I grew up in Buenaventura, Colombia, a place of vibrant culture, music, and resilience, but also a place where opportunities often feel limited. From the earliest moments of my life, I knew that education was more than just attending school, it was a way to open doors, to break cycles, and to imagine a different future. This belief came from my greatest role model: my mother. As a devoted teacher, she taught me that learning is not only a personal achievement but a responsibility, something we must share to uplift others. Her lessons were reinforced when I attended a pedagogical high school with an emphasis on teaching and educator training. There, I learned the value of passing knowledge forward, of sparking curiosity in others, and of using education as a tool to move a community forward. It was in those formative years that I promised myself I would always contribute to society through the skills and knowledge I gained. I began my academic journey in Industrial Engineering, driven by the desire to create solutions for my community. But as I advanced in my studies, I discovered a different passion, one that set my creativity alight: art and animation. Choosing to switch careers was not easy, but it was an act of faith in myself and in the belief that passion paired with hard work can make an impact. Today, I am pursuing a degree in Digital Art Technology in the USA, as an international student on an F-1 visa. This journey has tested my resilience and adaptability, but it has also expanded my vision of what is possible. My dedication to education extends beyond my own academic path. As a volunteer in Colombia with AIESEC, I taught mathematics to underserved youth, witnessing firsthand the power of mentorship to inspire confidence and ambition. In the United States, I have continued serving others by volunteering in the communications department of Norwalk Public Schools, where I apply my creative skills to projects that strengthen community engagement, and in VITAS Healthcare. These experiences remind me daily that service and education are deeply intertwined. My dream is to become a director of animation and digital art. While my work will be creative, I see it as more than producing visuals, it will be about telling stories that matter. I want to create projects that highlight resilience, amplify underrepresented voices, and inspire young people to believe in their talents. I also envision building workshops and mentorship programs for aspiring artists, particularly in communities where access to technology and creative education is limited. The legacy of Charlene K. Howard speaks to my heart. She understood that education is about more than textbooks and classrooms, it is about empowerment, opportunity, and connection. Like Charlene, I aspire to be a mentor and a guide, helping students discover their passions, overcome challenges, and reach dreams they once thought were out of reach. I believe education has a ripple effect. When one student achieves their goals, they inspire their family, their community, and generations to come. Every step I take in my career is not only for myself but also for the young people of Buenaventura who may be wondering if their dreams are possible. I want them to see that they are. Receiving this scholarship would mean more than financial support, it would be an affirmation that my path of education, service, and creativity is worth pursuing. As an international student, every opportunity matters, and I am committed to using it to create opportunities for others. Education changed my life. My goal now is to ensure it changes many more.

I grew up in Buenaventura, Colombia, a place where violence often overshadows dreams. Living in a city dominated by criminal gangs taught me to escape through my imagination. Art became my refuge long before I had the courage to call it my purpose. My family is full of artistic talent, my mother a letterer, my father a creator of intricate iron designs, and my brothers gifted cartoonists, but for all of us, art was only a hobby. In our community, it was never seen as a viable profession, so I followed the “safe” path and studied engineering. Even as an engineering student, I could not ignore the pull of creativity. I took drawing and painting classes at the university, seeing art as my meditation, a way to disconnect from the world and connect with myself. But when I began working as an engineer, I felt like I was living someone else’s life. The lack of fulfillment pushed me into anxiety and depression, until, while working in e-commerce alongside designers and digital artists, my long-buried passion returned. I realized art had always been more than a pastime, it was my therapy, my safe space, my perseverance. It had saved me once, and I wanted it to define my future. I began studying web design, but I craved more: to bring characters to life, make images move, and tell stories visually. That desire led me to leave my life in Colombia, come to the United States as an Au Pair, and later become an international student in Digital Art Technology with a focus on Animation and Motion Graphics. What excites me most are projects with deep emotional weight, stories that represent minorities, show cultural authenticity, and speak to people who feel invisible. I want to create animations and motion graphics that show others they are not alone, that beauty can emerge even from pain, giving hope, sparking conversation, and making audiences feel seen. I am building skills in Adobe Animate. After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Autodesk Maya, and Blender for 3D modeling and future animation. At this early stage, I face technical challenges, many 3D projects remain unfinished due to the need for a more powerful system to render them. Still, I push forward, finding ways to work within these limitations, practicing, and completing as many projects as possible. These tools are not just technical resources, they are instruments to amplify voices that are often unheard. Through them, I can blend illustration, typography, 3D animation, and storytelling into visuals that both move and matter. My long-term goal is to become a film and animation director, leading projects that open the door for more women to have space and recognition in the animation industry. I want my work to be a platform where diverse voices are not only heard but celebrated, and where stories from different cultures can be told with authenticity and respect. At 27, I feel as though I am reclaiming the magic I set aside as a child. Every day I study and create, I am not only building a career but also fulfilling a promise I made to my younger self: to live authentically, with passion, and to use my voice and skills to make a difference. I believe art has the power to heal, to connect, and to leave a legacy. Through this scholarship, I hope to continue mastering the tools that will allow me to tell stories that matter, and remind people everywhere that they are not alone. My art will be my voice, my bridge, and my contribution to a more understanding and connected world.

"Sonnet 29" by William Shakespeare When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself, and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd, Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope, With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee,—and then my state, (Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven's gate; For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings. In Sonnet 29, William Shakespeare reveals an essential truth of the human experience: even when we feel defeated, excluded, or unworthy in the face of the world, hope and love have the power to transform our pain into a source of inner strength. This is an idea I not only find poetically beautiful, but vital to understanding my own life. The poem expresses an emotional tension between the desire for a more favorable life, like that of those who seem to have it all, and the recognition of the value of what one already possesses, especially when it has been earned through hard work and resilience. The sonnet begins with a powerful image of desolation: the speaker feels “out of favor with fortune and men.” He feels that his pleas go unanswered even in heaven, which remains “deaf” to his prayers. Then, in one of the most poignant lines, Shakespeare writes, “and I look upon myself, and curse my lot, wishing I were like him, richer in hopes.” This phrase reflects a deep and universal sentiment: the desire to have another life, one that seems simpler, more privileged, more full of possibilities. In my case, it also reflects a part of my story: growing up in an environment marked by violence, inequality, and social limitations that often seemed to close doors before I could even touch them. I've felt that silent comparison with those who seem to have been born into a system that favors them: those who have easy access to education, resources, and a stable and safe environment. It's impossible not to wonder, sometimes painfully, what my life would be like if I, too, had been born "richer in hope." If I had had access from the beginning to the opportunities I now so hard seek. But just as Shakespeare's speaker experiences this dissatisfaction, he also finds an internal response: a transformative shift in his thinking. What restores light to the speaker is not an external change, but the memory of someone he loves deeply. That image alone is enough to reverse the dejection and lift his spirits "like a lark at dawn." This metaphor represents emotional rebirth, the ability to believe again when everything has been lost. In my life, that impulse has come from the constant reminder of my roots, of my childhood in Colombia, of my family, of the sacrifices that brought me here. Although I have sometimes wished for a different story, I recognize that I wouldn't trade what I experienced for the privileges of kings. Because that story gave me the strength, empathy, and determination that define me today. The sonnet doesn't offer a magic solution to sadness or the inequalities of the world. It doesn't promise that loving or dreaming will automatically make us happy. But it does show us that, in the midst of suffering, there is a source of dignity that can sustain us: the power to remember what makes us feel alive and valuable. In my case, it is the desire to grow professionally, to achieve a life of meaning and stability, but also to honor my past, not as a burden, but as an essential part of my identity. Shakespeare concludes the poem with a simple and powerful statement: "Then I am so rich for your love, that I would not trade my estate with kings." For me, this line is not only a declaration of love, but a declaration of gratitude. Recognizing that, despite difficulties, I have come far. That what I have built, with my own steps, is worth more than any inherited privilege. This poem reminds me that I don't need to have everything to be fulfilled; I need to remember why I started this path and who I am because of it. Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 holds a timeless lesson: when the world closes its doors to us, the memory of what we love and dream of can open a window for light to shine through. The poem doesn't deny pain, but it doesn't surrender to it either. It invites us, with humility and firmness, to return to ourselves and find there a strength that no system can take away. That's why I don't just read this poem: I live it.

I want to create my animation studio to offer better labor conditions and open opportunities for young talent animators. It is well known that the animation industry is unstable. The advent of AI and spates of mass layoffs have put the professional opportunities of upcoming artists at risk under the threat of tools that seem to replace not just jobs but also human creativity, imagination, emotion, and skill that give animation its soul. I have been working really hard in my life to get where I am now. I am an aspiring 3D animation artist, hoping to one day work for a major studio like Pixar, DreamWorks, or Disney. I dream of becoming an animation director and bringing to life characters that brighten the lives of every viewer. A dream that I put aside for many years, out of fear and because of the few opportunities offered by the place where I was born. I grew up in Buenaventura, Colombia, a city marked by violence and controlled by criminal gangs. I saw many friends from my neighborhood take up arms, believing it was their only chance at a better life, while others were caught in the crossfire of endless violence. From a young age, my goal was to create a better reality for myself and to prove to the young people around me that it was possible to move forward, to chase dreams, and to build a future through education. As a good student, I saw my career choice as a way to achieve that. Like many Latinos striving to survive, I followed my family's advice and stayed away from careers in the arts or entertainment because, according to them, you couldn’t make a living from art. But I wasn't happy. I suffered from depression and anxiety from living a life in survival mode and not enjoying what I loved. I decided to emigrate and begin a new phase of my life, pursuing my dreams. Now, after so many years, I'm finally pursuing the career of my dreams. And I must continue to strive to stand out in a community full of talented people, waiting for an opportunity to develop their potential in a work environment, a reality that I will have to face, learn from it and use all that knowledge to offer them an easier path and guide them towards building a prosperous career in the animation industry, especially foreigners, who have to work twice as hard to access these opportunities, fight against a system, immigration and the world of work to obtain a decent life doing what we are passionate about, art. Beyond my personal dreams, I want to be a multiplier and hope for my community. I want to show them that it is possible to dream beyond the limits imposed by our circumstances; that success is not just for those born into privilege, but also for those who dare to fight for it.

I grew up in Buenaventura, Colombia, a city marked by violence and controlled by criminal gangs. I saw many friends from my neighborhood take up arms, believing it was their only chance at a better life, while others were caught in the crossfire of endless violence. To distract myself from that reality and stay off the streets, after completing my duties, I spent hours watching cartoons on television and wondering how the drawings came to life, what that magic was, because I wanted to do it too. From a young age, my goal was to create a better reality for myself and my family. As a good student, I saw my career choice as a way to achieve that. Like many Latinos striving to survive, I followed my family's advice and stayed away from careers in the arts or entertainment because, according to them, you couldn’t make a living from art. And I saw it, many artists in my city struggling to make ends meet or dedicating themselves to doing other things to survive. Instead, I chose to study Industrial Engineering, a decision I would later regret in adulthood. If only I had followed the example of those who did succeed as artists, but I was filled with fear. I put my dreams of being an animator aside until I started working in e-commerce with creative and talented digital artists, and all those desires came back, along with the sadness of not having followed my dreams. Since animation wasn’t available in my country, I made the difficult choice to leave everything behind and move to the U.S. to pursue my true passion. At 24, I arrived in a foreign country to live with strangers as an Au Pair. Becoming a live-in nanny was never part of my plan, but it was the fastest way to legally come to the U.S., learn the language, save money, and become an International student. With no financial support, I had to find my way. The experience was one of the biggest challenges of my life, physically and mentally exhausting, battling depression and anxiety, and being far from my family and loved ones. However, with a lot of effort and pride, and the help of the Au Pair community, I finally managed to start the career of my dreams in a foreign country that is a pioneer in this industry. Animation and Motion Graphics are what give me purpose, what fill me with joy, and a deep sense of fulfillment. I do not doubt that pursuing this career will allow me to wake up every day excited to do what I love, turning my passion into a lifelong profession. My biggest aspiration is to continue my education at a university like Pratt Institute or CalArts once I graduate from community college, to become an animation and digital art director like Director Domee Shi who one of my greatest inspiration, to bring stories to life, evoke emotions, create unforgettable visual experiences on the big screen and help to build an industry that support women in the animation industry. Her success makes me believe that women belong in animation, that we are carving out space in an industry where our voices and visions matter. This dream is bigger than me. I want to uplift my family, give my parents the peace they deserve, and provide a safe home far from violence. I also hope to inspire my community to show that where you come from doesn’t limit where you can go. My success will be a message to others that they can dream, fight, and achieve too.

When the pandemic hit, I found myself in an identity crisis that triggered deep anxiety and depression. I had spent years making choices that pushed me further from who I truly was, trying desperately to fit into a mold imposed by the society I grew up in. I thought I had done everything right, but my spirit weakened more and more every day. I earned my Industrial Engineering degree two months before the pandemic began, and I got my first official job as an engineer when the pandemic hit, but then I was laid off. Suddenly, I was back in my parents’ home in Buenaventura, jobless, scared, and sick. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, developed severe acne, and lived in constant fear of a deadly virus. None of this was part of the plan I had envisioned as a little girl to leave Buenaventura, a city marked by violence and controlled by criminal gangs. I saw too many friends either fall into crime or lose their lives to it. I didn’t want that future for myself or for anyone I loved. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, I started revisiting the moments that had once brought me joy. I remembered how much I loved cartoons, how fascinated I was by how they were made, and the countless crafts and digital drawings I created as a child. I also remembered how painful it had been to give up on pursuing art because you can’t make a living with that, according to what everyone told me. But here I was, engineering degree in hand, jobless, unhappy, and back in the very place I fought so hard to escape. That’s when the idea of studying animation resurfaced. Though I eventually found work as an engineer outside Buenaventura, the sense of not belonging followed me. I wanted more, but in Colombia, opportunities to study and work in animation were extremely limited. The United States became my strongest option. So I made the difficult decision to leave everything behind and move to the U.S. as an au pair. When I told people, the disappointment on their faces was unmistakable. I had always been a good student. How could I throw it all away to just babysit? But what they didn’t see was that I knew clearly that this was my fastest, most realistic path to get here legally, learn the language, save money, and eventually study animation. I’ve never been so scared and yet so certain. That decision changed everything. After two years of hard work and sacrifice, I finally enrolled in the program I’ve dreamed of since I was a child. I’m now proudly pursuing a career in Animation and Motion Graphics in the very country that pioneered the field I want to be part of. I still remember the tears on my mom’s face at the airport, and the heartbreak of telling my little brother I didn’t know when I’d hug him again. I’ve grown in ways I never imagined. I’ve found confidence, embraced risks, and stepped far outside my comfort zone. For the first time, I’ve discovered communities where I truly belong, exploring passions that once felt out of reach back in Colombia. I want that for my family, too, to give them the peace and security they deserve outside of Buenaventura, which is every day more unlivable. And for the young people in my community, I want to be proof that where you come from doesn’t define where you can go. My success will be a message: you can dream, you can fight, and you can rise.

I grew up in Buenaventura, Colombia, a city marked by violence and controlled by criminal gangs. I saw many friends from my neighborhood take up arms, believing it was their only chance at a better life, while others were caught in the crossfire of endless violence. From a young age, my goal was to create a better reality for myself and to prove to the young people around me that it was possible to move forward, to chase dreams, and to build a future through education. As a good student, I saw my career choice as a way to achieve that. Like many Latinos striving to survive, I followed my family's advice and stayed away from careers in the arts or entertainment because, according to them, you couldn’t make a living from art. At 24, I arrived in a foreign country to live with strangers as an Au Pair. Becoming an intern nanny was never part of my plan. Still, it was the fastest way to legally come to the U.S., learn the language, and save money, knowing that studying as an international student would be extremely expensive. With no financial support, I had to find my way. The experience was one of the biggest challenges of my life, physically and mentally exhausting, battling depression and anxiety, and being far from my family and loved ones. However, it has also been my greatest achievement to obtain the student F1 visa status and be able to register for the program that I have wanted to study since I was very young. With a lot of effort and pride, I can say that I finally managed to start the career of my dreams in a foreign country that is a pioneer in Animation. Beyond my dreams, I want to be a multiplier for my community. I come from Buenaventura, a city where violence overshadows dreams, opportunities are scarce, and many young people believe that their reality defines their future. I want to change that narrative. I want to show them that it is possible to dream beyond the limits imposed by our circumstances and that success is not just for those born into privilege but also for those who dare to fight for it. This dream is bigger than just me. I want to lift my family with me, to provide my parents with the peace and security they have always deserved, and to give them a home where they can walk freely, without fear, far from the violence that has shaped our past. Beyond my family, I want to be a beacon of hope for my community. I want to prove that it is possible to break that cycle and that where you come from does not define where you can go. My success will not just be mine; it will be a message to every young person in my city that they, too, can dream, fight, and achieve. In Colombia, we don't use stamps unless it's for bureaucratic processes. When I arrived in the United States, I was very intrigued by the fact that people still send letters and use stamps for them. My boss explained to me about the use of stamps. When I saw the movie Charade, my intrigue about stamps increased. It's a beautiful tradition that Americans should continue to carry out. Now I send letters and collect stamps. I would encourage young people to write letters and use the best stamp that represents what they express in words, and this could be a way to introduce them to pursue philately.

I was born into a very artistic family. Creativity is a characteristic that we all have in common. Unfortunately, in the past, none of us saw art as anything more than a hobby, because in the environment where we lived, this discipline was not an option as a source of income, which made us repress this love and settle for something else. This is how my relationship with art began. I saw it as a hobby, not as a way of life and much less as a source of income. My mother is a letterer, and my father makes iron designs, my 2 brothers are talented cartoonists, but all of them do it only in their free time. I love digital art, drawing and painting. I was always intrigued to know how they make cartoons; but I decided to study engineering, a decision that I would regret in my adulthood; Even though I was an engineering student, taking drawing and painting classes at the university to further explore my creative side and my little artistic and free-beating spirit. Art was in that moment and still is my meditation mechanism that helps me to focus in one moment and forget about what is going on in the rest of the world. In a couple of minutes, I am able to connect with my inner self and externalize it. When I started working in my home country as an engineer, I felt like I was living someone else's life, I didn't feel fulfilled, I didn't enjoy what I was doing. I fell into a depression and anxiety that consumed me more and more every day. I was working in e-commerce with creative people, designers, programmers, and digital artists, and all those desires of being a digital artist came back, along with the sadness of not having followed my dreams. I made the decision to start creating the life I wanted and with it go back to studying, this time what I always wanted. The road was going to be long since in Colombia, my home country, the animation industry was not yet booming. I started studying web design and came to the United States as an Au Pair, part of my strategy to be an international student in the future and study digital art. To me, Art is important because it saved me from falling into depression. It is my therapy for anxiety, since art develops skills such as patience, perseverance and passion. In each piece I leave a part of myself to share with the rest of the world. It is a letter of introduction where there are no prejudices, I express my being and essence in one of the most beautiful forms of expression that can exist. Art allows me to freely express emotions, thoughts and ideas, and thanks to that I was able to trust the long process to be here where I now, studying what my heart always wanted and, on my way, to being what I always wanted to be, a Digital Artist who brings beauty to this world, capture moments and recant them for history. My art will remain for posterity. We are mortals who will leave this world at any moment, art endures even in the memory and in the hearts of those who appreciate it, and that is my goal, touch the hearts of those who appreciate the beauty that art emits.

Living in a neighborhood dominated by violence makes your imagination expand until you become a walking dreamer. I grew up in Buenaventura, Colombia, a city known for the atrocities committed by order of criminal gangs. Therefore, since I was very young, my only goal was to escape that city and that cruel reality. And being a good student, I saw my career choice as a way out. Following the advice of my family and any Latino struggling to survive, I did not pursue a career in the arts or entertainment industry, because according to them you couldn't live off of art; so I decided to study engineering, a decision that I would regret in my adulthood. This is how my relationship with art began. I saw it as a hobby, not as a way of life and much less as a source of income. My family is very artistic and creative. My mother is a letterer, and my father makes iron designs, but both do it only in their free time. I love digital design. I was always intrigued to know how they make cartoons. I also do crafts, drawing, and painting. I managed to do it even though I was an engineering student, taking drawing and painting classes at the university to further explore my creative side and my little artistic and free-beating spirit. Full of fear, I put my dreams aside until I started working in e-commerce with creative people, designers, programmers, and digital artists, and all those desires came back, along with the sadness of not having followed my dreams. I am in love with digital art, I always have been. Animation, moving images, illustrations. But it is an industry that was not yet booming in my home country. I started studying web design but I wanted more, so I made the drastic decision to come to the United States and leave my life in Colombia behind, to study digital art. I came to live with strangers as an Au Pair and I started studying Blender and cartooning on my own until I could gather money to cover the expenses that come with being an international student in the United States and finally study the career of my dreams, Animation and Motion Graphics. the one that gives me life, that makes me believe in a better life for myself, where I have more moments of happiness, satisfaction and pure joy. Acquiring more knowledge about digital art nourishes my love for this industry more and more every day and makes me feel like a child again. I strongly believe that I will wake up happy every day to go to the job that I am passionate about. At 27 years old, I have begun to believe in magic again. Thanks to my younger brother, I decided to venture out to pursue a dream. Since he was little, he knew very well what he wanted to do, and attached to his convictions he managed to materialize everything he ever dreamed of; that motivated me to do the same for my life. And the Director Domee Shi inspires me professionally, like her, I want to have the possibility of directing a successful film at Pixar Animation Studios. She took inspiration from her culture and her life experience to make an animated short that earned her an Oscar, which opened the doors for her to be the director of another successful film. She makes me believe that women are going to triumph and have more space for growt