Student Spotlight: Ava Barlow
Photo by J. Jeffreys
My name is Ava Barlow, and I’ve been drawing and writing stories since I was very little. My grandmother always kept my little kiddie desk stocked with watercolors and art supplies. Close family members were also artistic; I was nurtured in a creative environment by people who encouraged my imagination. For this, I’m endlessly grateful. To be surrounded by individuals who encourage my drive to have an artistic career is a gift I won’t ever take for granted.
I grew up at the Jersey Shore, spending my formative years in Asbury Park, surrounded by live music and an artsy community. I moved to Sussex County in 2015, at age ten, and immediately felt at home. Camping, hiking, and the outdoors were another huge part of my childhood, and here I'm surrounded by opportunity to connect with nature, something that inspires me creatively like nothing else.
Growing up, I was homeschooled for most of middle school. This gave me the unique opportunity to explore many art forms, such as sculpture, textiles, painting, and creative writing. Because of this, I was able to find exactly what I loved the most, which is illustration and storytelling. Impactful stories are my world. Reading is my favorite pastime aside from creating art, and this helped cultivate my love of rousing stories. This led me to SCCC, where I started in the illustration degree. After a semester, I decided animation was something I wanted to dip my toes into. I will now graduate in May with an associate degree in 3d animation and art.
During my time here at Sussex, I’ve tried to be as involved as possible. My first involvement was working with student life as a student ambassador. This helped me to make friends and connections on campus, meeting many professors and people who work behind the scenes to keep the school running. I then began working at the school café for a few semesters, and met even more people, mostly fellow students. I then ran for student government and successfully became the diversity officer.
This experience was one of my favorite times on campus, helping to bring artistic decoration to the office, creating illustrations for fundraisers and posters, interacting with even more individuals on campus, while cultivating relationships with my fellow student government officials.
My goal post graduation is to continue to fulfill the dreams of the little girl seated at a desk playing with watercolors and live my life to the fullest. I will miss SCCC, but will always be grateful for my time here, the cherished friends I made, and everything I learned.
