Alyssa created this self-portrait in a confident pose for her Personal Investigation, which she completed last year. She wanted to show others that we should be proud of our cultural heritage and who we are. Alyssa has depicted herself wearing her mother’s traditional dress of the Philippines. She is surrounded by collage materials of a variety of imagery, from architecture in the vicinity of where she lives in Leicester to items which link to and show her love of the Philippines. Around her are subtle imagery of clouds and rain to symbolise the strength she has shown, overcoming adversity, growing through difficult experiences to be the proud young person she is today. Alyssa is currently studying for her Art Foundation course at university, which will give her insight into which degree path she wishes to follow; given that Art is such a vast subject with so many future possibilities in the Creative Industries. We are very proud of Alyssa and her powerful work and hope, as she does, that it gives all who view it the inspiration and encouragement to always feel proud of who they are.