I've had an interest in art, especially drawing, from a very young age. My first and only time-out trip was due to an outlash against the kid who stole the only working yellow marker from me. It was clear even in kindergarten that I was serious about art. I took after-school classes with my elementary art teacher for many years. Because many of our projects had religious influence, being at a Catholic school, I plan on continuing this theme in my current work. I love how universal religion is and believe it can bring a lot of meaning to a work of art. 

    This summer, I went with a small group from my parish on a mission trip to Piura, Peru. This trip hit me harder than any trip I've been on before. Everyone was so active in their faith lives, even with all the reasons they had to possibly be unhappy or bitter toward us. They willingly taught us about their culture and were more than happy to patiently walk us through getting the jobs done. Though not many spoke English, communicating with them was a blast and they really showed me how universal love is. I really enjoyed learning about the culture and would love to incorporate Peruvian Influence in my art on top of the religious themes.