My interest in art and design strongly stems from my older cousins and brother, as well as the teachers I had during school when I was younger. Growing up as the baby of the family, I looked up to my older relatives and admired their talents when I saw them creating artwork for school or just in their free time. This inspired me to draw and color as much as I could when I younger and even though my work wasn't the best, I loved showing my friends, family, and teachers what I created. I'd even bring a folder with my collection of drawings just so I could show everyone at school like it was my portfolio.

 

My interest in art throughout most of elementary school, and I actually stepped away from it completely for a while in high school but jumped right back in during my junior year when I was finally able to take a 3D art class. There's two teachers I had growing up that I will always remember as playing key roles in pushing me to pursue an art career. The first one was in third grade, and he was my favorite teacher because he was passionate about incorporating art into his classwork and encouraged students to explore their creativity. He noticed that I had some talent and was extremely invested in his art projects, so he'd encourage me to do extra projects on the side. I would enter small art competitions and create illustrations for poems and short stories my best friend and I would write together. Even after he retired, he would visit our school and gift me new crafts to work on, like woven lanyards and friendship bracelets. I really appreciated his efforts to keep me interested in creating and staying creative as I got older.  

​

Once I entered high school, I felt like I ended up giving up on art. I lost confidence in my abilities as an artist and didn't see how I could possibly make art my career in the future. I felt like I was pressured to choose a more realistic career so I thought about majoring in business, engineering, or even computer science in college even though I knew I wasn't passionate about any of those majors. In high school, my friends, family, and even my best friend's family told me that I should just keep art as a hobby because it would be hard to make a living out of it. I felt like I wasn't good enough and being looked down on by the people I cared about most. However, it only took the persistent encouragement of my 3D art teacher in my junior and senior year to realize my passion for art and forget about what everyone else told me. Her class reignited my inner passion for art that I didn't feel since i was probably in the third grade. She made me realize just how much I loved creating art. It was therapeutic, exciting, and I would always lose track of time when working on her art projects. Several hours would go by and I'd still want to keep working. No other activity or work for any other class subject made me feel that way, and that feeling is what pushed me be the designer I am today.