It feels amazing to have confidence in myself and experience the world around me. Before I worked on these changes I felt like I was just waiting for my life to begin, and now I feel alive. Moving is easier each day, and now I feel happy much more often. I also understand myself to a much greater degree, which has been incredibly helpful to live my most authentic and healthy self. Working on my physical and mental health has been the best decision of my entire life. Now I can say proudly that I am a successful person, despite my daily struggles.

Healthy eating habits are so much more important than I ever thought before I began to work on them. I have had both physical health issues and mental health issues in the past. I have moderate to severe depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, body dysmorphia, PTSD, obsessive thinking, and gender dysphoria. A long list of issues affected me daily and prevented me from taking care of my physical health till I made a change. I began therapy in 2019 to start making my life better. It was only then that I started to realize how much I was struggling. Before I treated my mental health I had no aspirations for the future and was just preparing for something. I didn't know what I wanted and didn't think I would live to be an adult, but I worked hard because I loved learning and it provided a distraction. Eventually, when I began to treat my issues, and altering my eating habits to be healthier, I became incredibly motivated and aspirational. Now I have dreams and am 18 in less than two weeks. Now Ater a lot of work, and medications, I finally began to have enough energy to work on my physical. There was also a tight-knit connection with my physical health and my eating habits, with exercise being one of my tools to help myself but an inability due to lack of energy. Now I have a regular exercise class and a gym membership. I have so many more resources to work on myself. I also moved from my father's house with my boyfriend, and have been eating much healthier since which has furthered my goal of better eating habits. I have been eating fresh, healthy, and diverse foods that I thought were impossible to incorporate into my everyday diet. After beginning this process of working on my mental and physical health I began to see the changes fairly quickly. Better eating habits are important because without them it's nearly impossible to have energy or work on the other parts of yourself. My body and brain have much more energy than I thought possible before this process, and now I exercise consistently. It feels amazing to have confidence in myself and experience the world around me. Before I worked on these changes I felt like I was just waiting for my life to begin, and now I feel alive. Moving is easier each day, and now I feel happy much more often. I also understand myself to a much greater degree, which has been incredibly helpful to live my most authentic and healthy self. Working on my physical and mental health has been the best decision of my entire life. Now I can say proudly that I am a successful person, despite my daily struggles.

Volunteering has drastically changed my mindset about a lot of things, especially about what makes a good person and how healthy the planet is. Volunteering has shown me that helping others without a physical reward does not mean that you are a good person. But rather doing something for the betterment of others, rather than yourself, is what makes you good. I have met a lot of people in my life who have volunteered, but have not done it out of morality nor bettering one's life. They have volunteered to make themselves look better, to complete their school volunteer hour requirement, or just to get out of school. I believe true volunteering can give positives to the one volunteering, but that it cannot be for that reason but rather for others. During these volunteer efforts the people not doing it for the right reasons stood around often, looking at their phones and complaining as others worked hard to plant trees. They avoided doing any effort, then told others at the school of their deeds as if they had just saved the entire planet. I have learned that you can see someone's true self when volunteering, and what really matters to them, and it's rarely what you would hope for. I have also learned a lot about the planet, and the damage that humanity is causing. Planting trees has shown me how much of the forests we have cut down, picking up trash at parks has shown me the filth that animals are exposed to, and combing beaches has revealed the contamination of our water. All of our world is getting more and more affected by pollution, worse than I have ever seen before. I need this scholarship because I want to learn animation, and animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With this degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness, and all I need is to get there. I know that I will work as hard as it takes to achieve it, and I will take every opportunity to learn. This scholarship would help me a lot to achieve this dream of mine, especially because I am paying for my education solely. This scholarship would put me one massive step forward, and help me to stress much less about the financial aspect of my education, and truly take the time to enjoy the process.

I am Simon Hall, hopefully, a future animator. I love art, obviously, but I also really have a passion for writing, DND, and other nerdy things of the like. I am a first-generation, impoverished, mentally ill, and queer future college student! So, I do have a lot of struggles when it comes to my education, but I am incredibly passionate about learning and am very excited to see what I will learn in college. Not only that but what I will see! Unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to leave the state for more than a few hours, and I want to see everything there is! I have never seen the ocean, mountains, deserts, skyscrapers, or anything like that. After attending The University of Wisconsin - Green Bay I am going to go to The California College of the Arts, where I hope to begin my real journey. My passion for art somewhat stems from my difficulties growing up, so for that I cannot be particularly frustrated about them. When I was younger I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked to find out that I made it to 18. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my youngest years had completely faded. I am a different man now. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. I have begun to shed the pain of my childhood neglect and trauma. Now, I’m stronger than I have ever been. With the realization of my queer identity I have settled into my body, and slowly day by day I get more comfortable. It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With this degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness, and all I need is to get there. I know that I will work as hard as it takes to achieve it, and I will take every opportunity to learn. This scholarship would help me a lot to achieve this dream of mine, especially because I am paying for my education solely. This scholarship would put me one massive step forward, and help me to stress much less about the financial aspect of my education, and truly take the time to enjoy the process.

My gratest achviment to date is my increasing my mental health.Therapy has been one of the largest influences in my life and I plan on continuing it. I've also been attending exercise classes which help me maintain both my mental health and physical health which allows me to keep my energy up while studying and helps me to keep attending my classes. I've also been utilizing hobbies, journaling, and meditation to keep my mind keen and ready to learn while also helping me to manage my depression and other mental health issues. Moving is easier each day, and now I feel happy much more often. I also understand myself to a much greater degree, which has been incredibly helpful to live my most authentic and healthy self. Working on my physical and mental health has been the best decision of my entire life. Before I treated my mental health I had no aspirations for the future and was just preparing for something. I didn't know what I wanted and didn't think I would live to be an adult, but I worked hard because I loved learning and it provided a distraction. Eventually, when I began to treat my issues I became incredibly motivated and aspirational. Now I have dreams and am 18 in less than two weeks. Now Ater a lot of work, and medications, I finally can see a future for myself and am working incredibly hard to achieve it. Managing my physical and mental health has helped with confidence, energy, perseverance, and much more, all of which help me to be the best student I can be. I am extremely excited about all the things that college has to offer. Even with all of the possible challenges that I will be facing, I am incredibly excited to face them and overcome them. Now I hope to graduate college. Graduating high-school was a giving for me. it wasent really a choice. But now I am excited to find what college has to offer and graduating it will be one of my greatest achievements yet. I am proud of what I have achieved so far, and college will help me open so many doors foe new achievements as well. Now I simply want to graduate and enter a world of art and amazement. If I could increase my mental health from where it was, I'm sure that I can do whatever I set my mind to.

My life has been ravaged by mental illness and addiction, forming who I am today. And not only that, but I am also queer. I have been severely impacted by my mental illness and addiction throughout my life, and it's completely changed the way I see the world and how I want to change it in the future. I have several mental illnesses including body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, all of which affect my life daily. But that is not all. I not only struggle with my mental illnesses but also have to face the devastating effects of addiction on my past because my mom was a severe alcoholic and my dad is addicted to video games. When I was younger I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked to find out that I made it to 18. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my younger years had completely faded. I am a different man now. Stronger than I have ever been. Some of my mental illnesses are a direct result of the neglect and abuse I received as a child due to the addictions of my parents. My mother and father never had a healthy relationship, but everything came to a head when their addictions fed into each other. My dad has always been addicted to video games. Instead of facing his problems, he would spend every day all day ignoring the world. This fed into my mother's addiction: alcohol. I didn't see it when I was younger, but my eyes are open now. My mom felt alone, overwhelmed, and completely stuck. She tried her best to raise us, but she couldn't do it. She went to jail a few times as a result of her drinking, but that is not the part I care about. Her alcoholism would trigger her epilepsy, so multiple times in my childhood I would see her convulsing on the floor, staring in terror. Eventually, my parents finally divorced, and my mom left to become sober, leaving dad to his video games, and unknowingly leaving my siblings and me to raise each other. My mother has been sober for over four years now, and we have since reconnected. My childhood was very hard, to say the least, but I have grown since then. I've turned to creative endeavors and want to help people through that. I want to create stories people can see themselves in. Stories that people can escape to and learn from. Growing up I rarely had someone to guide me, but movies and shows were there. I want to help people like me out there, give them something to rely on, something to learn from, something to make their purpose. I've become the man I've always dreamed of and am unapologetically an ace, bisexual, transman. I want to be someone's hope and guidance. I want others to see themselves in my work.

It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With this degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness, and all I need is to get there. I know that I will work as hard as it takes to achieve it, and I will take every opportunity to learn. This scholarship would help me a lot to achieve this dream of mine, especially because I am paying for my education solely. This scholarship would put me one massive step forward, and help me to stress much less about the financial aspect of my education, and truly take the time to enjoy the process.

I desperately want to become an animator, not only because I want to bring things to life, but also because I love expressing emotions, thoughts, and cultures to others who do not have those experiences. I feel that animation is a very important career that people often overlook. Animations are important because they make up a large portion of the entertainment industry, advertising industry, and also even the education industry! I want to be a part of that! It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With this degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness, and all I need is to get there. I know that I will work as hard as it takes to achieve it, and I will take every opportunity to learn. This scholarship would help me a lot to achieve this dream of mine, especially because I am paying for my education solely. This scholarship would put me one massive step forward, and help me to stress much less about the financial aspect of my education, and truly take the time to enjoy the process.

I am very excited about college and I know that I have the techniques to take care of my health. College is full of so many experiences, opportunities, and possible friendships. I am incredibly excited to see all it has to offer from a personal standpoint, but also a career standpoint. I'm excited to learn the intricacies of my future preferred career, everyday life and the people around me. I've always struggled with making friends, but one important thing about college is that it offers clubs and the shared interests of your peers which is something that will offer me a chance to communicate further. I have a lot of things that help me maintain my life in school that I believe will help me succeed in college. One of the things I find very helpful is therapy. Therapy has been one of the largest influences in my life and I plan on continuing it. I've also been attending exercise classes which help me maintain both my mental health and physical health which allows me to keep my energy up while studying and helps me to keep attending my classes. I've also been utilizing hobbies, journaling, and meditation to keep my mind keen and ready to learn while also helping me to manage my depression and other mental health issues. Moving is easier each day, and now I feel happy much more often. I also understand myself to a much greater degree, which has been incredibly helpful to live my most authentic and healthy self. Working on my physical and mental health has been the best decision of my entire life. Before I treated my mental health I had no aspirations for the future and was just preparing for something. I didn't know what I wanted and didn't think I would live to be an adult, but I worked hard because I loved learning and it provided a distraction. Eventually, when I began to treat my issues I became incredibly motivated and aspirational. Now I have dreams and am 18 in less than two weeks. Now Ater a lot of work, and medications, I finally can see a future for myself and am working incredibly hard to achieve it. Managing my physical and mental health has helped with confidence, energy, perseverance, and much more, all of which help me to be the best student I can be. I am extremely excited about all the things that college has to offer. Even with all of the possible challenges that I will be facing, I am incredibly excited to face them and overcome them.

I am very excited about college and I know that I have the techniques to take care of my health. College is full of so many experiences, opportunities, and possible friendships. I am incredibly excited to see all it has to offer from a personal standpoint, but also a career standpoint. I'm excited to learn the intricacies of my future preferred career, everyday life and the people around me. I've always struggled with making friends, but one important thing about college is that it offers clubs and the shared interests of your peers which is something that will offer me a chance to communicate further. I have a lot of things that help me maintain my life in school that I believe will help me succeed in college. One of the things I find very helpful is therapy. Therapy has been one of the largest influences in my life and I plan on continuing it. I've also been attending exercise classes which help me maintain both my mental health and physical health which allows me to keep my energy up while studying and helps me to keep attending my classes. I've also been utilizing hobbies, journaling, and meditation to keep my mind keen and ready to learn while also helping me to manage my depression and other mental health issues. Moving is easier each day, and now I feel happy much more often. I also understand myself to a much greater degree, which has been incredibly helpful to live my most authentic and healthy self. Working on my physical and mental health has been the best decision of my entire life. Before I treated my mental health I had no aspirations for the future and was just preparing for something. I didn't know what I wanted and didn't think I would live to be an adult, but I worked hard because I loved learning and it provided a distraction. Eventually, when I began to treat my issues I became incredibly motivated and aspirational. Now I have dreams and am 18 in less than two weeks. Now Ater a lot of work, and medications, I finally can see a future for myself and am working incredibly hard to achieve it. Managing my physical and mental health has helped with confidence, energy, perseverance, and much more, all of which help me to be the best student I can be. I am extremely excited about all the things that college has to offer. Even with all of the possible challenges that I will be facing, I am incredibly excited to face them and overcome them.

Health is so much more important than I ever thought before I began to work on it. I have had both physical health issues and mental health issues in the past. I have moderate to severe depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, body dysmorphia, PTSD, obsessive thinking, and gender dysphoria. A long list of issues affect me daily and prevented me from taking care of my physical health till I made a change. I began therapy in 2019 to start making my life better. It was only then that I started to realize how much I was struggling. Before I treated my mental health I had no aspirations for the future and was just preparing for something. I didn't know what I wanted and didn't think I would live to be an adult, but I worked hard because I loved learning and it provided a distraction. Eventually, when I began to treat my issues I became incredibly motivated and aspirational. Now I have dreams and am 18 in less than two weeks. Now Ater a lot of work, and medications, I finally began to have enough energy to work on my physical. There was also a tight-knit connection between the two for me, with exercise being one of my tools to help myself. Now I have a regular exercise class and a gym membership. I have so many more resources to work on myself. I also moved from my father's house with my boyfriend, and have been eating much healthier since. I have been eating fresh, healthy, and diverse foods that I thought were impossible to incorporate into my everyday diet. After beginning this process of working on my mental and physical health I began to see the changes fairly quickly. My body and brain have much more energy than I thought possible before this process, and now I exercise consistently. It feels amazing to have confidence in myself and experience the world around me. Before I worked on these changes I felt like I was just waiting for my life to begin, and now I feel alive. Moving is easier each day, and now I feel happy much more often. I also understand myself to a much greater degree, which has been incredibly helpful to live my most authentic and healthy self. Working on my physical and mental health has been the best decision of my entire life. Now I can say proudly that I am a successful person, despite my daily struggles.

My life has been ravaged by mental illness, addiction, and neglect, forming who I am today and my dreams. I have been severely impacted by my mental illness, addiction, and exclusion throughout my life, and it's completely changed the way I see the world and how I want to change it in the future. I have several mental illnesses including body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, all of which affect my life daily. But that is not all. I not only struggle with my mental illnesses but also face the devastating effects of addiction on my past because my mom was a severe alcoholic and my dad is addicted to video games. When I was younger I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked to find out that I made it to 18. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my younger years had faded entirely. I am a different man now. Stronger than I have ever been. Some of my mental illnesses are a direct result of the neglect and abuse I received as a child due to the addictions of my parents but I didn't let that stop me. My mom has become sober and changed her life around, and I have been using her as an example, if she can change her life so drastically, so can I. Childhood me I didn't know what I wanted and didn't think I would live to be an adult, but I worked hard because I loved learning and it provided a distraction. Eventually, when I began to treat my issues I became incredibly motivated and aspirational. Now I have dreams and being 18 in less than two weeks. Because of the way I handled the events that happened in my childhood, I now know how to take care of myself, solve complex problems, and how to maintain perseverance. My childhood was very hard, to say the least, but I have grown since then. I've turned to creative endeavors and want to help people through some of the issues I faced with the help of animation. I want to create stories people can see themselves in. Stories that people can escape to and learn from. Growing up I rarely had someone to guide me, but movies and shows were there. I want to help people like me out there, give them something to rely on, something to learn from, something to make their purpose. I've become the man I've always dreamed of. I want to be someone's hope and guidance. I want others to see themselves in my work. I believe in positive change, and that anyone can make the world a better place one deed at a time. The things I will create may not even be remembered, but I know in my heart that even if it helped someone for a moment, it was worth it.

These mental health issues are something that has firstly made me turn my back on any organized religion, all of which has not supported me with those issues. I also completely separated myself from every spiritual belief or superstition out there because I had lost any hope, faith, or willingness to be wrong. I felt angry for a very long time, and now I am very grateful I've begun to slowly embrace different spiritual practices again. I still believe organized religions are cults, and I still am scared of believing any of the things I practice, but I am growing. Finally, I Am allowing myself to explore different parts of various religions, and see what I believe. My mental health has also made making friends very difficult due to my anxieties. Growing up I was always the kid who was partnered with the teacher or had no partner unless forced. This also made my connections with my family incredibly difficult. My mother self-medicated her severe depression and OCD with alcohol, and my father self-medicated his depression with a video game addiction, both of which made it difficult to connect to them. My siblings, however, were a different story. Through our shared mental illnesses, we grew a tight-knit bond that has never weaned. Eventually, my mother thankfully became sober, and now our bond grows with each year. Mental illness has made my career aspiration die and become reborn. Before I treated these issues I had no aspirations for the future, and was just preparing for something. I didn't know what I wanted and didn't think I would live to be an adult, but I worked hard because I loved learning and it provided a distraction. Eventually, when I began to treat my issues I became incredibly motivated and aspirational. Now I have dreams and am 18 in less than two weeks. Also, I have had both positive and negative experiences in the mental health industry that have affected my journey. When I first went to my primary care physician at the time to get put on antidepressants (she also had the credentials to treat mental health) she was very critical of everything I said and refused to take any of my concerns or thoughts seriously. In the end, she wrote in my report that I didn't want them even though that was the reason I went to see her. It was an incredibly negative experience that nearly prevented me from seeking out further medication attempts. Thankfully I found out the building I had therapy in also had a psychiatrist, and now my medications have severely helped me. But I also have had positive experiences. My therapists all have been very good at what they do, and have helped me through many crises. Without them, I would not be nearly as emotionally intelligent as I am. Mental health changed, and continues to change, my entire life. Beliefs, relationships, and aspirations are only a small part of that too! My mental health has always been a struggle for me, but slowly with hard work and perseverance, it is getting better. I hope to say someday that a lot of these issues are of the past, but at least for now, I can say proudly that I am successful, despite my daily struggles.

These mental health issues are something that has firstly made me turn my back on any organized religion, all of which has not supported me with those issues. I also completely separated myself from every spiritual belief or superstition out there because I had lost any hope, faith, or willingness to be wrong. I felt angry for a very long time, and now I am very grateful I've begun to slowly embrace different spiritual practices again. I still believe organized religions are cults, and I still am scared of believing any of the things I practice, but I am growing. Finally, I Am allowing myself to explore different parts of various religions, and see what I believe. My mental health has also made making friends very difficult due to my anxieties. Growing up I was always the kid who was partnered with the teacher or had no partner unless forced. This also made my connections with my family incredibly difficult. My mother self-medicated her severe depression and OCD with alcohol, and my father self-medicated his depression with a video game addiction, both of which made it difficult to connect to them. My siblings, however, were a different story. Through our shared mental illnesses, we grew a tight-knit bond that has never weaned. Eventually, my mother thankfully became sober, and now our bond grows with each year. Mental illness has made my career aspiration die and become reborn. Before I treated these issues I had no aspirations for the future, and was just preparing for something. I didn't know what I wanted, and didn't think I would live to be an adult, but I worked hard because I loved learning and it provided a distraction. Eventually, when I began to treat my issues I became incredibly motivated and aspirational. Now I have dreams and am 18 in less than two weeks. Also, I have had both positive and negative experiences in the mental health industry that have affected my journey. When I first went to my primary care physician at the time to get put on antidepressants (she also had the credentials to treat mental health) she was very critical of everything I said and refused to take any of my concerns or thoughts seriously. In the end, she wrote in my report that I didn't want them even though that was the reason I went to see her. It was an incredibly negative experience that nearly prevented me from seeking out further medication attempts. Thankfully I found out the building I had therapy in also had a psychiatrist, and now my medications have severely helped me. But I also have had really positive experiences. My therapists all have been very good at what they do, and have helped me through many crises. Without them, I would not be nearly as emotionally intelligent as I am. Mental health changed, and continues to change, my entire life. Beliefs, relationships, and aspirations are only a small part of that too! My mental health has always been a struggle for me, but slowly with hard work and perseverance, it is getting better. I hope to say someday that a lot of these issues are of the past, but at least for now, I can say proudly that I am successful, despite my daily struggles.

Both growing up in poverty and being homeless for a summer have completely altered the way I handle the adversities I face every day. Growing up in poverty was incredibly difficult. I faced a lot of generalizations about poverty, from going without food some nights to having to wear severely worn-out shoes, but that wasn't the hardest thing about it. The most difficult thing I had to face was the lack of experiences I received in comparison to my peers. Often they would brag about going to different states, countries even, or seeing places like Disney World. Because of my poverty, I have only left the state twice. Once on a short drive just so we could say we left the state, and another time where we went to the Upper Peninsula, which is technically part of Michigan, though some still argue it is a part of my home state Wisconsin. Growing up in poverty was difficult, but one of the most formative moments of my life was when I was homeless. My dad's attempt at running a restaurant (funded by our grandparents) failed, and when that fell through we had to sell my childhood home to have any kind of money to live for that year. My dad never had any savings because any money he received he put back into the business. We also could pay for the utilities on the home anymore, so with all those factors we had to leave. I never really got to say goodbye. One moment it was there, the next we were driving away never to see it again. My grandparents owned that as well, but they paid my dad for the added equity on the home. For a little while we squatted in the business my dad no longer owned in the unfinished second story. We did that till they turned the water off, which was a week after they turned the power off. After that, we had to move to my grandparent's garage. We packed all of our things and crammed them into their garage and a storage locker. It was cold at night, stuffy at day, and there were the common bugs that find their way in, but it was something. My dad was looking for jobs and a new apartment, which took till right before school started again and I would have to saunter back into my middle school as if nothing happened. All of these things were incredibly difficult to deal with, but they also taught me a lot. They taught me strength, and perseverance, and enhanced my aspirations. Now when I face problems I am very creative at solving them and I do not give up easily. I also refuse to let a bad situation be, and will always try to fix it. Because of being in poverty, I work hard in school and at work to try and enhance my life in whatever way I can! All in all, these experiences taught me that while adversity feels awful at the time, if you put in the work you can make anything better. I am still in poverty, but I know that in time I can escape it, just like I escaped homelessness.

My favorite song in Taylor Swift's album ‘1989’ is ‘Blank Space’. I felt that this song was really about her coming into herself and denying yet leaning into her reputation at the time as the crazy woman with a ton of exes. I also felt it was her signifying a new maturity and telling the world that she would define herself, and not let the media do that for her. Other than those reasons, it also was just a good song. It had layers to make it easy to listen to multiple times, yet was repetitive enough to get stuck in one's head. The song felt very thought out instead of being fully improvised, and while improvised songs can be good, I feel that the thoughtful nature of the song makes its message stronger and helps it stand out. I feel like she managed to make a love song tragic and interesting at the same time in a dynamic way that she hadn't done before. Her other popular songs from the same album didn't have as many layers. ‘Wildest Dreams’ was a very powerful and interesting song, but in the end, it's just another love song, and ‘Shake it Off’ Is a happy/dance-pop song about not letting things get to you, so both are somewhat cliches. With ‘Blank Space’ she created something that stood out from the rest of her works! She was declaring that she would not let the media define her by showing the ridiculousness of the accusations, leaning into the idea with this song by representing what people say about her. The song itself is very nice to listen to because of the journey she takes you on, starting fairly normal and getting more and more passionate and somewhat deranged as it goes on. The middle part that varies from the rest helps to cut through the repetitiveness and give an indication of placement in the song and I feel like it helps the song as a whole by again creating more depth. The very ending is also interesting with the vocals cut out and the base of the medley playing because it feels almost like closing the book on the story, making it oddly satisfying to listen to the whole song. ‘Blank Space’ separated her from the media's version of her and also provided an incredibly interesting song at the same time, and I feel like that makes it more interesting than nearly any other of her works.

Most of the financial education I’ve received was not from my impoverished family but instead was from my American Studies teacher, Mr. Blonik. He told me that the best thing I could do for my future was to invest early, diversify my portfolio, and invest in stocks. I learned that investing early can make it so your money can get compound interest and even putting $10 into your savings each paycheck could make it increase drastically. Diversifying one's portfolio could also make your savings increase tenfold. Diversifying your portfolio makes it so that if one of your investments falls through, you still have the others to hold up your retirement. He also told me to invest in stocks, and while at first I was very worried he then explained to me the many benefits. Investing in stocks is what makes some people millionaires by their retirement, it's all about being smart with your investments. When he told me to invest early, I made a plan from there. As soon as I can I am opening my savings account again and starting to put a portion of my money into it. I will also open a brokerage account and start investing small sums there. As well as those things I will be trying to build my credit to ensure that future large purchases will have less interest on their loans to save me a lot of money in the long run. I will also start investing more and more into my brokerage account as I receive more money, and I will be choosing stocks and index funds that align with my interests and will seem to have future growth. Because he told me to invest early I have begun to create a detailed plan on how to build my future starting from 18 and to ensure I will have a comfortable life and retirement. Diversifying my portfolio will be simple enough. As previously mentioned, I will be putting some of my money into my savings and some into a brokerage account, but I have that planned more specifically. I will have small portions go into my savings, and when I get things like tax returns I will reinvest it into index funds, which are also already diversified. Index funds are my go-to because they are managed for you and it is a kind of investment that you can put money into and leave alone from there without worry. Along with a savings account, I will have a retirement plan with my workplace, most likely a 401k. I would deposit the maximum matching amount each time I can, and not a penny more. He described diversifying your portfolio as adding a leg to the stool of your retirement, and by the time I am done, my stool will have enough legs, and strength, for an elephant to sit on it. Finally, he told me to invest in stocks. Investing in stocks doesn't just mean individual ones though. As I’ve learned from stock investment games, I am really bad at choosing sound stocks. Instead, I will put my money into index funds for professionals to manage. These are stocks. If I have extra money to invest I will invest in individual stocks that I have thoroughly researched. Stocks are fickle and are a gamble, but with research, it's at least an educated gamble. He told me to only invest in stocks that I believe in and will use personally, and I will consider this as well when investing. if all goes well I will be retiring with at least a million saved away.

Reading has changed my life in so many ways it's almost hard to pick out what hasn't changed, but after reflecting I have found some of the most important things they have taught me and how those things have changed my goals for the better. Books have been there for me when I have needed them the most, and have been much more dependable than any person in my youth, so they were often the root of most of my understanding of the world. I've learned to be myself from books, and also how to treat others with kindness and respect. Books have taught me how to myself by showing me oddball characters succeeding by utilizing the traits that make them different, and individual. This concept appealed to me as a kid and has since changed who I am at my core. It has been a very slow process, but I’ve begun to respect and love myself. I have tried time and time again to grow into who I am. I am queer, and one of the main reasons I was able to come out was because the books I have read told me that I should never be ashamed of what makes me different. This has made my goals shift from trying to hide, into how to be my true self and how to embarrass that. The books I have read also taught me how to show compassion to others. As a child, I often struggled to navigate my social world, missing social cues and sometimes offending people even though I wasn't trying to. The books I've read were responsible for my understanding of social cues and interactions to grow and thus help me to communicate more kindly and respectfully. They have taught me how to be kind and what that will get me, and that changed my future entirely. My growth of compassion has changed my dreams from being purely self-based to instead include others. Now I want to provide representation for others in my future works, and it has also made me want to affect others' lives in a very positive way. Because of the books I’ve read I donate blood, items, and time to help others, something I would have found meaningless otherwise. Books have changed my life entirely for the better, and I owe them what I can for being the person I am today, and will be in the future.

I am Simon Hall, hopefully, a future animator. I love art, obviously, but I also really have a passion for writing, DND, and other nerdy things of the like. I am a first-generation, impoverished, mentally ill, and queer future college student! So, I do have a lot of struggles when it comes to my education, but I am incredibly passionate about learning and am very excited to see what I will learn in college. Not only that but what I will see! Unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to leave the state for more than a few hours, and I want to see everything there is! I have never seen the ocean, mountains, deserts, skyscrapers, or anything like that. After attending The University of Wisconsin - Green Bay I am going to go to The California College of the Arts, where I hope to begin my real journey. I want to get an animation degree, specifically, it would be under Illustration or Studio Art. I've wanted a job that will pay me well to do the thing I love, and my biggest fear has always been entering a career that I am unhappy with. Animation, however, has always been a love of mine and the more I explore it the more connected I seem to be to it. I love animation, and art in general. My career means everything to me and I know a degree will help me get there. Working towards this degree could also help me learn what role I want exactly in the animation industry and what my future life as a part of that career will be like. My life goals have also been deeply affected by animation because it's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With this degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness, and all I need is to get there. While a lot of people going into college are worried about not being able to make it to their graduation day, I know that I will work as hard as it takes to achieve it, and I will take every opportunity to learn. (also if the NFT you are talking about is the cryptocurrency then please research further. NFTs are awful and often harmful to artists, so I have not and will not create any)

The best piece of financial advice I ever received was from my American Studies teacher, Mr. Blonik. He told me that the best thing I could do for my future was to invest early, diversify my portfolio, and invest in stocks. I learned that investing early can make it so your money can get compound interest and even putting $10 into your savings each paycheck could make it increase drastically. Diversifying one's portfolio could also make your savings increase tenfold. Diversifying your portfolio makes it so that if one of your investments falls through, you still have the others to hold up your retirement. He also told me to invest in stocks, and while at first I was very worried he then explained to me the many benefits. Investing in stocks is what makes some people millionaires by their retirement, it's all about being smart with your investments. When he told me to invest early, I made a plan from there. As soon as I can I am opening my savings account again and starting to put a portion of my money into it. I will also open a brokerage account and start investing small sums there. As well as those things I will be trying to build my credit to ensure that future large purchases will have less interest on their loans to save me a lot of money in the long run. I will also start investing more and more into my brokerage account as I receive more money, and I will be choosing stocks and index funds that align with my interests and will seem to have future growth. Because he told me to invest early I have begun to create a detailed plan on how to build my future starting from 18 and to ensure I will have a comfortable life and retirement. Diversifying my portfolio will be simple enough. As previously mentioned, I will be putting some of my money into my savings and some into a brokerage account, but I have that planned more specifically. I will have small portions go into my savings, and when I get things like tax returns I will reinvest it into index funds, which are also already diversified. Index funds are my go-to because they are managed for you and it is a kind of investment that you can put money into and leave alone from there without worry. They automatically buy and sell parts of their stocks, so timing the market won't be a thing I have to concern myself with. Along with a savings account, I will have a retirement plan with my workplace, most likely a 401k. They often have matching, which means I could be making free money just by having an account with them. I would deposit the maximum matching amount each time I can, and not a penny more. He described diversifying your portfolio as adding a leg to the stool of your retirement, and by the time I am done, my stool will have enough legs, and strength, for an elephant to sit on it. Finally, he told me to invest in stocks. Investing in stocks doesn't just mean individual ones though. As I’ve learned from stock investment games, I am really bad at choosing sound stocks. Instead, I will put my money into index funds for professionals to manage. These are stocks. If I have extra money to invest I will invest in individual stocks that I have thoroughly researched. Stocks are fickle and are a gamble, but with research, it's at least an educated gamble. He told me to only invest in stocks that I believe in and will use personally, and I will consider this as well when investing. Mr. Blonik taught me a lot about investing and creating my future savings from scratch, which I desperately need. I grew up in poverty, so my parents didn't have savings or the knowledge I needed on how to build a portfolio. Mr. Blonik however has done it. He has repeatedly told us about his portfolio, how much it's worth, and even the stocks he has invested in. Because of all these reasons, I have chosen to accept his advice and will be founding my future off of it. Investing early, diversifying my portfolio, and investing in stocks will all continue to be important parts of my investment plans, and if all goes well I will be retiring with at least a million saved away.

I desperately want to become an animator, not only because I want to bring things to life, but also because I love expressing emotions, thoughts, and cultures to others who do not have those experiences. I feel that animation is a very important career that people often overlook. Animations are important because they make up a large portion of the entertainment industry, advertising industry, and also even the education industry! I want to be a part of that! It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With this degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness, and all I need is to get there. I know that I will work as hard as it takes to achieve it, and I will take every opportunity to learn. But If I find that I do not like the specific part of being an animator, I would still want to be part of the animation industry. I was also thinking about learning about being a 3d modeler, a rigger, a concept artist, an art director, a screenwriter, a producer, a director, and also a special effects artist. There are lots of jobs I would want to see working in the animation industry, but I've also been looking at ones outside of it. I thought about becoming an illustrator and a writer, publishing my books, but then I realized I could do that in addition to my career so I figured I shouldn't do it for my main job because it isn't stable. All of these different jobs would create an emotional outlet, which is something I need in my life to be happy. It could also help me affect the world in a meaningful way, which is something I want to do without having children like many people suggest when you want to create something. I really would much rather teach people and help the world with representation and environmental support.

I have created a lot of things to solve problems for myself and the people in my life, though often they are small fixes to things. I have used cardboard to replace a shelf in my fridge, and glue to keep the cap of my fan on, but I’ve also created things. I created lock picks when I was younger to help unlock doors we accidentally locked behind up, I’ve created things to hold onto my brushes and help get the paint out of them, and I’ve even made a pencil grip to hold onto smaller pencils. I’ve also created chess pieces out of clay to replace the ones I’ve lost, I’ve created a muscle shirt out of my favorite ill-fitting T-Shirt, and I’ve created things to hold up the sides of furniture when the legs broke off or the side started to slip. Because I have grown up in poverty, I've had to create cheap solutions for a lot of things in my life. I have a lot of ideas for how to solve large-scale problems if I had the money and resources. For instance, I have given a lot of thought to how cars create pollution and fill too much space. I would create a larger bussing system where the buses run on food waste. We already have created cars that run on food waste, and cars alone that run on that would be great, but creating a large-scale bussing system would take care of traffic and pollution issues both in a row. I would also put money into getting rid of streets to help create more space for either the environment or to help businesses thrive and decrease accidents. Another thing I would create would be subtle chewable toys for people with autism. I know there are nonsubtle ones, but for people who may be embarrassed and want to chew too, then there should be options other than chewing on the edges of their fingers and biting nails. This could also be great for kids with those habits as a tool to redirect their nerves. There are a lot of problems in the world right now that I would want to fix, but that take too much money, time, or other resources that I do not have. Some of these issues would also go against large corporate interests, and thus make it very difficult to change, so while I want these problems to be fixed I am unsure if in this political climate, where the government is strongly controlled by large corporations, that any sort of change like I listed would go through. Other than the subtle chewable fidgets though, I'm sure someone will make more of those soon.

I would have everyone in the world read the first graphic novel of The Adventure Zone if I could. We read a lot of full novels in schools, ones with very deep and important meanings, but I find that we often shun works of fantasy, especially those of the graphic novel variety. If everyone in the world could take a moment to read a very inclusive work of fantasy like The Adventure Zone, then people would learn about each other, genres they never would have considered and maybe would have an increased respect for graphic novel artists. The Adventure Zone graphic novels are a great introduction to DND which has been a tool for a lot of people to make friends, learn about themselves, and express creativity. This introduction could also help people to later look into the podcast itself and help them, and other podcasts like them, to have a massive increase in audiences. The Adventure Zone is a rollercoaster of emotion that I think everyone should have the chance to experience. It also could help people understand much more about what kind of stories are out there other than the usual genres. Finally, it's also just a lot of fun. Sometimes people get far too caught up in reading very deep books with a lot of real-world pressure in them, but reading this could help some people realize that reading can be relaxing and fun, just as much as it can be an educational tool. Maybe more people can realize that there are books that have people like them in it that are entertaining and can help with escapism.

I am Simon Hall, hopefully, a future animator. I love art, obviously, but I also really have a passion for writing, DND, and other nerdy things of the like. I am a first-generation, impoverished, mentally ill, and queer future college student! So, I do have a lot of struggles when it comes to my education, but I am incredibly passionate about learning and am very excited to see what I will learn in college. Not only that but what I will see! Unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to leave the state for more than a few hours, and I want to see everything there is! I have never seen the ocean, mountains, deserts, skyscrapers, or anything like that. After attending The University of Wisconsin - Green Bay I am going to go to The California College of the Arts, where I hope to begin my real journey. My passion for art somewhat stems from my difficulties growing up, so for that I cannot be particularly frustrated about them. When I was younger I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked to find out that I made it to 18. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my youngest years had completely faded. I am a different man now. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. I have begun to shed the pain of my childhood neglect and trauma. Now, I’m stronger than I have ever been. With the realization of my queer identity I have settled into my body, and slowly day by day I get more comfortable. It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. Simply stated, the animation is my life. Animation is my education, my career, and my purpose. With this degree, I would be one step closer to fulfillment and incredible happiness, and all I need is to get there. I know that I will work as hard as it takes to achieve it, and I will take every opportunity to learn. This scholarship would help me a lot to achieve this dream of mine, especially because I am paying for my education solely. This scholarship would put me one massive step forward, and help me to stress much less about the financial aspect of my education, and truly take the time to enjoy the process.

Sustainability is incredibly important in my day-to-day life and I try my best to reduce my carbon footprint. I try my best to recycle everything that can, sorting out my garbage and avoiding waste where I can. Recycling alone won't do a lot for the environment, but it's a small step in the right direction. I also try to minimize the plastic I use by avoiding using plastic bags and products, opting for others of different materials. When plastic is unavoidable I try to make it so the plastic objects I do use are multi-use rather than one-time. For example instead of using small plastic water bottles I have bought myself a big plastic water bottle that I use every day and fill with water fountains of the faucet. To be sustainable I also buy products from plant-based materials and with as little pollution from its byproducts as possible. For example, I use powdered detergent because it lasts longer and comes from a box, reducing my plastic use and helping myself at the same time. Being sustainable is not just about plastic, however, but also water use, carbon, and a lot more. I also use a dishwasher to clean my dishes to save water, and shower instead of bathing when I can to minimize waste even more. I also try to minimize carbon secretions by only driving when it is a far distance that would be unreasonable to walk or bike to. In addition, I avoid driving in my dad's truck which is not fuel efficient and releases a lot of waste into the air. Reducing our carbon footprint is incredibly important in particular because the way it is affecting our environment is drastic. While it is large companies that are the primary source of pollution and carbon release, it is the consumers' job to try and change things by not supporting those companies which value money over the environment. Carbon is also released mostly from cows, but this is due to the livestock industry rather than the natural amount of carbon a normal amount of cows would produce. Quickly the climate is changing, and while we are at the back end of an ice age, the rate at which the world is changing is extremely unnatural and is already leaving behind detrimental effects. Animals all around the world are beginning to lose their habitats/conditions needed for them to survive. Our carbon footprint is important, regardless of what people who want to ignore it say, and counteracting that should be paramount. I believe people often avoid changing because they believe reducing their carbon footprint is about giving up luxuries, but really it's just altering your behavior and often for the better. I plant trees and try to give back to the environment as much as possible because the world is in a dire place, and we need to do something.

I have tried my best to make a positive impact on the world around me as I continue to grow as a person, and at times I believe I have accomplished that goal through volunteering, donating, and speaking out. It's always been a dream of mine to create a work that others will become inspired by or learn from. If I could teach people even for a moment, about the human condition or minorities, then I would have archived my true goal. I want people to feel like they are represented in my works, and If I join the animation industry I could actually deeply impact the world around me, and also impact one of my other loves, the film industry. I hope someday to work on a film or show that I as a child would have been inspired by. With this job, I would be financially stable, filled with purpose, and proud of my life. I also already have begun to make changes. I have volunteered more than a few times to help others and the environment. I have served/talked to the elderly to create a better environment for them, I have planted trees, and I have helped to clean my local park. I also worked towards sustainability by lowering my power, plastic, and water usage in my life. Recently I've begun to thrift to get away from the constant waste produced by buying new. I have helped people move who I don't even know, I've brought the groceries in for my neighbor who struggles with mobility, and I've spent hours landscaping to help the environment around the low-income buildings in my area. All of these things I have done have been for the betterment of the world around me because I believe that the good you do has an impact, even if it is small. I have also helped by donating to others. Throughout my life I have needed the help of others, utilizing state benefits, housing, and pantries, and because of that, I have donated as much as I can throughout my life. As soon as I could I began donating my blood each time it came to my high school. I have also donated electronics I no longer use to people at my school who I know would struggle to receive. I have also donated money, while very little amounts when I have enough money to be comfortable. I also have spoken out for the betterment of my community. My work has mostly centered around the school, but as an activist for queer individuals, I had become the co-leader of my school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance in my junior year. With the work of the other leader, my older sibling, we created a safe place for the queer community to talk and learn. The GSA even spread to middle school. I speak out against any bigotry that I, or others, face whenever I can. I have also been a part of petitions to help change the school for the better, one of which aims to change our school bell to be less over-stimulating for the neurodivergent community at our school. Everything I have worked for has not been selfless, however, because my work has been to make the world a better place, which directly impacts me. I believe in positive change, and that anyone can make the world a better place one deed at a time. These things may not even be remembered, but I know in my heart that even if it helped someone for a moment that it was worth it.

Being a first-generation college student has drastically changed what I wanted to be in my career as I aged because my parents didn't have the chance to choose what they wanted to be. My parents could not afford college, and while they have done a few college classes online, neither could finish because of the need to focus on parenting and because of the financial burden. This has made me extremely cautious about my job choice and has made me consider what I've wanted to be for as long as I can remember. I can still remember asking about careers to my teachers and family, about what they did and if they liked it, to figure out what would suit me the best. Being a first-generation college student has made me insightful, careful, and also nervous. I have been very worried for a long time that I will end up in an entry-level job and be stuck there without a chance of rising past it. My mother has worked fast-food, cashier, and grocery jobs her entire life, without the opportunity to continue her education because of her teen pregnancy and poverty. My father had tried to further his education and become a designer, but his entire world fell through when his college program closed suddenly and his credits from said program became transferable. He was left with a lot of debt, which has only recently been forgiven. My parents didn't have the opportunity to continue their education, and I have witnessed the unhappiness that comes from being stuck in low-paying high-labor jobs that they both have been through, and I do not want that for myself. I am determined to get my degree and become an animator, a high-paying and incredibly fulfilling career. I value my education, and I will make my dream career a reality.

In the future I hope to be inspired, comfortable, confident, and happy not only with myself but with my surroundings too.

My life has been ravaged by mental illness and addiction, forming who I am today. And not only that, but I am also queer. I have been severely impacted by my mental illness and addiction throughout my life, and it's completely changed the way I see the world and how I want to change it in the future. I have several mental illnesses including body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, all of which affect my life daily. But that is not all. I not only struggle with my mental illnesses but also have to face the devastating effects of addiction on my past because my mom was a severe alcoholic and my dad is addicted to video games. When I was younger I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked to find out that I made it to 18. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my younger years had completely faded. I am a different man now. Stronger than I have ever been. Some of my mental illnesses are a direct result of the neglect and abuse I received as a child due to the addictions of my parents. My mother and father never had a healthy relationship, but everything came to a head when their addictions fed into each other. My dad has always been addicted to video games. Instead of facing his problems, he would spend every day all day ignoring the world. This fed into my mother's addiction: alcohol. I didn't see it when I was younger, but my eyes are open now. \My mom felt alone, overwhelmed, and completely stuck. She tried her best to raise us, but she couldn't do it. She went to jail a few times as a result of her drinking, but that is not the part I care about. Her alcoholism would trigger her epilepsy, so multiple times in my childhood I would see her convulsing on the floor, staring in terror. Eventually, my parents finally divorced, and my mom left to become sober, living dad to his video games, and unknowingly leaving my siblings and me to raise each other. My mother has been sober for over four years now, and we have since reconnected. My childhood was very hard, to say the least, but I have grown since then. I've turned to creative endeavors and want to help people through that. I want to create stories people can see themselves in. Stories that people can escape to and learn from. Growing up I rarely had someone to guide me, but movies and shows were there. I want to help people like me out there, give them something to rely on, something to learn from, something to make their purpose. I've become the man I've always dreamed of and am unapologetically an ace, bisexual, transman. I want to be someone's hope and guidance. I want others to see themselves in my work.

My life has been ravaged by mental illness and addiction, forming who I am today. And not only that, but I am also queer, which has led to a whole other set of challenges. I have been severely impacted by my mental illness and addiction throughout my life, and it's completely changed the way I see the world and how I want to change it in the future. I have several mental illnesses including body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, all of which affect my life daily. When I was younger, I thought that my difficulties were normal and that I was just being dramatic. I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked that I made it to 18. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my younger years had completely faded. I am a different man now. Stronger than I have ever been. Some of my mental illnesses are a direct result of the neglect and abuse I received as a child due to the addictions of my parents. My mother and father never had a healthy relationship, but everything came to a head when their addictions fed into each other. My father has always been addicted to video games. Instead of facing his problems, he would spend every day all day ignoring the world. This fed into my mother's addiction, to alcohol. I didn't see it when I was younger, but my eyes are open now. While I believe my mom is fully responsible for her mistakes in the past, my father certainly did not help. My mom felt alone, overwhelmed, and completely stuck. She tried her best to raise us, but she couldn't do it. She went to jail a few times as a result of her drinking, but that is not the part I care about. Her alcoholism would trigger her epilepsy, so multiple times in my childhood I would see her convulsing on the floor, staring in terror. My childhood was very hard, to say the least, but I have grown since then. I've turned to creative endeavors and want to help people through that. I want to create stories people can see themselves in. Stories that people can escape to and learn from. I want to help people like me out there, give them something to rely on, something to learn from, something to make their purpose. I've become the man I've always dreamed of and am unapologetically an ace, bisexual, transman. I want to be someone's hope and guidance. I want others to see themselves in my work. That's partially why I restarted the GSA at my school and became its Co-Leader. I want people to feel like they have a place in this world. Ever since I've come out as a transman, I've been fighting for the rights and respect of the queer people at my school, because highschool is hard enough as it is.

My life has been ravaged by mental illness and addiction, forming who I am today. I have been severely impacted by my mental illness and addiction throughout my life, and it's completely changed the way I see the world and how I want to change it in the future. I have several mental illnesses including body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, all of which affect my life daily. But that is not all. I not only struggle with my mental illnesses but also have to face the devastating effects of addiction on my past because my mom was a severe alcoholic and my dad is addicted to video games. When I was younger, I thought that my difficulties were normal and that I was just being dramatic. I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked to find out I made it to 18. I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my younger years had completely faded. I am a different man now. Stronger than I have ever been. Some of my mental illnesses are a direct result of the neglect and abuse I received as a child due to the addictions of my parents. My parents never had a healthy relationship, but everything came to a head when their addictions fed into each other. My father would argue, and probably still will, that the only addictions he had that affected us were his addictions to caffeine and nicotine. That would be a horrible oversight. My dad has always been addicted to video games. Instead of facing his problems, he would spend every day all day ignoring the world. This fed into my mother's addiction: alcohol. I didn't see it when I was younger, but my eyes are open now. While I believe my mom is fully responsible for her mistakes in the past, my father certainly did not help. My mom felt alone, overwhelmed, and completely stuck. She tried her best to raise us, but she couldn't do it. She went to jail a few times as a result of her drinking, but that is not the part I care about. Her alcoholism would trigger her epilepsy, so multiple times in my childhood I would see her convulsing on the floor, staring in terror. My childhood was difficult, but I have grown since then. I've turned to creative endeavors and want to help people through that. I want to create stories people can see themselves in. Stories that people can escape to and learn from. Growing up I rarely had someone other than my siblings to guide me, but movies and shows were there. I want to help people like me out there, give them something to rely on, something to learn from, something to make their purpose. I've become the man I've always dreamed of and am unapologetically an ace, bisexual, transman. I want to be someone's hope and guidance. I want others to see themselves in my work.

My biggest role models have always been my older siblings. Throughout my entire life, I have looked to them for help and guidance, and they have consistently been there to give incredible wisdom and honesty. When most people talk about their siblings they normally have a very tense relationship however my siblings and I only had that very early on in our lives. Eventually, we became incredibly close, bound by trauma, and since then they have remained my main source of inspiration. They both have beautiful dreams that I have taken inspiration from. The whole reason I have done so well in school is that my older siblings have taught me the value of knowledge in this world, and have shown me the support needed to pursue the highest grades I came. I have also avoided getting low grades in part because I don't want to disappoint them. Growing up I followed their image and began reading a lot to reflect them. But not only that, but I've also found my passion, art because I wanted to be like them. Some of my favorite things in this world were supplied to me by my siblings' influence, and I will forever be grateful for that. They have given me not only what has ke[pt me alive over the years, but my purpose for living. Art, knowledge, and helping others. They have taught me how to talk to people, how to take care of myself, and even how to begin loving myself. They are my role models because, in the world of gray, I have been in they have stood out like lighthouses, shining light in my direction to keep me afloat even when all seems lost. My siblings have helped me in more ways than they will ever know, simply because they are amazing people. One of my siblings has overcome their anxiety and is in college now, with a whole swarm of friends to keep them company. The other have closer friendships than I thought possible and has taught me one of my favorite things on this planet, DND. They are getting healthier each day, working on their mental health and even fitness with a desire for change that I can't even comprehend. In short, my siblings have remained my role models because they are talented, kind, and interesting people who have consistently taken care of me and helped me along the rough road of our lives, and I will never stop being grateful to them for that.

My biggest role models have always been my older siblings. Throughout my entire life, I have looked to them for help and guidance, and they have consistently been there to give incredible wisdom and honesty. When most people talk about their siblings they normally have a very tense relationship however my siblings and I only had that very early on in our lives. Eventually, we became incredibly close, bound by trauma, and since then they have remained my main source of inspiration. They both have beautiful dreams that I have taken inspiration from. The whole reason I have done so well in school is that my older siblings have taught me the value of knowledge in this world, and have shown me the support needed to pursue the highest grades I came. I have also avoided getting low grades in part because I don't want to disappoint them. Growing up I followed their image and began reading a lot to reflect them. But not only that, but I've also found my passion, art because I wanted to be like them. Some of my favorite things in this world were supplied to me by my siblings' influence, and I will forever be grateful for that. They have given me not only what has ke[pt me alive over the years, but my purpose for living. Art, knowledge, and helping others. They have taught me how to talk to people, how to take care of myself, and even how to begin loving myself. They are my role models because, in the world of gray, I have been in they have stood out like lighthouses, shining light in my direction to keep me afloat even when all seems lost. My siblings have helped me in more ways than they will ever know, simply because they are amazing people. One of my siblings has overcome their anxiety and is in college now, with a whole swarm of friends to keep them company. The other one has closer friendships than I thought possible and has taught me one of my favorite things on this planet, DND. They are getting healthier each day, working on their mental health and even fitness with a desire for change that I can't even comprehend. In short, my siblings have remained my role models because they are talented, kind, and interesting people who have consistently taken care of me and helped me along the rough road of our lives, and I will never stop being grateful to them for that.

When I was young my mother went to jail twice for DUIs, and those two times were enough to change who I was forever. The first time was short, she was in jail for two weeks, but the next time was for a year because she hit a parked car. She was my primary caretaker because my dad mostly did not help with my care, so when she left everything changed. During this time I began to learn how the world worked for adults, and how I would fit into that. It also changed my generalized ambitions into finite, determined goals. When my mother left I was devastated, but things still needed to be done. I was only four years old, and quickly I began to be taught how to take care of myself for the rest of my life. From that moment on, whenever my mom would leave my life, I would take her place. I began cleaning the house like she did, doing dishes and laundry, and quickly I began to check in on my family's needs. I became an adult, not a well functioning one, but it was all the same. When she left it changed how I functioned entirely, but it also changed my inner world. Suddenly dreams of being a firefighter, police officer, and racecar driver were gone. I began to see realistically and learn what it took to get places in this world. I became much more devoted to school, and also I created a dream that cut through the rest of my life to even now. I wanted to become an artist hired by a company. Art became my comfort, and I knew I wanted it to become a massive part of my life. I believe some of these changes would have happened anyways become of other factors of my childhood, but mom's incarceration was the very beginning of it all and has always been a fuel for my perseverance and dedication to my studies.

When I was younger, I thought that my difficulties were normal and that I was just being dramatic. I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked just to find out that I made it to 17, and I'm turning 18 in a month! I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my younger years had completely faded. I am a different man now. Stronger than I have ever been. Some of my mental illnesses are a direct result of the neglect and abuse I received as a child due to the addictions of my parents. My mother and father never had a healthy relationship, but everything came to a head when their addictions fed into each other. My father would argue, and probably still will, that the only addictions he had that affected us were his addictions to caffeine and nicotine. That would be a horrible oversight. My dad has always been addicted to video games. Instead of facing his problems, he would spend every day all day ignoring the world. This fed into my mother's addiction: alcohol. I didn't see it when I was younger, but my eyes are open now. While I believe my mom is fully responsible for her mistakes in the past, my father certainly did not help. My mom felt alone, overwhelmed, and completely stuck. She tried her best to raise us, but she couldn't do it. She went to jail a few times as a result of her drinking, but that is not the part I care about. Her alcoholism would trigger her epilepsy, so multiple times in my childhood I would see her convulsing on the floor, staring in terror. My childhood was very hard, to say the least, but I have grown since then. I've turned to creative endeavors and want to help people through that. I want to create stories people can see themselves in. Stories that people can escape to and learn from. Growing up I rarely had someone to guide me, but movies and shows were there. I want to help people like me out there, give them something to rely on, something to learn from, something to make their purpose. I've become the man I've always dreamed of and am unapologetically an ace, biromantic transman. I want to be someone's hope and guidance. I want others to see themselves in my work.

I have tried my best to impact the world around me as I continue to grow as a person, and at times I believe I have actually accomplished that goal through volunteering, donating, and speaking out. Firstly, I have volunteered more than a few times to help others and the environment. I have served/talked to the elderly to create a better environment for them, I have planted trees, and I have helped to clean my local park. I also worked towards sustainability by lowering my power, plastic, and water usage in my life. Recently I've begun to thrift in order to get away from the constant waste produced by buying new. I have helped people move who I don't even know, I've brought the groceries in for my neighbor who struggles with mobility, and I've spent hours landscaping to help the environment around the low-income buildings in my area. All of these things I have done have been for the betterment of the world around me because I believe that the good you do has an impact, even if it is small. I have also helped by donating to others. Throughout my life I have needed the help of others, utilizing state benefits, housing, and pantries, and because of that I have donated as much as I can throughout my life. As soon as I could I began donating my blood each time it came to my highschool. I have also donated electronics I no longer use to people at my school who I know would struggle to receive. I have also donated money, while very little amounts, when I have enough money to be comfortable. Finally I also have spoken out for the betterment of my community. My work has mostly centered around the school, but as an activist for queer individuals, I had become the co-leader of my school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance in my junior year. With the work of the other leader, my older sibling, we created a safe place for the queer community to talk and learn. The GSA even spread to middle school. I speak out against any bigotry that I, or others, face whenever I can. I have also been a part of petitions to help change the school for the better, one of which aims to change our schools bell to be less over-stimulating for the nuerodivergent community at our school. Everything I have worked for has not been selfless, however, because my work has been to make the world a better place, which directly impacts me. I believe in positive change, and that anyone can make the world a better place one deed at a time. These things may not even be remembered, but I know in my heart that even if it helped someone for a moment that it was worth it.

Being a first-generation college student has drastically changed what I wanted to be in my career as I aged because my parents didn't have the chance to choose what they wanted to be. My parents could not afford college, and while they have done a few college classes online, neither could finish because of the need to focus on parenting, and because of financial burden. This has made me extremely cautious of my job choice and has made me consider what I've wanted to be for as long as I can remember. I can still remember asking about careers to my teachers and family, what they did and if they liked it, in order to figure out what would suit me the best. Being a first-generation college student has made me insightful, careful, and also nervous. I have been very worried for a long time that I will end up in an entry level job and be stuck there without a chance of rising past it. My mother has worked fast-food, cashier, and grocery jobs her entire life, without the opportunity to continue her education because of her teen pregnancy and poverty. My father had tried to further his education and become a designer, but his entire world fell through when his college program closed suddenly and his credits from said program became transferable. He was left with a lot of debt, which has only recently been forgiven. My parents didn't have the opportunity to continue their education, and I have witnessed the unhappiness that comes from being stuck in low-paying high-labor jobs that they both have been through, and I do not want that for myself. I am determined to get my degree and become an animator, a high paying and incredibly fulfilling career. I value my education, and I will make my dream career a reality.

This piece was the end of my years-long art investigation for my AP art portfolio, so to say that the inspiration for it is complicated would be an understatement, but I will try my best to isolate the main elements. My investigation surrounded how I changed growing up, and this was the final piece. At first, I wasn't really sure how I was going to express the final step of change I experienced, but then I began to really give it thought. I wanted to show the direction I was headed in life and what I wanted for myself. I wanted to show confidence and comfort. I also wanted to hint at my future desires being met. So how was I going to connect all these elements? Well, it began with me knowing I wanted it to show the direction I was headed in life. I decided I wanted a large city in the background, and that it was going to be a very clear element. Next, I wanted it to be a low-angle view to emphasize my new sense of confidence. I wanted the viewer to see the character that represents me in the future as masculine, confident, and relaxed. The next step was figuring out what I wanted the man to look like. Sunglasses to show my use of contacts, facial hair to show my masculine security, and street casual clothes to show my comfort with the environment around me. I blended the buildings around the character to show the world being changed by my future self, how instead of feeling insignificant I had the power to affect the entire city behind me. My future desires also needed to be represented, which was something I struggled with for a while. Finally, I settled on adding a cat beside him. I wanted to show that this character was not alone and in fact, had the unconditional love of a companion. So I suppose this cat represents my boyfriend, who I obviously hope will be in my future, and they also represent the cats I would like in my future. All in all my piece really represents my future and who I want to be. It was inspired by my childhood, my goals, and those around me. This piece means a lot to me because it's one of the most challenging ones I have worked on, and my confident strokes make me feel like I'm already getting there.

My life has been ravaged by mental illness and addiction, forming who I am today. And not only that, but I am also queer. I have been severely impacted by my mental illness and addiction throughout my life, and it's completely changed the way I see the world and how I want to change it in the future. I have several mental illnesses including body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, all of which affect my life on a daily basis. But that is not all. I not only struggle with my mental illnesses but also face the devastating effects of addiction on my past because my mom was a severe alcoholic and my dad is addicted to video games. When I was younger, I thought that my difficulties were typical and that I was just being dramatic. I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked just to find out that I made it to 17, and I'm turning 18 in a month! I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my younger years had completely faded. I am a different man now. Stronger than I have ever been. Some of my mental illnesses are a direct result of the neglect and abuse I received as a child due to the addictions of my parents. My mother and father never had a healthy relationship, but everything came to a head when their addictions fed into each other. My father would argue, and probably still will, that the only addictions he had that affected us were his addictions to caffeine and nicotine. That would be a horrible oversight. My dad has always been addicted to video games. Instead of facing his problems, he would spend every day all day ignoring the world. This fed into my mother's addiction, alcohol. I didn't see it when I was younger, but my eyes are open now. While I believe my mom is fully responsible for her mistakes in the past, my father certainly did not help. My mom felt alone, overwhelmed, and completely stuck. She tried her best to raise us, but she couldn't do it. She went to jail a few times as a result of her drinking, but that is not the part I really care about. Her alcoholism would trigger her epilepsy, so multiple times in my childhood I would see her convulsing on the floor, staring in terror. My childhood was very hard, to say the least, but I have grown since then. I've turned to creative endeavors and want to help people through that. I want to create stories people can see themselves in. Stories that people can escape to and learn from. Growing up I rarely had someone to guide me, but movies and shows were there. I want to help people like me out there, give them something to rely on, something to learn from, something to make their purpose. I want to be someone's hope and guidance. I want others to see themselves in my work.

My life has been ravaged by mental illness and addiction, forming who I am today. And not only that, but I am also queer. I have been severely impacted by my mental illness and addiction throughout my life, and it's completely changed the way I see the world and how I want to change it in the future. I have several mental illnesses including body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, all of which affect my life on a daily basis. I not only struggle with my mental illnesses but also face the devastating effects of addiction on my past because my mom was a severe alcoholic and my dad is addicted to video games. When I was younger, I thought that my difficulties were typical and that I was just being dramatic. I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how was I going to survive being an adult? Childhood me would be shocked to find out that I made it to 17, and I'm turning 18 in a month! I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my younger years had completely faded. I am a different man now. Stronger than I have ever been. Some of my mental illnesses are a direct result of the neglect and abuse I received as a child due to the addictions of my parents. My mother and father never had a healthy relationship, but everything came to a head when their addictions fed into each other. My father would argue, and probably still will, that the only addictions he had that affected us were his addictions to caffeine and nicotine. That would be a horrible oversight. My dad has always been addicted to video games. Instead of facing his problems, he would spend every day all day ignoring the world. This fed into my mother's addiction, alcohol. I didn't see it when I was younger, but my eyes are open now. While I believe my mom is fully responsible for her mistakes in the past, my father certainly did not help. My mom felt alone, overwhelmed, and completely stuck. She tried her best to raise us, but she couldn't do it. She went to jail a few times as a result of her drinking, but that is not the part I really care about. Her alcoholism would trigger her epilepsy, so multiple times in my childhood I would see her convulsing on the floor, staring in terror. My childhood was very difficult, but I have grown since then. I've turned to creative endeavors and want to help people through that. I want to create stories people can see themselves in. Stories that people can escape to and learn from. Growing up I rarely had someone to guide me, but movies and shows were there. I want to help people like me out there, give them something to rely on, something to learn from, something to make their purpose. I've become the man I've always dreamed of and am unapologetically an ace, bisexual, transman. I want to be someone's hope and guidance. I want others to see themselves in my work.

I am passionate about art because it has always been there for me, even when my parents couldn't be. Growing up in a single-parent household was difficult not only because of missing one of my parents but because the one who was tasked with taking care of me couldn't. My mother, who has been in and out of my life since I was eight, was an alcoholic struggling to become better. Thankfully today she has been sober for more than four years, but growing up she wasn't. My father was my primary caretaker, and while he tried, I was still neglected because of his severe depression. He used to escape the world by playing video games or by working, which left me to find out what to do with my time all on my own. One of my other siblings followed in his footsteps and also became addicted to video games, so that left me with one other. Rye was my closest confidant, and every day we spent hours playing imaginative games to escape our reality. Day in and out I would craft stories with them, creating entire worlds to explore. I'm not just passionate about art because it's fun to do, but because it has kept me alive over the years, and in a way, I owe it everything. When Rye fell victim to escapism by using computers as well, I had to find a way to explore my creativity without having another person to do that with. So, I turned to art. It started small, little stick figures in margins, then grew to entire pieces crafted over days of work. My art is my life and truest passion because it has always been there, and will continue always to be there. Art is not only an escape for me, but it has also brought me lasting friends, purpose, and hopefully after my college education money as well. I am passionate about art because it is a tool to show own soul through! It's something the world depends on! Everywhere people look in cities they will find the incredible influence of art, and I need to be a part of that. My favorite thing is animation because of the way it wields emotion to its will, and can make someone understand entire groups of people! I love art because It can connect people, express powerful ideas, and much more. I can't wait for art to be my career because it means everything to me, and that will never change because art was and is my caregiver, friend, and purpose. In the end, it was myself and art who inspired me to continue.

Science has heavily impacted my desire to produce animations by showing me how the body moves and the way movement works. My real passion for animation began when I learned about anatomy in my middle school science class. The way muscles stretch and shift based on other muscles, and even the limitation of joints, has always been extremely fascinating to me. Learning about muscle groups and different kinds of bones was one of my favorite parts of the day. Movement has also inspired me! The aspect of physics following rules that you can rely on made me excited to learn all the different ways things move. I've also spent much more time than I should have watching people, animals, and vehicles move. That's not all though. Science has made me fall in love with animals, weather, and perception. Animals have been a constant inspiration, with their ever-changing personalities and movements! I feel that the way animals move and communicate with each other has been one of the reasons I've been so happy to learn how to draw movement in general. Expressing the beauty of their movements has always been a goal of mine. The weather has also helped. We learned about different types of clouds, the way they move because of the wind, and how they build over time. This has inspired me deeply. Looking up to the sky and watching as the clouds move my building and swirl above has made me see the beauty of movement all the more. There's something so stunning about nature, organic movement. Perception alone has been one of my biggest inspirations. How we see things alters our opinions, feelings, and behavior. I've always wanted to show different perceptions through my animations in an attempt to help others understand each other. Medical science has also heavily impacted me. I have a lot of health issues, some of which affect my eyes, and because of that my vision is different than most people. I have visual snow, and it was in researching this that I fell in love with animation. I was fascinated by the fact that I see things differently than others, and communicating this through my art has always been a desire of mine. Because of science, I have fallen in love with the world around me, and as a result, I want others to see the small things I do. The way leaves drift down because of their mass, the way dogs' knees bend as they sit, the swaying of a lookout tower, all of it is so beautiful and so simple, yet goes unseen or cared about. Because of science, I have found my passion, and it has pushed me toward the world of animation better than anything else in my world.

I am passionate about art because it has always been there for me, even when my parents couldn't be. Growing up in a single-parent household was difficult not only because of missing one of my parents but because the one who was tasked with taking care of me couldn't. My mother, who has been in and out of my life since I was eight, was an alcoholic struggling to become better. Thankfully today she has been sober for more than four years, but growing up she wasn't. My father was my primary caretaker, and while he tried, I was still neglected because of his severe depression. He used to escape the world by playing video games or by working, which left me to find out what to do with my time all on my own. One of my other siblings followed in his footsteps and also became addicted to video games, so that left me with one other. Rye was my closest confidant, and every day we spent hours playing imaginative games to escape our reality. Day in and out I would craft stories with them, creating entire worlds to explore. I'm not just passionate about art because it's fun to do, but because it has kept me alive over the years, and in a way, I owe it everything. When Rye fell victim to escapism by using computers as well, I had to find a way to explore my creativity without having another person to do that with. So, I turned to art. It started small, little stick figures in margins, then grew to entire pieces crafted over days of work. My art is my life and truest passion because it has always been there, and will continue always to be there. Art is not only an escape for me, but it has also brought me lasting friends, purpose, and hopefully after my college education money as well. I am passionate about art because it is a tool to show own soul through! It's something the world depends on! Everywhere people look in cities they will find the incredible influence of art, and I need to be a part of that. My favorite thing is animation because of the way it wields emotion to its will, and can make someone understand entire groups of people! I love art because It can connect people, express powerful ideas, and much more. I can't wait for art to be my career because it means everything to me, and that will never change because art was and is my caregiver, friend, and purpose.

My life has been ravaged by mental illness and addiction, forming who I am today. I have been severely impacted by my mental illness and other addictions throughout my life, and it's completely changed how I see the world and how I want to change it in the future. I have several mental illnesses including body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and ptsd, all of which affect my life on a daily basis. But that is not all. I not only struggle with my mental illnesses but also have to face the devastating effects of addiction on my past because my mom was a severe alcoholic and my dad is addicted to video games. When I was younger, I thought that my difficulties were normal and that I was just being dramatic. I would lay in bed and stare up, thinking if my childhood was this bad, how would I survive being an adult. In all honesty, childhood me would be shocked to see where I am now. Childhood me would be shocked to find out that I made it to 17, and I'm turning 18 in a month! I still struggle with all of my mental illnesses, even after years of therapy and being medicated, but it's better. When I was younger I would stare at my body and wonder why, why was I born this way. I hated everything about my appearance, everything. It got to the point where I always wore a sweater and refused to take it off. I would hide under my clothes, and soon any self-confidence that had once been in my younger years had completely faded. I am a different man now. Stronger than I have ever been. Some of my mental illnesses are a direct result of the neglect and abuse I received as a child due to the addictions of my parents. My mother and father never had a healthy relationship, but everything came to a head when their addictions fed into each other. My father would argue, and probably still will, that the only addictions he had that affected us was his addictions to caffeine and nicotine. That would be a horrible oversight. My dad has always been addicted to video games. Instead of facing his problems he would spend every day all day ignoring the world. This fed into my mothers addiction, alcohol. I didn't see it when I was younger, but my eyes are open now. While I believe my mom is fully responsible for her mistakes in the past, my father certainly did not help. My mom felt alone, overwhelmed, and completely stuck. She tried her best to raise us, but she couldn't do it. She went to jail a few times as a result of her drinking, but that is not the part I really care about. Her alcoholism would trigger her epilepsy, so multiple times in my childhood I would see her convulsing on the floor, staring in terror. My childhood was very hard to say the least, but I have grown since then. I've turned to creative endeavors and want to help people through that. I want to create stories people can see themselves in. Stories that people can escape to and learn from. Growing up I rarely had someone to guide me, but movies and shows were there. I want to help people like me out there, give them something to rely on, something to learn from, something to make their purpose. I want to be someone's hope and guidance.