Living in the throes of a poor education system, I hadn’t realized how important art had been to me as a student. College revealed that to me when I found myself feeling overwhelmed due to a lack of space that encouraged creativity as a means to destress. I first signed up for an oil painting class and it dawned on me how much I needed that space, one where I was able co-exists and share that while others did the same. I chose to pursue art education to be able to provide that same space for students, whether their intent is to create, or claim an art class a safe haven from the pressures of the world. As I found myself constantly leeching on to creating as a way to soothe myself, I realized how important my high school art classes had been to me. It taught me to pause, it taught me how to relate, it taught me the importance of community, and gave me the opportunity to create my own understanding of the world. I’d like to be able to provide that for students, to encourage an exploration of their own understandings, and give them that space to self identify and make sense of the world.