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Raeah Thorington

545

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

My autoimmune disease has taken a lot from me, but it has also given me things. One of which is an appreciation for art. When my body was an anchor, art became my life jacket. I would watch cartoons for hours and wish to be the characters on screen. As a little girl, they became my heroes. This experience transformed me into an artist. I wanted to create characters that inspired other people the way that I was inspired. I started drawing so I could turn these dreams into a reality. From there it blossomed into stories so I started writing too. Though the physical pain made me hyper-aware of every muscle in my body, it was when I was creating that I felt the most alive. In middle school, I decided to dedicate myself entirely to perfecting my art. Supported by my mom’s encouragement, we went to local art fairs where I sold prints of my characters. After gaining recognition, I had my work featured in two gallery exhibitions. This gave me the confidence to create a website to sell prints of my characters. My goal is to professionally write and illustrate my own stories. My challenges with chronic illness have given me the skills of perseverance and my experience in the art world will enable me to succeed. Attending a university for illustration and creative writing will equip me with the necessary skills needed to accomplish my goals and become an artist who creates works that empower others the way that I have been empowered.

Education

Metropolitan Learning Center For Global And International S

High School
2018 - 2024

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Arts

    • Dream career goals:

      Write and illustrate my own books

      Sports

      Dancing

      2011 – Present13 years

      Arts

      • Academy of International Studies

        Animation
        2017 – Present
      Chronic Boss Scholarship
      Winner
      It all started with daydreaming. When I was bedridden I would daydream avidly for hours as an escape. Although my autoimmune disease has taken a lot from me, it’s also given me things too. When my body was an anchor, art became my life jacket. I learned to have an appreciation for it. As a little girl, I would watch cartoons for hours and wish to be the characters on screen. They became my heroes because they got me through hard times. The one that left the biggest impact on me was Raven from Teen Titans. She was studious, quiet, and courageous; but most of all she made me feel understood. Although Raven is a fictional character, she brought me so much strength throughout the challenges I’ve had to overcome. It was this experience that transformed me into an artist. I knew I wanted to create characters that inspired other people the way that Raven inspired me. Art allowed me to sail beyond the confines of my pain into a world brimming with limitless possibilities. A world I never would’ve discovered if it hadn't been for my disease. I started drawing because I wanted to turn my dreams into a reality, into something I could see. From there it blossomed into stories and at some point I realized that drawing wasn’t enough, so I started writing too. Though the physical pain that made me hyper-aware of every muscle in my body, it was when I was creating that I felt the most alive. I committed to practicing daily to improve my abilities. My sketchbook became a rabbit hole of different ideas, It was filled with everything from wayward princesses to aliens. I dabbled in different mediums: watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, pastels, etc. However, it wasn’t until I discovered digital art, that I truly committed to my passion and realized I wanted to pursue art professionally. Unlike with traditional mediums there was no complicated set up, or a mess to clean up afterwards. My ipad allowed me to design, ink, and render characters with ease. This inspired me to draw more consistently and it helped me improve at an accelerated pace. At the age of twelve, I committed to my career goals and decided to dedicate myself entirely towards perfecting my art, as I aspired to be a professional character designer. Supported by my mom’s encouragement to sell my art, we went to several local art fairs where I sold prints of my characters. Additionally, after gaining recognition, I had my work featured in two gallery exhibitions. After this, I created a website to sell prints beyond my local area. My goal is to eventually write and illustrate my stories professionally. I love art because it allows me to turn my dreams and characters into something tangible and gives me the opportunity to connect with other people and empower them the way that I have been empowered.
      Mcristle Ross Minority Painter's Scholarship
      It all started with daydreaming. When I was bedridden I would daydream avidly for hours as an escape. Although my autoimmune disease has taken a lot from me, it’s also given me things too. When my body was an anchor, art became my life jacket. I learned to have an appreciation for it. I would watch cartoons for hours and wish to be the characters on screen. They became my heroes because they got me through hard times. The one that left the biggest impact on me was Raven from Teen Titans. She was studious, quiet, and courageous; but most of all she made me feel understood. Although Raven is a fictional character, she brought me so much strength throughout the challenges I’ve had to overcome. It was this experience that transformed me into an artist. I knew I wanted to create characters that inspired other people the way that Raven inspired me. Art allowed me to sail beyond the confines of my pain into a world brimming with limitless possibilities. A world I never would’ve discovered if it hadn't been for my disease. I started drawing because I wanted to turn my dreams into a reality, into something I could see. From there it blossomed into stories and at some point I realized that drawing wasn’t enough, so I started writing too. Though the physical pain that made me hyper aware of every muscle in my body, it was when I was creating that I felt the most alive. I committed to practicing daily to improve my abilities. My sketchbook became a rabbit hole of different ideas, It was filled with everything from wayward princesses to aliens. I dabbled in different mediums: watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, pastels, etc. However, it wasn’t until I discovered digital art, that I truly committed to my passion and realized I wanted to pursue art professionally. Unlike with traditional mediums there was no complicated set up, or a mess to clean up afterwards. My ipad allowed me to design, ink, and render characters with ease. This inspired me to draw more consistently and it helped me improve at an accelerated pace. At the age of twelve, I committed to my career goals and decided to dedicate myself entirely towards perfecting my art, as I aspired to be a professional character designer. Supported by my mom’s encouragement to sell my art, we went to several local art fairs where I sold prints of my characters. Additionally, after gaining recognition, I had my work featured in two gallery exhibitions. After this, my mom assisted me with creating my own website where I continue to sell prints of my characters. My goal is to eventually write and illustrate my own stories professionally. I love art because it allows me to turn my dreams and characters into something tangible and gives me the opportunity to connect with other people and empower them the way other characters have empowered me.
      Valorena Publishing & Cocoa Kids Collection Scholarship
      It all started with daydreaming. When I was bedridden I would daydream avidly for hours as an escape. Although my autoimmune disease has taken a lot from me, it’s also given me things too. When my body was an anchor, art became my life jacket. I learned to have an appreciation for it. I would read books and watch cartoons for hours, wishing to be the characters. They became my heroes because they got me through hard times. The one that left the biggest impact on me was Raven from Teen Titans. She was studious, quiet, and courageous; but most of all she made me feel understood. Although Raven is a fictional character, she brought me so much strength throughout the challenges I’ve had to overcome. It was this experience that transformed me into an artist. I knew I wanted to create characters that inspired other people the way that Raven inspired me. Art allowed me to sail beyond the confines of my pain into a world brimming with limitless possibilities. A world I never would’ve discovered if it hadn't been for my disease. I started drawing because I wanted to turn my dreams into a reality, into something I could see. From there it blossomed into stories and at some point I realized that drawing wasn’t enough, so I started writing too. Though the physical pain that made me hyper aware of every muscle in my body, it was when I was creating that I felt the most alive. I committed to practicing daily to improve my abilities. My sketchbook became a rabbit hole of different ideas, It was filled with everything from wayward princesses to aliens. I dabbled in different mediums: watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, pastels, etc. However, it wasn’t until I discovered digital art, that I truly committed to my passion and realized I wanted to pursue art professionally. Unlike with traditional mediums there was no complicated set up, or a mess to clean up afterwards. My ipad allowed me to design, ink, and render characters with ease. This inspired me to draw more consistently and it helped me improve at an accelerated pace. At the age of twelve, I committed to my career goals and decided to dedicate myself entirely towards perfecting my art, as I aspired to be a professional character designer and author. Supported by my mom’s encouragement to sell my art, we went to several local art fairs where I sold prints of my characters. Additionally, after gaining recognition, I had my work featured in two gallery exhibitions. After this, my mom assisted me with creating my own website where I continue to sell prints of my characters. My goal is to eventually write and illustrate my own stories professionally. I love art because it allows me to turn my dreams and characters into something tangible and gives me the opportunity to connect with other people and empower them the way other characters have empowered me.
      Alexis Mackenzie Memorial Scholarship for the Arts
      It all started with daydreaming. When I was bedridden I would daydream avidly for hours as an escape. Although my autoimmune disease has taken a lot from me, it’s also given me things too. When my body was an anchor, art became my life jacket. I learned to have an appreciation for it. I would watch cartoons for hours and wish to be the characters on screen. They became my heroes because they got me through hard times. The one that left the biggest impact on me was Raven from Teen Titans. She was studious, quiet, and courageous; but most of all she made me feel understood. Although Raven is a fictional character, she brought me so much strength throughout the challenges I’ve had to overcome. It was this experience that transformed me into an artist. I knew I wanted to create characters that inspired other people the way that Raven inspired me. Art allowed me to sail beyond the confines of my pain into a world brimming with limitless possibilities. A world I never would’ve discovered if it hadn't been for my disease. I started drawing because I wanted to turn my dreams into a reality, into something I could see. From there it blossomed into stories and at some point I realized that drawing wasn’t enough, so I started writing too. Though the physical pain that made me hyper aware of every muscle in my body, it was when I was creating that I felt the most alive. I committed to practicing daily to improve my abilities. My sketchbook became a rabbit hole of different ideas, It was filled with everything from wayward princesses to aliens. I dabbled in different mediums: watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, pastels, etc. However, it wasn’t until I discovered digital art, that I truly committed to my passion and realized I wanted to pursue art professionally. Unlike with traditional mediums there was no complicated set up, or a mess to clean up afterwards. My ipad allowed me to design, ink, and render characters with ease. This inspired me to draw more consistently and it helped me improve at an accelerated pace. At the age of twelve, I committed to my career goals and decided to dedicate myself entirely towards perfecting my art, as I aspired to be a professional character designer. Supported by my mom’s encouragement to sell my art, we went to several local art fairs where I sold prints of my characters. Additionally, after gaining recognition, I had my work featured in two gallery exhibitions. After this, my mom assisted me with creating my own website where I continue to sell prints of my characters. My goal is to eventually write and illustrate my own stories professionally. I love art because it allows me to turn my dreams and characters into something tangible and gives me the opportunity to connect with other people and empower them the way other characters have empowered me.
      Heather Rylie Memorial Scholarship
      It all started with daydreaming. When I was bedridden I would daydream avidly for hours as an escape. Although my autoimmune disease has taken a lot from me, it’s also given me things too. When my body was an anchor, art became my life jacket. I learned to have an appreciation for it. I would watch cartoons for hours and wish to be the characters on screen. They became my heroes because they got me through hard times. The one that left the biggest impact on me was Raven from Teen Titans. She was studious, quiet, and courageous; but most of all she made me feel understood. Although Raven is a fictional character, she brought me so much strength throughout the challenges I’ve had to overcome. It was this experience that transformed me into an artist. I knew I wanted to create characters that inspired other people the way that Raven inspired me. Art allowed me to sail beyond the confines of my pain into a world brimming with limitless possibilities. A world I never would’ve discovered if it hadn't been for my disease. I started drawing because I wanted to turn my dreams into a reality, into something I could see. From there it blossomed into stories and at some point, I realized that drawing wasn’t enough, so I started writing too. Though the physical pain made me hyper aware of every muscle in my body, it was when I was creating that I felt the most alive. I committed to practicing daily to improve my abilities. My sketchbook became a rabbit hole of different ideas, It was filled with everything from wayward princesses to aliens. I dabbled in different mediums: watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, pastels, etc. However, it wasn’t until I discovered digital art, that I truly committed to my passion and realized I wanted to pursue art professionally. Unlike with traditional mediums there was no complicated set up, or a mess to clean up afterwards. My ipad allowed me to design, ink, and render characters with ease. This inspired me to draw more consistently and it helped me improve at an accelerated pace. At the age of twelve, I committed to my career goals and dedicated myself entirely to perfecting my art, as I aspired to be a professional character designer. Supported by my mom’s encouragement to sell my art, we went to several local art fairs where I sold prints of my characters. Additionally, after gaining recognition, I had my work featured in two gallery exhibitions. After this, my mom assisted me with creating my website where I continue to sell prints of my characters. My goal is to eventually write and illustrate my own stories professionally. I love art because it allows me to turn my dreams and characters into something tangible and gives me the opportunity to connect with other people and empower them the way other characters have empowered me.