Congratulations
Congratulations to Asha Agrawal ('24) whose digital artwork earned an Artist Spotlight in the 2023 Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) Art Contest! Asha's dad served twenty years in the Air Force and transitioned to the Space Force two years ago.
What It Means to Be in a Military Family
For Asha, being in a military family that has moved roughly every 2-3 years, has meant getting to experience the world and the United States in what she deemed, "a different light compared to other people." She views having lived in California, Hawaii, South Korea, Alabama, Florida, Virginia, and Colorado as each having been a unique opportunity to get to know a place in more depth than if the family had just visited on vacation.
Unique Experiences
Some things, such as finding a church family to be a part of, have been fairly consistent no matter where the family found themselves stationed. Other experiences have been location-specific. In Alabama Asha recalled the presence of a banana spider who always lived on the family's back porch as well as watching a large truck drive through the streets, spraying insecticides so they could get relief from the mosquitos. In Florida she remembered catching lizards, enjoying coconut ice cream, and appreciating the support of a friend at school who provided comfort when classmates behaved oddly (stole her lunchbox).
Family Values
Alongside the experiences of military life, family values shaped primarily by her parents, are also an integral part of what it means to be a military family. For Asha's family in particular, the values of responsibility, kindness, and contributing to one's smaller and larger communities ("Help out whenever you can"), no matter where you're located have been paramount.
About Her Artwork
Asha's piece, “Journey,” depicts the globe encircled by a red ribbon marked with the insignia of both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. According to Asha, her first draft of the piece included a sketch of the United States with each of the states she'd lived in highlighted. "I worked on it for a couple weeks, but became unsatisfied," Asha reflected. At this point she decided to simplify the design and pivot to the globe wrapped with the ribbon.
"The world symbolizes everywhere we've been and everywhere we're going to be," Asha said. "The ribbon and insignias shows our journey throughout our life from being to an Air Force family to a Space Force family and beyond."
Celebrating Success and Next Steps
Asha and her family attended a celebration in Washington D.C. this past summer where she was honored with a dinner and a published book containing all of the winning entries from 2023.
Leaning into the robust and award-winning offerings of Pine Creek's Fine Arts Department during her Senior year, she looks forward to continuing to create art and is interested in shadowing professionals so she can further explore the different opportunities available in this career field.
