My high school experience greatly improved once I started my first AP Art class in my junior year. I had taken two art classes before that, but most of the class was only there because they needed the credit, so it wasn't as serious as I had hoped it would be. The lessons were pretty basic and there was no room for personal exploration in art, which is why I decided to take AP Art the next year. At first I was apprehensive, I was dealing with what I now know was ADHD, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to handle an AP class at the rate I was getting work done. That first AP class ended up teaching me so many valuable skills for my artistic journey and my life outside of art. The experiences I had in those two classes helped me fully realize and solidify the fact that I did want to pursue art as my future career, despite what outside opinions others shared with me. There are so many negative beliefs around art as a career, and many people have discouraged me from pursuing it, but this class brought me the foundational skills to have my art be a successful career for me and my future. Being in AP art for two years has helped me build the skills for my artistic career and vision- Through art critiques I learned the importance of communication and collaboration, through having to create my own art portfolio I learned revision and problem solving, and through volunteering at the 2024 STEAM Expo I learned about the importance of community. But most of all, over my two years of AP, I learned of the beauty in change and growth, and its role in my life as an artist in an everchanging world.