I joined Tools for Tomorrow as a 4th grader at Edward Wenzlaff Elementary School in Desert Hot Springs.
I remember being a perfectionist as a child and very hard on myself when I didn’t achieve the creative output I thought I should be producing. For a long time I was convinced I would never be able to draw anything that looked good. That is why my fondest memory of the program was learning that I could express myself through art and that if I just had the tools, patience, and guidance I could learn to draw anything.
Drawing was not the only element of the program of course but it is one I will never forget. Patience with others and with myself was certainly a key takeaway for me during my time in Tools for Tomorrow, and it is something I use everyday now in my position as the Site Coordinator for the after school program at Cabot Yerxa Elementary.
The courage and grace I developed during the Tools For Tomorrow program have become essential for me in my career and I truly appreciate that I earned the ability to believe in my creativity and to not always focus on perfection.
Sionell graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a BA in Political Science in the fall of 2021.