Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet. i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet. to to to to to to o6o 6o to t o to tot o to to i i i

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

b bHello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet. Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year Visual Communications major. This statement outlines the key role art has played in my personal development. ​ In 2020, my family underwent eviction and was forced to share a single motel room. To manage the resulting anxiety and doubt, I began drawing with whatever materials I had available. Art provided me with focus during this period of instability. ​ Initially, I created drawings of familiar subjects, such as cartoon characters, primarily for fan art. During this time, I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art was not only visually attractive but also conveyed intense feeling. This inspired me to pursue similar expressive qualities in my own artwork, motivating me to produce additional pieces and hone my artistic abilities. ​ As my self-confidence grew, I began experimenting with various artistic styles, including realism, and dedicated myself to developing my skills. Concurrently, I started experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms associated with Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. On some days, the severity of the pain prevented me from drawing, which caused concern for my parents. Nevertheless, art consistently served as my primary coping mechanism throughout these trials. ​ School presented major challenges, particularly after relocating to Wilmington in eighth grade. I became involved in extracurricular activities and helped establish the school's Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. Following my transfer to Cab Calloway, my health deteriorated, and I temporarily lost my creative motivation. However, with support, I gradually resumed artistic pursuits, even though I faced additional health setbacks in Smyrna. ​ During my junior year, my family once again experienced homelessness, sharing a small motel room. Drawing served as an essential outlet, allowing me to escape the stressful environment. I spent my senior year in this setting, dedicating myself to art and aspiring to improve my circumstances. ​ Currently, I am in a temporary but improved living situation and respectfully ask for consideration for this scholarship. I hope to demonstrate that my identity surpasses the challenges I have faced. I keep committed to my creative practice.2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon chara

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It inspired me to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year Visual Communications major. This statement outlines the significant role art has played in my personal development. ​ In 2020, my family faced eviction and was forced to share a single motel room. To manage the resulting stress and uncertainty, I began drawing with whatever materials I had available. Art provided me with focus during this period of instability. ​ Initially, I created drawings of familiar subjects, such as cartoon characters, primarily for fan art. During this time, I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art was not only visually appealing but also conveyed profound emotion. This inspired me to pursue similar expressive qualities in my own artwork, motivating me to produce additional pieces and refine my artistic abilities. ​ As my confidence grew, I began experimenting with various artistic styles, including realism, and dedicated myself to skill development. Concurrently, I started experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms associated with Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. On some days, the severity of the pain prevented me from drawing, which caused concern for my parents. Nevertheless, art consistently served as my primary coping mechanism throughout these challenges. ​ School presented significant challenges, particularly after relocating to Wilmington in eighth grade. I became involved in extracurricular activities and helped establish the school's Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. Following my transfer to Cab Calloway, my health deteriorated, and I temporarily lost my creative motivation. However, with support, I gradually resumed artistic pursuits, even as I faced additional health setbacks in Smyrna. ​ During my junior year, my family once again experienced homelessness, sharing a small motel room. Drawing served as an essential outlet, allowing me to escape the stressful environment. I spent my senior year in this setting, dedicating myself to art and aspiring to improve my circumstances. ​ Currently, I am in a temporary but improved living situation and respectfully request consideration for this scholarship. I aim to demonstrate that my identity extends beyond the challenges I have faced. I remain committed to my creative practice. ​ Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year Visual Communications major. This statement outlines the significant role art has played in my personal development. ​ In 2020, my family faced eviction and was forced to share a single motel room. To manage the resulting stress and uncertainty, I began drawing with whatever materials I had available. Art provided me with focus during this period of instability. ​ Initially, I created drawings of familiar subjects, such as cartoon characters, primarily for fan art. During this time, I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art was not only visually appealing but also conveyed profound emotion. This inspired me to pursue similar expressive qualities in my own artwork, motivating me to produce additional pieces and refine my artistic abilities. ​ As my confidence grew, I began experimenting with various artistic styles, including realism, and dedicated myself to skill development. Concurrently, I started experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms associated with Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. On some days, the severity of the pain prevented me from drawing, which caused concern for my parents. Nevertheless, art consistently served as my primary coping mechanism throughout these challenges. ​ School presented significant challenges, particularly after relocating to Wilmington in eighth grade. I became involved in extracu]

n 2020, my family was evicted and crowded into a motel room. To cope with the stress and uncertainty, I started drawing using whatever materials I could find. Art gave me focus amid chaos. ​ Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pieces to better myself and hone my talent. ​ As I gained more confidence, I started experimenting with different styles, including realism, and worked to improve my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. ​ School was tough, especially after moving to Wilmington in eighth grade. Despite these difficulties, I joined clubs and helped launch the school's Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was uplifting. Later, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health worsened, and I lost my creative drive. However, with support, I slowly returned to art, even as I faced continued health setbacks in Smyrna. ​ In junior year, my family was homeless again, sharing a cramped motel room. Drawing became my escape from the stressful environment. I spent my senior year there, focused on art and dreaming of a better life. ​ Today, while my circumstances remain temporary, they have improved, allowing me to reflect on the resilience I have developed through adversity. Being considered for this scholarship would not only help me pursue my artistic goals but also affirm the growth and persistence that art has enabled in my life. My experiences have taught me that creativity can thrive even in the most difficult environments, and I continue to use art to express both my struggles and hopes for the future. I want to demonstrate that I am defined not by the obstacles I have faced, but by my ongoing commitment to create and move forward.plese consider me n 2020, my family was evicted and crowded into a motel room. To cope with the stress and uncertainty, I started drawing using whatever materials I could find. Art gave me focus amid chaos. ​ Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pieces to better myself and hone my talent. ​ As I gained more confidence, I started experimenting with different styles, including realism, and worked to improve my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. ​ School was tough, especially after moving to Wilmington in eighth grade. Despite these difficulties, I joined clubs and helped launch the school's Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was uplifting. Later, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health worsened, and I lost my creative drive. However, with support, I slowly returned to art, even as I faced continued health setba

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started experimenting with different styles, including realism, and worked to improve my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better, yet temporary, situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better, yet temporary, situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet. Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better, yet temporary, situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better, yet temporary, situation and hope to be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet. And I hope with your help I can achieve my dreams and spread awareness through my art.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet. and with this scholorship can achieve my goals. Thank you for your consideration

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pieces to better myself and hone my talent. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Hello, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am a first-year visual communications major. I want to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find, scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers, and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters, mainly fan art. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel inspired and motivated to create artwork like hers. This encouraged me to draw and illustrate even more pices ti better myself and hone my talent. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing because of how severe the pain was, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while. With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. During the latter half of my junior year, my family and I found ourselves homeless once again. cramped in a tiny motel room, there was one thing to do: draw. This was the only thing to keep my mind off the insects and the people who lurked outside my motel doors. During this time, I spent the rest of my senior year in that room, drawing and dreaming of a life better than the one I had. Today, I am in a better yet temporary situation and am hoping that I will be considered for this scholarship. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.

Good afternoon, My name is Stephanie Archie, and I am about to start college soon. I’d like to share a little about my journey with art and how it has influenced who I am today. In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were evicted and ended up living together in a single motel room. It was a small, crowded space for five people, and the situation was stressful and uncertain. During that tough time, I started drawing—not because I wanted to become an artist, but because it helped me cope. I used whatever materials I could find—scrap paper, dull pencils, old markers—and drew whatever came to mind. Art gave me something to focus on when everything else felt chaotic. Initially, I drew comforting things like cartoon characters and lighter scenes. That’s when I discovered Rebecca Sugar’s work on Steven Universe. Her art wasn’t just beautiful; it conveyed deep emotion. It made me feel seen and understood, especially when I was scared or felt different. That show helped me through some of my darkest moments and motivated me to keep creating. As I gained more confidence, I started trying out different styles, including realism, and worked on improving my skills. Around the same time, I began experiencing joint pain, migraines, and symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome. There were days when I had to stop drawing to rest, and my parents were understandably worried. Despite these challenges, art remained my way of coping with everything happening around me. School has been difficult throughout this journey. When we moved to Wilmington in eighth grade, I felt disconnected and down. I focused more on art than on schoolwork. During my freshman year, I joined clubs, made friends, and helped organize my school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance dance, which was a positive experience. However, after transferring to Cab Calloway, my health and anxiety worsened, and I lost my connection to art for a while this With support from counseling and close friends, I gradually found my way back to creativity. Even after moving to Smyrna and experiencing further health setbacks, I continued to create as best I could. Now that I am starting college, I still have many uncertainties, but one thing is clear: I want to keep making art. I plan to study illustration because I want to create spaces and art that make people feel something—maybe even seen, like I felt when I watched Rebecca Sugar’s work. I want to show myself and others that I am more than my health challenges, my family’s struggles, or the difficulties I’ve faced. I am still here, still creating, and not done yet.