I am a dreamer. This is what I call myself, and how I am called by the documents.

As an 
undocumented student under the protection of the Dream Act in the U.S. education system, art is 
a haven for me to dream. Without citizenship, I feel like I am only a traveler of this world, and so I 
want to apply for the Masters of Fine Art in Photography and New Genre, because art allows me 
to create spaces that I can dwell in. Through art, I find a home for myself, and I become a citizen 
of the world that I have created because I make spaces where I can be accepted. My art consists 
of social performances in the form of photography and installation. The subject matters that I 
research are how one defines home and the stigmas and conflicts of social identities.  
 
I prepared myself for this field of study by assisting teachers in the Right Brain Academy of Art for 
almost two years. Working alongside the instructors in the academy taught me how to prepare 
teaching materials for kids ranging from five-year-olds to college students. What I most value 
from the experience is witnessing the impact that educators can have on students. I saw those 
teachers instruct students how to ask analytical questions of different art practices and be 
considerate of how their art conveys meaning. Their teachings encourage students to be critical 
thinkers because they mentor students to reflect and research how to present their unique 
perspectives through art, in order to have conversations with the world. Similarly, I want to be an 
educator like those instructors, who help students understand that the art they create is their 
voice publicized to the world, and the decisions that they make in their art can impact the viewers 
meaningfully. The vision that I have for myself is to teach others how to use art to speak for 
themselves and to create avenues where they can be accepted. My partnership with the teachers 
allowed me to see that academics is the platform for educators to guide learners to use their art 
to engage and bring awareness to social topics. 
 
For my future career plan, I want to be an artistic influencer and an educator to those who want to 
use art as a catalyst to spark conversation about the brokenness of our world. Using academia as 
an open platform, I want students to investigate the topics for which they would take a stand. I 
would encourage them to question why are things in the world the way they are, what do they 
believe after researching the truth, and what do they want their viewers to take away from their 
work. Being a person without documentation and at risk of losing my home at any moment, I am 
telling my story to the world that through art anyone can find a place where they belong.