Artprize
From Sponsored…
I was sponsored as a child through the I Have a Dream foundation. The experience helped me believe that I could accomplish anything – even go to college.
The foundation provided mentorship, skill training, and paid for a portion of my college education.
To Sponsor…
While in college, I learned about Compassion International and sponsored my first child. After graduation, I sponsored additional children and visited several of them in their home countries. Though I’d grown up poor, I’d never known the kind of poverty they experienced or the joy they had in the midst of it. I saw firsthand the power of wholistic child development: addressing physical needs as well as mental, spiritual, and emotional. I saw the impact it had on the community at large.
To Advocate…
I remembered the role sponsorship had played in my own life and wanted to do more. As I wrote to my children and encouraged them toward their dreams, the Lord placed a few new dreams in my own heart. I eventually found myself advocating for Compassion’s children, as a volunteer and then as an employee.
To Artist…
I entered Artprize for the first time back in 2016. I didn’t know I was an artist, but decided to give it a try. My goal is to create art that sparks joy and dignifies children around the globe – including those in my own back yard.