Name: Glenn Freitas
Semester/Year Started at WCC: Fall 2011
Semester/Year Started in TRiO SSS: Fall 2011
Degree(s) Earned at WCC or 4yr. college/university: In
Progress
Semester(s)/Year(s) Graduated:
Personal Statement:
I’ve been consumed by a passion that has remained with me as
a child, born with a gift to create and retain the art of diverse arts. When I
was young boy, I was inspired from a simple doodle on a page; schooling
progressed and so did my doodles. Doodles became more than a line, more
descriptive, better intentioned, but overall, art became my passion that has
yet to have its thirst quenched. A pencil in my hand is like a magic wand, the
baton to a composer of sorts. The way the graphite imprinted on the page had
spilled images incomprehensible with words alone. The stories you could see,
feel, hear, and empathize with imagery: this developed into my Polynesian Art
Stories.
To create designs that tell stories of our Hawaiian Ancestry
is challenging but rewarding. It all starts with the stories I heard as a
child. It’s difficult to incorporate the
underlying message of the story into drawings. How do we keep our younger
generation knowledgeable of our past? I try to keep this in mind when I’m
drawing the myths, legends, and stories of Polynesian history. I want to keep our
history alive, to pass down our heritage to future generations through the
works of art.
For many years I lost my love for life, after my Dad and Mom
passed away and my wife left me for my best friend. I lost my heart, my mind,
and my job; at that point I lost everything and didn’t care if I lived or died. I was a
broken-hearted fool who was lost in the world of dope; horrible. I lived from
day to day not caring; I was in a world of hopelessness, and unable to overcome
my addiction. I fell deep into the endless pit of darkness; I felt that I was
worthless. The day of redemption came when; the police arrested me for
cultivating and promoting marijuana. I
was taken to Kauai Community Correction Facility to await my sentencing for 14
months. Finally, I received 5 years
probation. Soon after Hina Mauka
Treatment Center offered me residential treatment. I didn’t realize that this
would be a huge turning point in my life. Hina Mauka Treatment Center helped me
to love myself and taught me how to believe in myself again. With positive action, and the will to
overcome obstacles, you can accomplish your dreams of success in what you love
to do.” Let the beauty we love be what we
do.” A quote by Rumi. In my case, I
love Polynesian graphic arts. It’s a part of my Heritage. I feel I’m a very
gifted artist that can tell stories in my artwork about Polynesia’s Legends, gods,
and many stories from the past that exist still today. Through art, I hope to
preserve these precious stories for future generations.
After graduating from Hina Mauka, I enrolled at Windward
Community College in the fall of 2011 to pursue art classes to improve my
artistic abilities and to get a better understanding in the art field. I wanted
to explore my thirst for learning in a higher education, to be the best that I
know I can be. Learning to communicate with others, having a clean attendance
record, completing all my homework and paying attention in classes will help me
to fulfill my dreams. During my first semester, TRIO learning center at
Windward Community College has taught me how to motivate myself, and being
dedicated to what I have to do in school to achieve my dreams. Sometimes the
road to success may get rough, but with a positive attitude and never giving up
on myself, I can reach the top of the mountain.
In the spring semester 2012, I returned to Windward
Community College, continuing art classes, and silk screening/printing. These
classes will play a major role in my future business. I’ve only known the
artists side to designing sellable artwork. Now I will too, learn the consumer
side and how to print on paper and clothing, hands-on projects, and
understanding ink colors on quality clothing. While in Silk screening, I
learned how to print a design with 4 colors, on paper and clothing. This will
be my second semester in silkscreen; the knowledge of learning is priceless. TRIO
learning center has played a major role in helping me through my education. Every
day in school is a blessing for me, and I look forward to learning all that I
can learn to help me in the future and achieve my dreams.
Going into my third semester, are to excel even more than before. I chose painting
with water color and acrylics, also learning how to setup an Art Gallery for
special events that features well known artists and upcoming artists alike. With this new found skill I hosted a Student
Art Show at Paliku Art Gallery that showed the public what the students’ are
doing in the arts and crafts field at Windward Community College. I was very
blessed to have six of my Polynesian art stories chosen to be showcased in the Student
Art Show. My designs reflect the past history of our Polynesian culture, to
preserve our legends and stories for future generations to come.
After three semesters, I’ve learned a lot about myself. The
knowledge has given me the ability to grow and to love education. It takes
discipline, determination, and dedication to reach my dreams. I’m very thankful
to God, Hina Mauka Treatment Center, and Windward Community College with the
TRIO learning center that has helped me with math, I struggled and I wasn’t
sure that I could learn math after 40 years of not being in school, with TRIO’s
help with tutoring I started to understand how math works. My first math test I
got 48 and I was upset with myself and I told myself I can do this so TRIO
assigned my a math tutor, after two weeks I took the test again and I got a 60,
I needed 70 or better to move on to the next chapter. So I pushed myself every
day with my tutor and after a week I took the math test again and I got a 69
and I was so depress but TRIO kept pushing me to study harder so I studied for
ten hours a day for a week and I took the math test again and I got an 80 in
chapter 1, I was so happy and excited to move on to chapter two. I studied very
hard for the next test and took the math test a week later and got a 83 in my
chapter two test, I called my Mom to let her know what I got on my math test
and she cried with happiness and told me I knew you could do it and that she
was very proud of me. This was the spark I needed to continue with a positive
attitude and not to be afraid of what I don’t know but to love what I can learn
to excel in my higher education, and completing my dreams to be able to start
my own clothing business. Having my own business will allow me to give back to
the community by sponsoring our youths’ sporting events.
Through most of my life I’ve been blessed with the gift of
art and selling my artwork on the streets.
Starting my own clothing company with Polynesian designs on clothing, Windward
gives me the ability to be able to start my business and to complete my dreams.
I realize that in order to accomplish my dream I needed to learn how to
maintain, operate a business properly, and efficiently. The only way to reach
my goal is to go to College to learn all phases of maintaining a company to
succeed and to be successful. I am humbly seeking your assistance for a scholarship
so I can continue my education towards getting a Degree in Graphic Arts. With
your help I know, I will reach my dreams and be able to give back to the
community. Thank you very much for you
time and consideration, have a fanatics day!
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