Throughout the trials and tribulations of my 18 years on this earth, I have always channeled my emotions, knowledge and creativity into some form of art. I was always drawn to two-dimensional art, entering countless drawing contests throughout middle to high school with artworks relating to topics like environmental awareness or animal care. The several hundred dollars I won from these pieces were further invested into art supplies so I could pursue the side hobby. I even started doing commission pieces for classmates in seventh grade. My imagination flourished in the ceramic classroom, which I went to every morning throughout nearly my entire high school career.

   During my junior year, while directing my school’s fashion club as president, I participated in a county-wide fashion show called Santa Cruz FashionTeens with several classmates. After walking the runway, I received the Cilker School of Art and Design $250 gift certificate for Mood Fabrics and a scholarship to a weekend summer workshop at a prestigious fashion school in L.A., the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), in which I took several drawing classes. 

   My passion for fashion eventually re-emerged on a platform called Depop. On this online app, I’ve resold over 200 pieces of clothing that I’ve found at second-hand stores or that I no longer find myself wearing. I often painted on pieces of clothing, building a source of profit from my art skills. I never perceived Depop as an outlet to build business skills. Instead, I use the platform to express my creativity, playing with lighting, poses, and backgrounds, and pairing complementary pieces to curate outfits. 

   These experiences with fashion and other forms of art helped build my knowledge and skills in areas of artistic expression. Drawing and painting have become a weekly habit. Art, to me, is an addiction – I could never see myself giving it up. 

   When I was younger, I often daydreamed of becoming an artist, one that spends their day-to-day Plein Air painting, but over time I’ve found myself yearning to leave a more practical and physical imprint on the world. While I value the arts in every way, I often look up at our Earth and grow weary of its condition. After countless late-night conversations with my sisters and friends on how the future will reach us, I’ve seen a universally pessimistic outlook; most individuals in my generation tend to fear the action of birthing a new soul into the current conditions of Earth. While I understand the hesitation to have children at this point in time, I believe we maintain the power to change this mindset by altering Earth’s fate. I want to live in a world where the youth prosper and love endlessly. I want to live in a world that will continue to support new lives 100 years from now. 

   With my background in design, I hope to use Engineering as a creative outlet for constructing new innovative products and processes. Whether in areas of pollution, desalination, alternative energy, biodegradables, etc., engineering has always stood out as an avenue for progress, and I believe many components of art will play into this career plan.