Currently I am a student at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. I have the privilege of being able to study at this school under the concentration of metalsmithing. When I pictured my journey as an artist I never believed that It would have been in this field, and even though I am early in this series of my life I am so excited to see where it will take me.

Even though I intend to make a career for myself out of my passion for art it is not my only passion. My family has always found comfort in the ocean, especially as they live on a boat. Up until my decision to come to Appalachian State I followed this passion in the hopes to study Marine Biology. I worked in sea turtle hospitals, an aquarium, studied sea mammals under the California Ocean Alliances guidance, and learned about conservation in our waterways. Every single school I applied to besides App was on the ocean to follow my passion.

Even though my life took a complete turn, I hope to advocate for wildlife conservation within my work and to hopefully be able to give back to the cause one day in the future.

A huge part of my inspiration in my work is my own life, from the stories I have and from the media I consume. From the tragic to the good I try to express my experiences as a visual concept.; from substance abuse to the fondness of my favorite film, Coraline.

My piece, “The Other Watch” is not only a staple of my personality but also a reminder to me in what I am capable of as a young artist. In this current semester my projects have followed a theme of time in reference to how I have changed and grown as the years go on. Coraline was a film the shaped my concept of visual representation and provided me with a somber story that I have loved since I was young.

My goal is to be able to create more and more pieces just like this one in an attempt to visualize and depict my world as I grow old while also being able to advocate for the issues that shape me as a person.