2023 RECIPIENTS

THEIR VOICES.

LIAN B.

Anderson W. Clark Magnet High

Glendale, CA

There’s always that dreaded situation in every art student’s mind: their parents will never accept their passion to pursue a career in the arts. It’s a job that sets you up for failure, there’s no money involved, finding employment is hard, art will burn down your house, pull a John Wick on your dog… every single horror a parent can imagine. However, it was the opposite for me. It was I who feared my own hobby. “Mom, dad, I want to be an English professor at some university… it’ll be good pay.” “Mom, dad, I want to be a dentist since it’s good money.” Year after year, I had been scrounging up the best-paying jobs to dream of and hope to accomplish for the sake of putting my parents in a better position for retirement–however, my true love, art, had been sitting in the back and collecting dust. That was until I stepped into my first figure drawing class that I applied to on a whim. When I stepped through those doors, my tide suddenly pooled into an ocean. There was something fantastical about it. The people there all loved art and had worked on their craft for ten, twenty, thirty, even forty years. They wielded jobs at Disney or Netflix, and passionately discussed the nuances of art and creation. This experience was a catalyst in my spiral down the art rabbit hole, and suddenly I wanted to create. There were worlds that I had stuffed down the drain, characters that had been locked away in closets, creatures shoved behind textbooks of math and science to never see the light of day again–but I wanted to bring them all out, my own Renaissance was at my fingertips. That was when I realized that I did not want to be a professor, a dentist, or a nurse. “Mom, dad… I want to be an artist.” I was prepared for their response. Art sets you up for failure, there’s no money involved, finding jobs is hard, and there’s no stable future in art. “I wish you had told me sooner. I would have enrolled you in many art classes,” my mother said. My parents were completely supportive of me in pursuing my dreams. This shook me to my core and brought tears to my eyes. My mother brought up some advice she had been repeating to me since I was a little kid. “Whatever you want to do, you will be the best at it. Even if you’re a janitor, or a waitress, or a McDonald’s worker, be the best.” From then on, art has had such a profound impact on my life. I worked hard, and eventually gained an art internship to pitch my ideas and experience the art industry firsthand, I applied to three art classes to help me along my path, and I wanted to expand this horizon further for others and myself, so I created a Discord server that houses 360+ young artists who connect, create, and share with each other on the daily. I’m very lucky to have such loving and supportive parents who will walk with me through my path, but we have many roadblocks, such as money. The only way they will allow me to go to some of my most wanted art schools is if I scrounge up enough money for a full ride–but if it means that I will get to do what I truly love as a job and give back to my parents in the future, then so be it. For art and for my parents, it is all worth it.

Lian was awarded the ASK4MARY Scholarship by The Doan Foundation of $1000

LESLIE P.

Crawford High School

San Diego, CA

Whenever creative activities would come up at schools, teachers would arduously await the wacky creative endeavors I brought to school: From a hat made of rag dolls to a full cosplay of the Aztec God Mictlantecuhtli. Teachers would pat me on the head, knowing well enough that the mastermind behind everything was never this 10-year-old standing before them. Of course. And just like a hero in disguise, my father is a carpenter on the surface but an artist at heart, building replicas of cartoon structures, sewing plushies for me and my sibling, and making pyrography signs for his friends. My grandmother is an artist too, but contrary to my dyslexic father, she reads and writes poetry every morning and night. Then comes the third generation of the family. If she happens to be an artist, she is set up for greatness, backed up by her creative family support, right? One would think that. But, surprisingly, the answer is not quite so direct. Sure, they feel great that I have followed through with being creative as a hobby, but as a career? And digital? And Queer? I somehow came to disappoint them in every way possible. They do not consider digital art to be real art. Throughout my entire life, this disappointment has plagued my family relationships. ‘Why not become a tattoo artist? Or a mural painter? If you like digital things, you should do computer science.’ And as if my medium was not enough to make their hearts heavy, the subject of my art drove them further into this sad belief of failure. They consider activism to be ugly and Queerness to be taboo. They are not interested in learning about my community history and think of it as a waste of talent. In their eyes, that has been what hammered down my setup failure. It is not about my creativity but about my identity as their daughter. But all of their beliefs are what I am trying to turn upside down. They fuel my career as an artist and activist. I want to prove there is a place for artists like me; To have my identity as Queer and Latin American be worthy of representation in art. If it had not been for other LGBTQ+, Latinx artists that inspired me when I was young, I would have followed the path of my past generations: I would have stopped creating, and I would have stopped fighting. But I have not. Because now that I have grown as a person and a creator, I understand my responsibility to inspire other teens who are going through the same doubt about their identities or their success in pursuing art. Still, the odds are against me for being a low-income immigrant. So much doubt has made me stronger. I have placed myself in all types of creative leadership positions to prepare me for what will come in my career. I enjoy working with teaching artists that have walked the path I want to walk. Art has inspired me to reach for the stars, and people who doubt me push me higher toward my goal. But even through all this, I wonder what would have happened. What if my father and grandmother had not been discouraged from pursuing their passion for art? I hope they can use me as a vessel of their unaccomplished dreams and one day laugh off the doubt they ever had in me.

Leslie was awarded the DIGICOM NETWORKS Scholarship by The Doan Foundation of $500

MAILIN M.

Mission Bay High School

Chula Vista, CA

“My parents emigrated to this country from Mexico having limited education and opportunities. My mom was a housekeeper and could not afford childcare so during summers and after school, my siblings and I went with her. As my family moved from one house to another the only thing that cured my boredom was the cartoons I would watch. We didn’t have sufficient money for cable, therefore I longed to go to my mom’s work as I found comfort in the cartoons I’d watch while I was there. It was during those moments, I realized that I wanted to pursue creativity in a career and became passionate about the creative arts. My parents thought of art as just a hobby, however, I later learned that art could be more than that. I have always had an inkling that I wanted to become an artist, but it wasn’t until my sophomore year in high school that it was confirmed. Although the idea of attending and pursuing art was something my parents opposed, it was something I dreamed of. From watching accepted art portfolios and tutorials on how to draw or color pieces, I was able to develop and evolve as an artist. At the end of my sophomore year, I created an art account to push myself to draw more. I am passionate more specifically about animation in studio arts, and interested in stop motion and 2D animation due to my connection and admiration for this powerful medium. The artist’s ability to manipulate something as simple as a character’s eyes creates a great connection and emotion with the viewer. This form of art allowed me to grow, was a huge part of my childhood and sparked that want and need to pursue art. In an attempt to replicate the art I saw as I child, although I would get frustrated, creating art was something I could never get rid of and always picked up. The way I have used this medium and the creative arts, in general, to portray my opinions and showcase what I admire, allows me to grow mentally and stylistically. This form has become very essential in my life as it has allowed me to grow out of this shell I was in when I was younger and allowed me to truly admire and showcase what I like without the fear of being judged. I want to be able to continue to not only voice what I like but though this be able to help and be a voice for others, it is something I aspire to be able to continue to do for the rest of my life. I aspire to learn and be able to create something that allows me to express myself, communicate with others, and comfort people as cartoons did to me as a kid.

Mailin was awarded the Doan Foundation for the Arts Scholarship of $500

KRYSTAL T

Gompers Preparatory Academy

San Diego, CA

Last summer, my sister inspired me to start a rug-making business. Although we both knew that it would be kind of impossible because the supplies were too much money. I decided to watch some youtube videos about what to do as a beginner. It was a lot of time-consuming and money to go for it. My sister and I talked about what my first step would be. To start we had to find a way to save up money for the cost. I decided to gather some old clothes and send them to a thrift store in exchange for money. Though I felt like I gave too much and received 30 dollars for 5 pairs of pants and 8 pairs of shirts. But I couldn’t stop there, I decided to work with my mom over the week. Right after school, I had to change and eat in 30 minutes and head to work. We would clean some sorority houses in a university by my house. This took a lot of my energy and I had to figure out time management. I didn’t have much time to do my homework and study for the test. I would often hit an all nighter and wouldn’t get any rest. Until the 2 months, I was able to raise a sufficient amount to purchase my tools. There were a lot of calculations to add up like measuring my frame with wood that had to build for the base of my rug/cloth. A week later I bought all my materials and 4 different locations and successfully had everything. Now I had to complete a profile pic for my business. I had to come up with a variety of different looks for my rug profile and eventually posted my first-ever video customizing a rug. I was so proud of myself and even though I haven’t blown up I am waiting for the time. I was very stressed with organizing the prices of the different sizes and colors and had to figure out the amount of time I was putting into each rug depending on the price. So I had to count down my hours and although I didn’t have many buyers I was still happy with everything. I have learned that solving solutions takes mistakes, effort, passion and patience to find the key. Although I am just beginning I know the right time would come and I was able to find a solution to my problem.

Krystal was awarded the Doan Foundation for the Arts Scholarship of $500

REBECA R.

Del Lago Academy – Campus of Applied Science

Escondido, CA

Throughout my childhood, I had always said I was going to be a doctor or a surgeon when asked what I wanted to be in the future. Both my parents had always encouraged it, saying how proud they would be and saying that they knew they would be in good hands with me as a doctor. My parents would give me multiple play sets for playing doctor as a kid and my mother and father would always call me to get their pills and always say in Spanish, “Doctora” for years. 8th grade came around and we were given a presentation about what we were planning to major in for college. It suddenly hit me that I did not want to be a doctor anymore as I realized that I was not passionate about the job and did not want to deal with all the stress and issues that came along from working in the field either. I was then given the idea of becoming an animator or an artist as I had always enjoyed drawing and creating from a young age. When I announced that I was no longer going to pursue as a doctor or surgeon to my family, my brother was proud that I wanted to pursue animation as he had always complimented my artwork. My sister and second brother approved as they believed I had the capabilities of pursuing other forms of art careers and even starting my own business if I wanted to. My father was a bit saddened, but understood my decision and allowed me to work in whatever major I wanted as long as I could afford it. My mother, however, was shocked and disappointed as she believed that there would be a doctor in our family that achieved a high level of education who gained large amounts of money for our family, and was able to take care of them when they got sick. For years she would make small comments about how she would miss not having a doctor in the house or ask me if I was sure that I didn’t want to be a doctor. Years down the line however, she sat me down one day and said to me that I can do whatever I want and that she will be happy with whatever I choose as long as it makes me happy. Art has always helped me in many ways that I never knew it could. I could create another world and show it to people and let them be encapsulated in it and bond with our love for art. Art has helped me show others what I can do with my creativity and understand myself more as it is something intimate to me and a way to express my mind and thoughts. Art has always been special to me and has even helped me through life events, meeting new people, gaining new opportunities, and keeping me passionate about creating and being in touch with myself. Without art, it would have made my life more bleak and bland, but I am grateful for it and the fortunate things it has brought me, and hope I can continue growing with it in my life.

Rebeca was awarded the Doan Foundation for the Arts Scholarship of $500

JOCELYN V.

Alliance Piera Barbaglia Shaheen Health Services Academy

Los Angeles, CA

I never revealed to my parents that I wanted to pursue music, but when I did, they weren’t very encouraging. They thought my voice was terrible and that I wouldn’t get anywhere with music because it’s not a major or minor that leads to a foreign life, so I chose to choose a different major and have the arts as my minor because I wasn’t going to give up something I love just because they told me to. Since I was a young child, music has played a significant role in my life. I believe that everyone has a favorite song that they play repeatedly because it uplifts them. I want to create music in the future that people will associate with good memories rather than unpleasant ones. My goal is to give the song to a house, and I believe that music has changed me for the better. I was going through some really difficult times in my life; I was alone; I was over here looking for a job; and the only thing next to me was music; it was the one thing that made me happy because I knew that I always had it with me. I could hear a simple melody in my head and that would help me get through the day or night, no matter where I was. I could tap my finger on a piece of wood or a table and my mind is cleared art comes in different forms, and the way you perceive your particular form of art affects how you feel differently. For me, music has impacted me in a particular way, and it always will. I felt rejected not only by friends but also by my parents, who always told me I wouldn’t amount to anything, but I vowed to disprove them and demonstrate that I was superior to them before moving on. Like her just as I look that artist when I was a little girl, I wanted someone to look up to me and say I want to be just like you please show me how to be just like you. I want to show him how to do it because it’s all about making mistakes but never giving up, and I hope that someone could take that advice. i believe anyone can love art and i hope other people see it the way that i do.

Jocelyn was awarded the Doan Foundation for the Arts Scholarship of $500

SHANIA C.

Maranatha High School

Alhambra, CA

Art and being creative has always played a valuable role in my life. Since I was young, it was how I expressed myself when I could not find the right words to form the right sentences. I am self-taught, so many of my early years meant experimenting with colors and shapes, proportions and compositions, adjusting my skills till everything looked right, even if I didn’t understand why. My family was always supportive of my hobby because they saw the potential I had to grow into a great artist. Even when my upbringing was rocky and asking for new markers seemed like a burden financially, they always surprised me with new supplies every Christmas. Eventually, I could simply ask for supplies and their response remained the same,“ as long as you need it and it makes you happy, let’s get it.” However, when high school began and my family became concerned about the career I was hoping to pursue, I finally decided on graphic design. I had tried to avoid this decision, claiming I wanted to be an engineer, but my skills in math and science could only support that statement for so long, so I gave in and told them what I truly wanted to dedicate my life to. At first, there was heavy skepticism from my family as none were familiar with a career in the arts. Being first-generation students, my siblings have paved the way as officers in the army and degrees in criminology or nursing. These fields were far beyond my dreams of being in the arts. Yet I explained to them how heavily drawing, illustrating, painting, and designing impacted my life every day and how it’s a job necessary to the modern world. I pleaded to them how every day they need or see something that was designed by someone’s hard work, whether it be the packaging of their favorite drink or their experience using an app. I learned how to use my skills in painting and drawing to become better in graphic design so I can one day create environmentally friendly products for a new generation of technology and innovation. I reminded them how proud I was of myself for painting a mural on my high school campus, one that I had designed and led others in completing. This was the type of work that fully complimented my leadership skills and creativity and it would have a positive impact on the community around us. After continuous discussions and conversations with people in the field, my dream was now a reality they too sought to complete with me. My dream of becoming a graphic designer is the best decision I will ever make because it not only will make me into a better person, skillfully and mentally, but it also means I have my family on my side through it all.

Shania was awarded the Doan Foundation for the Arts Scholarship of $500

SOPHIA R.

Steele Canyon High

Spring Valley, CA

I grew up in a one-parent household, and my mom always ensured I had everything I needed, including art classes. She wanted to make sure that I grew up with some aspirations. Growing up, I was allowed to be a part of cheer, gymnastics, and different music classes, but none of them stuck with me as art has. I’m so fortunate to have my mom. Even if these classes weren’t within our budget, she always ensured that I was there because she knew I loved art. I always took an art class during my childhood, no matter what school I attended. I have taken at least one art class every year throughout my high school career. And during my junior year, I won second place in the mixed media division in the GUHSD art show and walking off that stage and back to my mom, she couldn’t stop telling me how proud she was of me, and that is what showed me that I wanted to study art. I had wanted to go into psychology because it interested me, and I also saw that it paid well. Still, it wasn’t something I was passionate about, and I knew that if I studied that instead of art, I would be disappointed in myself. So I decided that I wanted to study either fine arts or art history because becoming an art curator is also a career that interests me. When I shared this with my mom, she was thrilled because she knew how much art meant to me. My mom has always supported me in all my artistic endeavors, allowing me to freely express myself without fear of disapproval because making my mom proud is something I aspire to do with all of my decisions. And being met with this overwhelming support from my mom has given me the confidence to know that I am going to study art because it’s something that has always been there for me, even during the rough times growing up. Another dream of mine is to be able to study abroad to study art, and this is another thing my mom supports me in. She always tells me that no matter what I decide to do with my life in the future that it’s something that I love and interests me. She has always wanted me to grow up and do everything I love, such as traveling around the world or becoming a professional artist, which I have always wanted to be since I took my first art class. And this is how art has become my life and why I wish to pursue it in my future and have worked hard to be where I am right now, but one thing is that my mom has always been there precisely, beside me supporting me with every decision I made. Thank you for reading about how art has left such a significant impact on my life.

Sophia was awarded the Doan Foundation for the Arts Scholarship of $500

Kyra R.

Chula Vista Senior High School

Chula Vista, CA

My art obsession started from humble beginnings… Tracing anime pictures… Trying to impress someone… Wanting more character development because, frankly, my character was relatively one-dimensional when I was ten. After realizing how challenging yet fun art is, it took off as my number one hobby. I started drawing every day– once I finished my school work and while doing my school work in school– I was unstoppable. Then, one day a few years later, I was stuck on what to draw and asked my mother, who once did hyper-realistic art, what I should draw. She told me to practice body positioning and to just put my characters into random scenes and poses. This one suggestion set my hobby ablaze. In the next four years, I continued to grow my art style and ability, and I branched out into writing stories and planning comics for fifty or more original characters. I started looking for anything art related, from comic books to animated TV series. Drawing every day, filling up to thirty sketchbooks, making comics, posting comics– All of it. My entire life was surrounded by art, and I loved every moment. I currently have three different universes, over ten unique stories planned out, and the confidence to enter art contests and display my artwork around my school. I have also stepped out of my digital and pencil comfort zone to expand into watercolor, acrylic, color penciled, charcoal, and other traditional mediums. Here I am now, with about seven years’ worth of art practice, art classes every year of my school life, 2 AP art classes in my latest high school, and looking into scholarships, art colleges, and jobs that can help me pursue my dream of using my hobby as my career, no matter how long it takes me. If it weren’t for that suggestion from my mother, I wouldn’t be as skilled or fast as I am at art as I am today. I would have never tried to branch out into different mediums. I wouldn’t be where I am today without that one suggestion. You can probably guess that my mother is very much on board with me applying to art colleges/universities. Everyone in my family is very supportive and willing to help continue my educational journey, no matter what. The only concern about my plans is the money issues we may or may not face. My family has always been low-class or lower-medium-class, so money has always been an issue for us, which is why I’m extensively planning the next stage of my life, looking for ways to pay for tuition and help ease any concerns or stress in my family.

Kyra was awarded the Doan Foundation for the Arts Scholarship of $500

Angelica G.

Vista High School

Vista, CA

Ever since I was a little girl I have wanted to pursue the arts. I was always told “They don’t earn good money” “Thats dumb, how are you supposed to survive in the real world”. They always thought it was a waste of time and that it wasn’t worth anyone’s time. They tried steering my path towards other careers like nursing, teacher, surgeon, or basically any of the science majors. They would’ve all just been happy with me pursing something I wasn’t happy in. None of those careers interested me. They weren’t me. My brother was the only one who was happy for me when I told him that I wanted a career in the arts. For a moment I felt accepted and it made me happy to at least have one person to support me. Having everyone trying to steer me into another career hasn’t been easy. It makes me feel unaccepted, like I’m the one that’s missing something. Not being able to make everyone happy made me feel so much pressure to find another career that would make them happy. In my mind it was like they thought I didn’t have what it takes to be an artist. Art has always been a great way for me to be me. It allowed me to express myself in ways I didn’t know I could. Till this day I’m still learning about new ways that I can create. Art was always an outlet for me. It allowed me to see the world through a new lens and take in its beauty, it’s true beauty. Having somewhere to be able to step away to when I’m hurting, confused, or just tired has been great, it’s allowed me to create many wonderful things that not just I get to see. I share my art with others and they seem to be able to find a connection to it too and I love that we’re able to share an experience through an art piece even if it wasn’t the same event. Art comes in so many didn’t forms and so many of them have been a part of my life. Art truly has made me a better person. I’m not someone who looks like they would create art so when I do mention that I do this as a hobby that is what they think and nothing more. They think I’m not good and that I have to prove to them just how good I am. For some time it did feel like I needed to do that because I was always trying to prove to my family that it was the right choice for me but after some time I stopped and I allowed my work to do the talking for me.

Angelica was awarded the Doan Foundation for the Arts Scholarship of $500