Helping Others by Ana Caroline

Helping Others by Ana Caroline - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

Growing up with two younger siblings, I was taught to care for others at an early age. My parents’ divorce when I was six years old only further heightened my level of maturity and sense of responsibility. While my parents worked, I helped cook, clean, and watch over my sisters. I read to them in hopes that they would become more intelligent, generous, and brave. I have always put others’ needs before my own.

As a six-year old, I dreamed of becoming a teacher. In school, I discovered my love for learning and excelled in my classes. My two favorite subjects were art and reading. I made friends with many of my instructors and often went to them for extra work. Instead of playing outside with my classmates, I would frequently stay in during recesses and after school to help my teachers clean and organize classrooms and closets. At home, I would create worksheets and fact sheets to study on my own and share with my sisters and friends. Whenever we played “school,” I would be the teacher. Even as a child I felt inclined to help, inspire, and encourage others to become a better person. I chose to believe in others even when they didn’t believe in themselves. These traits have remained constant throughout my life.

Over the years I have wanted to become an artist, a photographer, and a writer. Today, I want to become an art therapist. I'm inspired by other people because everyone has such a different outlook on life and such a different story to tell. Art allows us to share these experiences through all kinds of different styles. It's interesting to see how individual styles manage to come together. My goal is to combine my passions for art and helping others into something useful and beneficial to those around me. As a child, I had never even heard of art therapy, but when I practiced it myself, I realized it could be a lot of fun. I hope to use what I've learned and what I hope to learn to provide a sense of hope, purpose, and belonging to others.