This program was a great experience for me :)

This program was very beneficial for me. I was part of the arts and culture program here. One of the biggest values I got from this experience was that it ended up being very mentally refreshing for me, which was something I needed after feeling burned out from high school. I knew that I wanted to take a gap year between high school and college, and when I found this program it seemed like a good fit, as it offered a program centered around culture and art and creativity, all things I am passionate about and wanted to feel a renewed sense of motivation towards after graduating. In all honesty, going into the program, I knew it sounded like something I might enjoy, but I wasn't entirely confident in how the experience would play out, and how fulfilling it would be, until I actually got here and was able to live it out. I feel that I met a lot of my personal goals for myself here. I’m my experience, the art tutors here are all had something unique to offer and they pushed me to create art in ways I hadn’t before. I have made a lot of work I’m very proud of here, and they are a large reason for that. Another reason was the group and the friends I made here, who created an environment that felt lighthearted, welcoming, and not high-stress. It was nice to be able to try so many avenues of creativity without having to worry about how my work would translate into a grade. It made me feel much more motivated to create art than I had in academic settings in the past. Overall, I reccomend checking this program out. I had a very positive experience here, and I feel that it’s helped me to push my independence, make great friendships, and grow my skills in art.