2024

Raising Hope

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The woman I was drawing wasn’t going to be able to finish high school with a child, but through many revisions decided she would find success rather than failure. Many young women in this position are unable to finish highschool and have difficult paths to figure out. I realized that although life throws curveballs, people are still able to achieve their goals under tough circumstances. My hope is that women in this situation are able to make choices that are best for them, and no matter what have support to help them achieve their goals and education.

Two Birds on a Wire

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Whenever I am well enough to support the people I care about, I will do so, and if I ever fall down, I know I have people that will support me.

From Caged to Unafraid

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My art symbolizes coming out for queer people. As more and more people and forms of media become more accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community, there is more hope.

How to Help A Friend

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My drawing represents how to help a friend. Sometimes there are issues, conflcits and problems and sometimes when you need help you cna turn to friends. With friends you can feel free to talk about your problems. Letting friends know you are there for them is so important.

Healing Through Art

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My submission is a digital art piece meant to portray myself painting a self portrait! Art has always been an outlet for my emotions. When there aren’t any words to describe how I’m feeling, no one for me to express my emotions to, I start drawing and painting. To me, the process of creating art is calming. It helps me reflect on myself greatly. Contrary to what people might believe, I believe that being able to express yourself through art isn’t exclusive to people who identify as “artists”. Anyone can create art, because behind every art piece is emotion——and we all have emotions.

Café De Olla

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When I think of self-care and taking care of my mental health, I connect my experience to my family. We learn a lot–most times unknowingly– about how to go through life by seeing how our family and ancestors have. We do the same and sometimes we try to break into our own path too. For me, I find comfort in cultural and familial traditions in times where I feel ungrounded. Something as simple as finding the time to make coffee in a special way that my family does, grounds me. Its something that brings me back to myself.

Cultivating Mental Health

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My submission highlights the importance of taking care of our mental health and compares it to taking care of a plant. Our mental health is a delicate system that requires careful attention, just like a fragile plant. When we provide the right conditions, it can flourish remarkably.

May 2024 Snap, Filter & Swipe

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This entry is made by one our youths from the Eastern African Community of San Diego. In the Video they, the youth member portrays what it’s like to view oneself from a negative view based of the today’s social media standards. However, the Youth in the video switches scripts and starts providing positive affirmation and focuses on social media from a positive lens.

Spartans on

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Our video is meant to support students in making positive choices and seeking support from others