Hi, my name is Grace Camacho. Design is a concept that is forever important to visual consumption. There was always something so fascinating to me about communication through craft. I want the ability to make my own creative works and carry an artistic talent. Eventually pursuing a lifestyle of constant creation, where I can cater and inspire different audiences. In college I will achieve a better understanding of the arts and push my efforts towards a name for myself.
Hi, my name is Brigitte Gil. The idea of being able to draw what I’m imagining sounded convenient and fun. There were characters in my head that I wanted to bring to life, so I taught myself how to do it. I want to explore different art styles, and mediums with my art and study more anatomy to include in my pieces. Although I’m majoring in Graphic Design, I don’t want to stop drawing. At Fairleigh Dickinson University, I hope to learn more about illustration design and the different ways I can include my art in future designs. I can’t wait to take the children's book illustration class at FDU and explore the world of book illustration in general. My dream is to illustrate children's books with an improved art style. I want people to see my work and think “I know exactly who drew this,” in a good way. I want to have such a specific way of drawing and coloring that you don't even have to look at the name to know who made it.
Hi, my name is Yadihra Serrano. ​I'm very excited to be pursuing Illustration at Montclair State University. Art has always been a source of inspiration for me. I believe that art has the ability to convey strong emotions and gives you the ability to tell stories in unique ways. I wish to improve my art abilities throughout college and to eventually use my illustration abilities to produce art that can resonate with people and leave a lasting impact.
My name Fernanda Nolasco and I am a senior in Memorial High School. I’m going to be attending Montclair State University to pursue a BFA in illustration. Growing up in West New York all my life, art was my medium to explore and create new worlds of my own. In Memorial, I challenged myself taking Advanced Drawing and Composition as well as AP Art. In return, these opportunities have helped develop my artistic skill and find my own voice in my artwork. I aspire to bring forth stories to inspire young minds like mine. 
My name is Josue Rodriguez, born in the department of La Union, El Salvador, on June 10, 2006. I grew up in a moderately humble family, in what is considered a farm or a rural area in the north of La Union. My mother, Reina, worked as a photographer for a photography studio for much of her life until she was able to open her own studio in 2011. I owe much of my creative and artistic influence to her, as I witnessed how she worked through photography and photo editing or visual art. Besides my mother's influence, a significant influence for me to start in the world of art was undoubtedly books and comics. At a very young age, I began to read and write, which helped me develop quite versatile creativity at a young age.
​When I turned 11, due to my mother marrying my current stepfather, Nelson, my mother and I had to move to the United States, specifically to West New York, New Jersey. This was very significant and a new beginning for both my mother and me. At first, I struggled to adapt because I moved from a rural area where nature and animals abound to a place dominated by buildings and cities. Learning English was an obstacle, but it wasn't too difficult for me because reading books specifically in English and constantly interacting with the language helped me learn it quite quickly.

I started to focus more on art when I arrived in this country, around the ages of 11 to 13, where I would draw my original characters set in series or movies that I liked a lot, such as being a big fan of Naruto and designing original characters that fit similar aesthetics to the series. As I read more and was influenced by fine arts, I began to take inspiration from great masters of painting and design like Mark Ryden, Rembrandt, James Jean, and Francisco Goya. My style has always been characterized by influences from pop art and surrealist art, and I like to add storytelling concepts similar to the Baroque movement.

Currently, my style is based on what I mentioned earlier, but I always like to experiment with different influences, even in artistic media outside visual arts, such as music, acting, and literature. I consider myself a symbolist painter who grew up in an environment isolated from the city and has a deep attachment to nature.
I will attend Montclair University, majoring in fine art, and with the goal of obtaining my master's degree in fine art.