Last week a friend asked me if I would like to participate in a career panel for high school students and I said “sure why not?!”

When I was in high school I attended art classes after school, on Saturdays and during the Summer at Jamaica Art Center, Cooper Union and MoMA. I will forever be grateful for the encouragement and support I received from my teachers at the programs. If it wasn’t for their assistance I would not have gotten into SVA and be where I am today.

This past Saturday I was on a panel with TV producers, directors, actors, writers, traditional artists and Broadway performers. I had to remind myself that although all of these individuals can offer great advice to these students my voice was just as important.

Being able to share my experiences and opinions ended up being therapeutic but I really connected with the testimonies each of my fellow panelists. It was reassuring to hear other people share their obstacles that in one way or another mirrored my own.

Overall I feel it was a great experience for all that were involved and I’d like to thank Patricia Ryan-Canedo, NYU Metro Center, 119 Work Force Program, my fellow panelists and each student that attended for allowing me to share myself and give back as well as making the day a great success