The appreciation for the world around us is an immeasurably important ability. Perceiving beauty around us is what enriches our lives, it is the appreciation for what we have that leads us to contentment. I believe it is the joy that comes from this very feeling of appreciation that has led me to use art as my main form of expression. Growing up in an East Los Angeles neighborhood, I constantly found myself inspired by the community around. Murals left from the Chicano movement are proudly spread throughout the neighborhood. Particularly, “Inner Resources”, a mural painted in my local park depicting the history of Latin american people and culture. I would stand staring at it in awe as a kid; the mural spread across a series of intricately drawn symbolic images that meld into one another, all to celebrate our community’s cultural pride. I believe this is when my unspoken dream to become a painter was cemented. I was given the chance to exhibit at the Eastern Project Gallery's "Blossom" exhibit two artworks from my "Vendedores" series, which centers around different East Los Angeles street vendors I encountered. After this experience, I realized my art can be used as a form of advocacy, it is a way that allows for these often criminalized and undervalued figures to be shown in a positive light. I wanted my viewers to see them through my eyes for their cultural & economic contributions, dedicated work ethic, and perseverance. Coming from a Mexican immigrant household, creativity was seen as a waste of time. When my parents and older family members asked what I planned to do in the future I would respond with “teacher” or “nurse” to meet their expectations of success, knowing the real answer was “Artist.” “Los dibujos no pagan ni la renta ni los billes,” (Drawings don't pay rent or bills) my mom would say to me. Art is something Latinos, and many other people of color, are discouraged from pursuing which often results in the lack of representation in the art world. However this makes me want to pursue it all the more as I desire to bring about some change and bring celebration of culture into the art world. Upon starting my college education in illustration upcoming fall, I hope to further my skills to work as a professional muralist and children's book illustrator. I want to ensure that art can reach all sorts of audiences, especially those who wouldn't have the chance to go to a gallery or museum. I also want to continue creating art that unapologetically celebrates people like me and amplifies the voices of those in my community. Ultimately, I want to work doing what inspired me to do art in the first place, accessible artworks that will inspire others. Convincing my parents to allow me to attend art school was a long process, and though I am lucky to have won a scholarship, I still need to raise money to sustain a living while at college, and I am willing to work for it. I want to show my parents that it is possible for their daughter to do what she loves for a living. If granted this scholarship, I would utilize the reward to pay towards my expenses for education, including housing and supplies.

Coming from a Mexican immigrant household, creativity was seen as a waste of time. When my parents and older family members asked what I planned to do in the future I would respond with “teacher” or “nurse” to meet their expectations of success, knowing the real answer was “Artist.” I think my love for art first developed with my admiration for murals from my neighborhood in East Los Angeles. Particularly, “Inner Resources”, a mural painted in my local park depicting the history of Latin american people and culture. I would stand staring at it in awe as a kid; the mural spread across a series of intricately drawn symbolic images that meld into one another, all to celebrate our community’s cultural pride. I believe this is when my unspoken dream to become a painter was cemented. During high school I immersed myself in art through every way I could; I won scholarships to attend art programs free of cost such as Otis Summer of Art, led the Visual Arts Club of my High School, and took AP studio Art. For my AP drawing class, I made pieces centered around the rich culture of East Los Angeles and chose to paint Matilda, a family friend and Mexican snack vendor who sells in my neighborhood street for my piece “La Nievera.” Yet the more I created, the more disapproval I received. My family members encouraged me to stop spending so much time making art. “Los dibujos no pagan ni la renta ni los billes,” (Drawings don't pay rent or bills) my mom would say to me. Despite basing much of art around my culture, I felt alienated from it. The judgment I received from my family for wanting to pursue a “white person career” made me feel like I was somehow less Mexican. When my painting was posted on my school’s social media website, I was recruited by the local Eastern Projects Gallery to exhibit two of my artworks in their “Blossom” Chicana Women Artists Group Exhibition. I was suddenly surrounded by a group of successful Latina artists and learned from them that art was in fact an option for me. I was able to sell my art to none other than Paul Botello, the muralist of “Inner Resources.” Meeting Mr, Botello, the artist I had long admired, inspired me as he expressed he believed I would thrive as an artist and acknowledged my work. My family has begun to be interested in what I make and even ask me to draw things for them. While they are worried that I have applied to study Illustration in college, they no longer express discontent towards art. “Si de veras mucho quieres esto, tienes que echarle muchas ganas” (if this is really something you want, you're gonna have to give it your all) is what my mom has recently started saying. Although it isn’t a passion that is encouraged in many families, art is a human practice and I believe it's time for people like me to be allowed to love art. Convincing my parents to allow me to apply to art school was a long process, with years of proving my dedication to what I love, and though I will only be able to attend if I receive a lot of financial aid and scholarships, I am willing to work for it. I want to show my parents that I can succeed in what I have set out to do and show them that it is possible for someone like their daughter to do what she loves for a living.