Artist Statement

When I started college, I realized that I was inherently curious. Throughout all of the abuse I experienced growing up, the one thing I could depend on was my own creativity. As a kid, origami and paper art were ways I could escape from reality, and as I grew older, music captured my curiosity, so I followed that thread. With the support of my family and the psychological growth I underwent in therapy, I was able to attend college and find out more about who I wanted to be. My never-ending curiosity to pursue happiness, regardless of the situation, has pushed me to this point. This desire for knowledge and the drive to absorb information fueled my desire to attend college. Once I arrived, I could use all the facilities and resources at CSUMB to my advantage and learn a new way to tell my story.

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I spent most of my first and second years of college volunteering and then working at a nonprofit called Art Abilities in Pacific Grove. I found the nonprofit organization when they were beginning and became an art teacher for them, teaching art to adults with special needs. Through actively participating in this organization by teaching classes, working with clients, and helping them sell their art, I was able to help these adults support themselves and follow their passion, which led me to understand a perspective that I had only glimpsed from my brother.

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My experience with my autistic brother has made me sensitive to the lack of support for adults with special needs. Being in a position of leadership at CSUMB, I have seen many students with disabilities struggle to make deadlines and find fitting support from staff and faculty. There are no structures in place to support special needs adults properly. My background with my brother, who is 27 but mentally 7, gave me a unique perspective on these students that I came across, and I was able to treat them with radical empathy and meet them where they were.  

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After my advanced degree at UCLA, I plan to empower other filmmakers like myself, those who do not have many chances and opportunities to succeed. I will be making documentaries with complex stories that have yet to be told before and developing the skills to tell them with respect.