Six Years Old Today by Tiara

Six Years Old Today by Tiara - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

When I was six years old, I don't think I understood what I career was. I just really liked animals. I watched a lot of Animal Planet. One of my favorite shows was called It's Me or The Dog starring dog behaviorist Victoria Stilwell. She, along with Cesar Millan, inspired me to be the best dog whisperer and behaviorist a kid could be without a degree. I started to mimic her commands and eventually managed to use what I learned from her on my own dogs. I can teach dogs basic commands like "sit" and "stay", but I can also teach them other neat things like "stand" and "shake". I learned how to treat strays and other people's dog to the point that within five minutes of interaction, I am confident that I can achieve some sort of bond.
Upon reaching the big leagues of middle school, I grew educated about the food chain and ecosystems. At this point, I grew concerned about the do's and dont's of domesticated animals as it pertained to the things they ate and for their overall well-being. My care even stretched down to the fish in their bowls as I researched how proper caretaking for their tanks affected life expectancy. I wanted to be able to care for them when they were sick and keep them as bouncy and happy as could be. It was at this age that I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian.
That dream abruptly died around eighth grade after watching the end of a movie called Marley and Me. (Spoiler alert) At the end, when Marley grew old and weary, the veterinarian could not possibly do anything to save the poor dog, and eventually he died. I didn't want to ever have to tell someone that there is nothing I could do to help their dearest friend or family member. I then decided that I could use my behaviorist skills and knowledge of caretaking to do something else for my canine friends. Taking your pet to the groomer costed quite a sum of money so I learned how to bathe, trim, and clip my dogs' nails. Once, I was even paid to do so by my aunt.
Throughout all of those years of loving animals, I have also been drawing them. Once I reached high school, I became serious about my art. Now, I am heading to Savannah College of Art and Design. When I think back to high school, which actually wasn't too long ago, my fondness for animals may have influenced my passion for human anatomy and psychology. Each of these subjects and interests link to one another. I believe I can draw creatures fairly well due to the fact that I not only have had a long time of looking at live references, but a study of the structure of the body. In comparison, the structures are similar except for the general direction of the spine. Human anatomy has also taught me the movement of joints in relation with the muscles.
Psychology opened my eye to the way people and animals think. It enlightened me to the fact that the type of training I was doing was a form of classical conditioning, and that it is applied to people as well. I was not aware that there were different kinds of conditioning and that I have been doing it since I was a little girl. I can apply what I learned in psychology to how the characters in my animations behave and interact with one another. I have a better understanding of signs of emotions so I can get along with teammates in my field. My appreciate my younger self for getting me involved with animals. I still really enjoy them and believe that one day I might major in a field to be as involved with them as I was when I was younger while simultaneously applying my art.