Logo by Kianna Lykins

High School Career

Sophomore Year 2023-2024

Intro to Art (full year)

Theatre Arts I (full year)

Junior Year 2024-2025

Drawing and Painting (full year)

Jazz Band and Improvisation (semester)

Senior Year 2025-2026

Advanced Drawing and Painting (full year)

Ceramics I (semester)

Theatre Arts II (full year)

 Final Product: 

After thoughts

Thinking about the process and product of your Capstone, reflect upon what you are most proud of and what you might do differently if you were to complete a similar project in the future. 

My process was very jumbled at times, but I managed to pull it together in the end. I'm really proud of the way I brought together people to help me with my endeavor, and I'm truly grateful for that. I would definitely say I would try to give myself more time on the project. That was the main thing holding me back. If I could go back in time, I would try to reel back the scope of the project. 

Explain how your life experiences are reflected through your project. 

I used a lot of folklore as inspiration in my project, as well as one of my favorite things, Dungeons and Dragons. I've always loved the fantasy genre, and creating a story in it was really fulfilling. In the script, I tend to subvert expectations the audience might have about the characters. This is because throughout my own life, I was always expected to be one thing, and I was rarely allowed to deviate from it. 

Thinking about the Extra-curricular hours you completed, reflect upon what you learned through the experiences and/or how you have been impacted as an artist? 

I learned to be patient and to pace myself better. Throughout my work on the scenes for A Murder is Announced, I found that I needed to be patient and speak up about how I could help. When working on my capstone, I found I was really out of my comfort zone, using both a new drawing program and a new editing program. I had to learn quick if I wanted to properly make what I needed. 

How is your life positively impacted by the arts? 

I'd say that the arts has gotten me out of a lot of dark places in my life. It was something that I always turned to when I was discouraged. Throughout my own life, I never quite fit in with anyone, I tended to go off into my own world because it was easier to talk to my characters then it was to people. That, I think at least, helped me practicing how to talk to actual people and get more out of my comfort zone. It helps me explore my mind and how I react to certain situations. I'm honestly not great at communicating or expressing myself, but the arts showed me that I don't have to communicate in a more traditional way. 

How do you plan to include artistic experiences in your future after high school?

I plan to go into the artistic field when I finish college, more specifically animation. I've always loved animation and it's been a dream of mine ever since I was little. But I wouldn't say I would like to work for a big company like Disney or Dreamworks, I would like to work in the independent animation field. To me, the big companies have lost my interest a while ago, but the indie animation renaissance is on the rise right now, with a lot of talented people working to create their vision. I want to be like that, able to collaborate with many others to create something amazing.

What advice would you give an incoming freshmen about studying the arts to help them make the most of their experiences while in high school? 

I would most definitely say to try and not stretch yourself thin. I certainly did during my 4 years at Queen Creek High School. I was always doing something, whether that be drawing, acting, painting, or even playing in a band. I never gave myself time for myself to just rest and that came to bite me in the back. So my advice is even if you love the arts with a lot of passion like I do, please do not try and do everything all at once, know your limits. The arts will always be here, but you will not if you keep not taking care of yourself.