Bio: I joined the Louisiana National Guard when I was a junior in high school. I signed into a program called Split Ops, which allowed me to go to basic training that summer. I returned home to finish my senior year, and immediately after graduating, attended Combat Engineer School.

I went active duty a few years later and was involved in an accident that paralyzed me from the neck down.

Impact art has made: Drawing has always been a fun hobby of mine. When I became a quadriplegic, I thought I'd never be able to do it again. However, I've met great occupational therapists, who helped me get back into it.

Painting and drawing has become a fun exercise that helped me improve my fine motor skills. Art also became mentally therapeutic for me, allows me to express myself in many creative ways.

New Beginnings: Living your entire life crawling from branch to branch to finally sprouting wings to fly from tree to tree is why I Illustrated a butterfly emerging from its cocoon to represent New Beginnings.

Piece created with: I used acrylics paint on a flat canvas.