USAO recruits young artist to study art on scholarship

USAO-recruits-youngartist- Patience-Williamsto- study-art-on-scholarship. jpg“Why not just finish everything early?” These are the words of Patience Williams. Nowajunior,Williams graduated early from Ada High School before attending the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) in Chickasha on a scholarship to study art and psychology.

She began preparing to graduateearlythesummerof her eighth grade year when she was encouraged to take geometry before going to high school.

“I graduated early and with all A’s, and that was very difficult,” she chuckled. “But I got there, and I’m here now. It’s been a lot of extra classes. My summers have been full of schoolwork, but it’s been worth it.”

Not only did Williams graduate early, but she also managed to take college concurrent classes, receiving both high school and college credits.

Her original goal was not to go to school for art, but for psychology.

“It helps if you take classes you enjoy. I took psychology and sociology because it would help with what I wanted to do, and I enjoyed them,” Williams said.

Since the fourth grade, Williams has been interested in art. She was inspired by a talented friend, YouTube how- to videos and art on social media. Williams, a Chickasaw citizen, started drawing her own characters, mostly animals.

“I got serious about drawing around my sixth grade year,” she said. “That is when I started focusing on the anatomy of animals and how to actually draw them.” Her art masterfully blurs thelinesbetweenrealismand animation. She enjoys drawing cartoons and is inspired by Disney, especially “The Lion King,” as this and other Disney movies have been a significant part of her life.

Her main motif is dogs, with her own dog being her muse.

“WhenImademyportfolio this year, I wanted to see how many narrations I could make while including my dog as my muse. He’s a big, old, dorky pit bull,” she said. “He’s been one of my biggest motivators in doing art and graduating early.”

While she was hunkering down, studying psychology and finishing up her high school credits at rapid speed, a recruiter from USAO visited her school. Her art teacher encouraged her to talk to the recruiter.

“I wanted to go to USAO because of their rich history. Te Ata went there, and they are known for that. There is a statue of her on campus,” Williams said.

Mary Frances “Te Ata” Thompson Fisher was a Chickasaw woman who traversed cultural barriers to become one of the greatest First American performers of all time.

“Their acting department is well-known, and they are a liberal arts school, which means they teach you how to think for yourself,” she continued. “Plus, they have a beautiful campus that is smaller than other universities, so I thought it would be an easier transition from Ada High.”

On a portfolio day at the Oklahoma Arts Education Association, she went with her art teacher, Meredith Roberts, to Oklahoma City. The students had the opportunity to showcase their portfolios to USAO recruiters.

Soon after their meeting, Williams made the decision to change her academic plans to include psychology and art.

“I had already applied to USAOforpsychology,butthe next day I got a text saying I was offered a scholarship to study art at their school. That made me realize I really wanted to pursue this dream,” Williams said.

It had been her dream since she was a child to write and draw her own characters and shows like those produced by Disney or Pixar.

“It’s going to be hard when you set big goals for yourself. It’s not always easy. There will be days you don’t want to do anything,” she said. “You have to give yourself time to have breaks, or you will get burned out and lose motivation. Spend time with family and friends and fall back on them if you need to. It takes time, but you will get there.” Williams works at her local library and says that her co- workers have helped her open up and be herself. She believes this is a key skill in achieving your goals.

She encourages other young artists not to just stick with what they are good at, but to expand themselves out of their comfort zone.

“You have to broaden your horizons. That is why I have a diverse group of talented friends. If you go outside of your comfort zone, you will grow,” Williams said.