Ari's Pre-College Studio Program

Hello.
I am Ariana Santacruz, 16 years old, one of five children and a fraternal triplet living in Tampa, Florida. Currently I am a junior at Howard W. Blake High School of the Arts. I have always had a love for visuals arts. In Elementary school I took art classes after school and in middle school I took multiple art classes. At my high school, we had to audition to get in and I auditioned with Visual Arts. My first year there I strictly took 2D classes (Black and White Dark Room Photography and Drawing/Painting). My second year I took Ceramics/Sculpture and Jewelry (also known as Fine Crafts). My third year we had the opportunity to choose a specific study of art that we wanted to do, and I chose ceramics. Ceramics is something that I really enjoy doing! From throwing to glazing there are many possibilities to express yourself through ceramics. This is why I am so interested in the Pre-College program at MICA because of the ceramics core class offered and the ceramics workshop, Fire and Smokes. I have this amazing opportunity to go to M.I.CA. Pre-Studio Residency Program for 4 weeks from June 25th thru July 23rd. I was awarded a $2,000.00 scholarship. The residency cost is $4700.00 not including airfare and estimated material cost for the class is $150.00 and several field trips $150.00. One to Washington D.C. and New York to go to Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Gallery or Art, The Smithsonian, The Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Whitney Museum of American Art and the Guggenheim Museum.
I am also planning on taking Advance Placement (AP) 3D Studio Art/Portfolio Development next year. I believe being involved in this program will really refine my skills on the potter’s wheel just in time for my senior year when I take on AP 3D Studio Art. Also, I am trying to decide whether I want to pursue the career path of being an Art Teacher or possibly opening my own pottery studio and I think this program will give me a great insight on that. I am also very curious of the campus environment on MICA’s campus being that I currently live in Florida and if I were to go there I would want to make sure I enjoy it, being so far away from home. It would be amazing to meet people interested in art that appreciate it the same way as me! I would be honored to experience this amazing opportunity. Thank you for your time!