Something that I have always been passionate about is the way that I interact with my community and how I help it. I’ve always strived to follow the idea of paying it forward. After struggling with a chronic illness for years, and feeling how hard it can be to live with a chronic illness while hopping from hospital to hospital every week, I decided I wanted to do something about it. I started my own non-profit where my peers and I make art for hospitals to brighten up the environment for those struggling the same way I used to. Upon reading about the Dyer Fellowship, I instantly knew that it was the perfect way to learn and grow my non-profit, as well as meet new people and find my place in the world.