Each year, LEAP works with an amazing cohort of high school students.
Xhileze created an installation for the LEAP Showcase titled Song of Shadows, Burden of Bricks
"This piece is meant to represent the standards and expectations teens are held to and how we are forced to feel. We often feel brushed off, pushed away and completely disregarded by those in our lives who are meant to make us feel seen and safe. I want to raise awareness to teenagers who aren't getting their voices heard and hopefully gain the attention of adults who will take this into consideration and start actually listening to us."
"As an artist, activist, member of Gen Z, and young American I wanted to speak on the state of the U.S. in a creative way. Have you noticed that news articles look like jokes lately? Are you aware that they shouldn’t?"
"This is the emotional abuse that teenagers face in their household which can come from parents. The trauma they have faced through that emotional abuse has molded them into thinking about how to manage their own emotions that aren’t true from constantly being surrounded by negative energy. This is a concealed story because most adults don’t recognize the things they put into their teenagers’ minds. These two people are the same person. The one on the top represents their emotions holding them back, yet, they are trying to break out of what their parents put into their minds and become a better person."
"I want to spread awareness about drug addiction and depression and how deep of a hole you could get yourself in that would be hard to climb out. So in this project I’m talking about past experiences of mine that have shaped me into the person that I am today. The quote at the end is inspired by XXXTentacion."
"In the eyes of those who live in safety, people who grew up like me must look crazy. News reports everyday and shootings near a school full of kids. I was one of those kids. Always feeling like a target, always scared to make a scene, and while others feel glad to be seen, I’m haunted by the Eyes of these violent dreams."
"I want people to know more about who I am, the two cultures I struggle to pick between, and why I never really speak about where I come from. It’s because of embarrassment but also an uneasy feeling of having to explain to people why the two cultures are different but also similar in a way. The embarrassment of barely knowing my mother tongue – who will teach my children to speak chizigula? I also wanted to point out the beautiful parts of both cultures and the things that make me fall in love with them – the beauty of dresses, the vases and the chizigula language itself."
Annie combined writing with origami for Picturesque Voices
"My use of cranes and flowers is because both symbolize longevity and new beginnings."
Ava is a multi-talented sculptor, painter, and creative innovator. They think and feel deeply about the world around them and express themselves through the artistic process. The combination of skill and care make Ava a remarkable person to be around.
"I want the audience to see how homophobia doesn’t just wound—it erases. This piece represents a garden of identity, where the flowers were never given the chance to bloom. Each flower has a different meaning inside of the community: Red Roses - love and the transgender community, Lavender - a term that was used to code name homosexuality,Violets - used to symbolize lesbian love, Green Carnations - a symbol of gay identity in the late 19th century, Lilies - a more broadly queer expression. By removing or damaging that flower, I’m making visible the absence that hate leaves behind. My process involved both painting and physically altering the canvas to show that this harm is not just emotional—it’s tangible and lasting. I want people to feel the silence, the space, and the loss.
Chase conducted a series of audio interviews for his showcase project titled Chasing the Hidden Curriculum of Colleges
"I will be going to college in a few months. I would like to hear about other people and their experiences with topics that aren’t often talked about – the hidden curriculum of colleges and how to make a new community after high school."
Gary's showcase project was a writen reflection titled The Voices of Ours
"I believe that the power of your voice is immeasurable. That you should always speak your opinion/mind. The symbol behind my writing is not to call people out but to encourage. I want everyone to walk out today and be able to say that “My voice matters.” The entire goal is to make you feel empowered and grateful for having the freedom to speak freely."
De'Nejah digitally designed movie posters for her project titled We Are Scary 2
"I brought light and attention to Black horror movies, as shown on a movie-like poster. I want my audience to check out Black movies and narratives that are different from “regular” horror movies. Watching these recommendations also shows the reality of society and the culture of African Americans. I want to show the world my view on life and also the beauty of my style. I also want to show off my art since it's something I am passionate about."
Jaden K wrote a poem for his showcase project titled Black Man in America
"This piece was inspired by the anxieties of my mother. The private university I’m going to attend next year is predominantly white. My mom has always been scared of me being alone in the world due to my skin color, so I wrote this poem with the hope that it will disrupt prejudice, and bring more open minds."
Jaden's painting is titled A New Start
"Within this piece I wanted to present to people the possibility of recovering what we’ve destroyed. A chance to reflect on the lives of animals, and how in the long run this contributes to global warming. It’s necessary for us to better utilize what we have, and to replace what we take. All help is necessary."
Jailinn created a graphite drawing for their showcase project titled Professionalism
Her work describes how in order to succeed in her career, she has to "...‘code switch’ or ‘mask’ my true self so I can fit in. I wanted to really focus on the separation of these two sides I’m forced to take to survive in corporate America. I hope that one day I’ll have the platform to change this."
Grace created a sculpture for the LEAP Showcase titled Golden Hour
"For women throughout the years, every challenge has consistently tried to shatter our being. Year after year, rule after rule, exclusion after exclusion, every attempt has been made to try and make us believe we have lost power. In the end, we stand stronger than before. We are still standing and will remain standing – united and equal once and for all."
Finn is a historian, illustrator, and scholar. He loves to learn about historical events and connect them to his life today. In LEAP, Finn created digital illustrations to convey his thoughts and feelings about current events.
Jay created a digital painting and spoken word poem titled They Don't See
"Everybody gets stressed out, especially in the academic world where things only get more competitive. Academic institutions and professors expect you to know and do too much, but how can we when we are drowning? Don’t they know we’re human too? We can only go so far. Ultimately an understanding needs to emerge, one of mindfulness and patience for those around you."
Jordan's showcase project was titled COVID and Mental Health
"My piece was inspired by the decline in mental health in my peers that I’ve noticed post COVID. I made this project because I wanted to get perspective from my peers, and also understand their experiences. At first, I didn’t want to talk about my own experiences, but after getting some feedback, I did just that with the paragraph at the top of the display. I also got feedback saying I should make it more interactive, leading to the posters surrounding the iPad."
Jesse's showcase project was a series of sculptures titled Gentrification Krabs
"I do believe artwork is used to bring entertainment and fun but also be a tool to advocate for yourself or your community. My art piece shows how gentrification is a bad practice and shows why. The practice of gentrification involves big companies taking low income housing and sprucing them up just to sell them at a higher price."
Maks created a drawing for his showcase project titled The Amazing Spiderman
"I want my audience to know my piece was inspired by the origin of the character Spiderman. By this I mean more so how the character came to be, not their universe origin story. Spiderman was created to be a superhero that could appeal to anybody. To convey this, Stan Lee had his costume completely cover his body. Because of this anyone from any background could imagine themselves as Spiderman. I want my piece to give an uplifting feeling and be something that will interest a wide variety of people."
Navaeh created a painted for her showcase project titled Everyone’s Watching
"This piece is meant to represent what anxiety can feel like. Many people can experience anxiety in different ways but to some and me, it can feel like you’re always being watched and judged, even when you’re alone. The eyes represent the pressure, fear, and overthinking that never seems to stop. The girl in the middle is trying to disappear, but the feeling of being constantly watched and judged no matter what can make you feel overwhelmed and worried about everything."
Nate's showcase project was titled Being a Teen Dad
"This is about being a teen dad that is still in highschool. I'm 18 and my daughter is 3 months old. This project shows all the things that happened in my mind – my emotions and thoughts on everything – showing how my mindset was from the time I found out I was going to be a father."
RaeVon created a painting for his showcase project titled Dysphoria
"My art shows a perspective on gender dysphoria and what it could look like. I also wanted to share what it feels like to have gender dysphoria. It feels like you are being forced into something you do not like. In a simple way, it is like getting a haircut that you end up hating, but being forced to live with that horrible haircut until you can change it."
Husniya created a sculpture for her showcase project titled Ortiqcha Orzular (Excessive Dreams)
"This piece was inspired by Uzbek culture, and the emphasis on women’s role in society. The teacup represents the emphasis that is put on women to serve. The book, O’tkan Kunlar (Bygone Days), represents education and everything else a woman could be. The piece highlights the struggle in balancing both sides, and how stuck a women and girls can feel choosing between the two."
Tameara recorded a song for the LEAP Showcase!
"This song was heavily inspired by Zen and Jennie. Their lyrics about women’s empowerment made me want to write a song about this topic too. The lyrics I created before recording changed by 90%. I’ve heard a lot of artists say that lyrics change when you actually get into the studio and record songs. I hadn't believed it until now."
Styx created a collage titled ¿Why Is It This Way?
"The world is overwhelming and scary. It's ok to feel scared. This piece of art is meant to be a safe space to reflect."
Tytiana wrote and read a poem called Waked Up for her showcase project
"Living in the West, there are certain responsibilities brought upon me as a Muslim woman – a certain way of acting that is completely different from what I am used to. The pressure at one point has begun to make me overthink myself when in reality all I needed was to open my eyes and realize that I should not be trying to mold myself into what the public wants me to be. I need to mold myself into who I know I can be. This poem is not only about myself, as many others can relate. Towards the end, I provide a brief prompt that no matter where you come from, or what you look like, you can reflect about. A stereotype can never tie you down one hundred percent, unless you let it consume you."
Jy-Quis created a sculpture for his showcase project titled Hand of Giving
"My piece is an atonement to my mother. My mother is the reason why I am the man I am today. And I don't know what I would do without her in this crazy world."
Tai'joura recorded herself performing a beautiful spoken-word poem titled, What The Mirror Won’t Tell You.
"This poem is about self-love and body image. My goal for writing this was to acknowledge a girl's day to day insecurities, while also expressing how hard it is to struggle with those insecurities."
"The inspiration behind my piece is the idea of a lived experience. The quote "Every time an old man dies a library dies with him" resonates with me as you will never know why I live the way I live or do the things I do. Now you may get glimpses into my life that give generalizations, but the specifics are so small to the point it would take a lifetime to live my life. (Makes a lot of sense right). I organized these pictures into groups of 4 different aspects of my life. There is a pretty high chance that you can relate to at least one and yet I can guarantee that you will not connect with all of them. The painted box is to represent a very cut and dry representation of a small part of my life and if you could fill the box it would look a lot different."
Zara's showcase project was a collage titled Seen
"I was once recognized as being Palestinian for only my hair, the event having a strong impact on me and how I view it as a trait. It helps me connect to my identity of being half Palestinian and it speaks to me as a way that displaced people can and will always find each other. Here I have depicted myself as a blank silhouette surrounded by my hair and the words , "Your hair... are you Palestinian?" However, the collaged clips of hair in the art piece do not contain a single image of my own hair. I collected images of other Palestinians, bringing our shared trait to the surface in a complex self portrait. The flowers surrounding the silhouette are poppies, the flower of Palestine, and the mirror tiles represent wanting any Palestinian that shares this trait to be able to see themselves in this piece, and in me."
Jaymar's showcase project was a sculpture titled The Impact of Gun Violence & Climate Change
"Art is a way of speaking volumes. The message for the people reading this is that the world is damaged in many ways and one big way is that it’s overheating at an alarming rate due to climate change.The world is also damaged due to human-made weapons. Especially in America, our relationship with items that cause harm to others is too widely known. Representing our problems both in the U.S. and around the world. BOTH GUN VIOLENCE and GENERAL USE OF WEAPONS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS NEEDS TO STOP. SAVE THE WORLD STOP GUN VIOLENCE & CLIMATE CHANGE."
Ava may be on the quiet side when you first meet them, but their art speaks volumes!
Their showcase project focused on the topic of gender fluidity. “Gender is such a complicated concept past simply "boy" and "girl." Not many people accept that, even in our present decade.”
Kadiatou is not afraid to use her voice! She cares deeply about her community and uses her intelligence, creativity, and oratory skills to advocate for a more just world.
Her showcase project was a reflection of her life’s journey. “I always told myself I'm striving for happiness, but I was always happy. I wasn't ever at peace. Peace and happiness are different.”
Jaden is a calm, cool, collected guy with some serious drawing skills!
His showcase project focused on issues of air and water pollution. “I think pollution is a real problem that affects everyone.”
Aaliyah bravely uses her creativity to explore topics of great significance. She isn’t afraid to try new things or share her perspective with others.
Her showcase project focused on victim blaming. “Victim blaming is when someone has experienced abusive or harmful behavior such as sexual assault, rape, etc. and in the end they are blamed for it being their fault when it never was….My concept was to create a person, not male or female, to show that this could happen to anyone.”
Alex isn’t afraid to experiment with new topics and materials!
Their showcase project was an amazing self-portrait that engaged multiple aspects of their identity. “This project is my best attempt at visually explaining what goes through my head every day as a teenager. It's messy, layered and some of it won't make much sense but that is exactly what it feels like to be in my mind.”
Amauri is not only a gifted artist, but a kind friend. He always finds innovative ways to combine materials.
For his showcase project, Amauri combined 3D printing with drawing to create a poster about gun violence prevention. “4,300 deaths last year due to gun violence. Just hope that one day it will end.”
Annie has a way with words! She beautifully expresses herself through her writing.
She combined poetry and collage to create a showcase project that shines a light on the discrimination that AAPI individuals face in America. “Systematic racism is deeply embedded within American society and people continue to follow these racist ideologies. So this was my way of bringing attention to both issues.”
It would be hard to find a more creative, engaged individual than Bleu! Her talent is matched only by her passion for equity.
Bleu’s showcase project focused on issues of culturally-sustaining aid. “I made this piece as a visual representation of how Western people will try and give out aid to marginalized groups. Most of the resources they hand out are not culturally appropriate for the child and do not fix the root of the problem.”
Charlie started off the LEAP program shy and reserved but ended by being a real leader who could communicate with others! Their talent for design, their respect for others, and their eagerness to learn and create were constants.
Their showcase project focused on hope. “So often we focus on the negative, feeling the weight of the world's issues and the powerlessness that comes with that. Beneath it all, I think it is important to still have that feeling of hope. Hope for things to change, hope for future generations, hope for things to be better. It is what gets us through the tough times and gets us to the other side. Hope inspires change."
Chase has grown tremendously in the LEAP program! He went from being unsure and hesitant, to confidently participating in workshops, talking with new people, and exploring new experiences.
His showcase project was his way of “encourag[ing] more people to be a part of LEAP.”
De’Nejah is passionate about celebrating Black excellence and joy!
She combined that passion with her talent for drawing characters in her showcase project which “shines more light on black artists.” De’Nejah’s art is just one example of the excellence she exudes daily!
Jada brings both playfulness and focus to LEAP!
She demonstrated amazing stamina and attention to detail in her showcase project, which centered on plants native to the Pittsburgh region. “My concept was to show a concealed story about native plants as most people don't know much about them.”
Jailinn is creative, silly, and talented! She’s invested in her artwork and uses her creative practice to depict everything from the humorous to the serious.
For her showcase project, she focused on the impact social media has on young people. “Social media is a big place where a lot of teens tend to get self esteem issues, because no one really shows the bad side of themselves on the internet. This piece depicts how I and many others feel when they get a ‘score’ that’s considered bad.”
Jamie is a remarkable person with a sense of style and a passion for women’s rights.
She used her creativity to make a showcase project “representing the resilience and strength women have encountered in themselves as they walk through the obstacles of life….The flowers incorporated in this artwork represent the blooming of new beginnings, being able to overcome anything and everything the world has to throw.”
Jesse is someone who feels and thinks deeply. While he may be reserved when you first meet him, he has depths of compassion and care.
His showcase project called people to stop turning towards violence and start addressing the root causes of the world’s problems. “My concept was to show how people fight each other rather than fight the source of the problem.”
John is always open to having new experiences and meeting new people. He has a keen eye for detail and exhibits patience in his artwork.
His showcase project beautifully synthesized the lessons we learned about in LEAP. “My project called The Tower of Learning shows a tall skyscraper in the middle of Pittsburgh. On the inside each floor has a different topic we learned about this year.”
Nate’s boisterous, playful exterior is what draws people to him. His considerate, observant, empathetic heart is what makes them love him.
For Nate’s showcase project, he made a drawing about the importance of mental health. “I want to be in the psychiatric field when I’m done with school. My concept is to symbolize the different types of mental problems people deal with.”
Rae’Von is a strong, independent person who also cares about those around him!
He used his showcase project to educate others about a topic that is near and dear to his heart: intersectionality. “I care about intersectionality because it is important to others and my experiences as queer POC.”
Taleijha is an incredibly kind-hearted and gifted person. While she typically creates masterful digital art on her iPad, she challenged herself to make something sculptural for the LEAP Showcase this year.
Her installation depicts the many questions that run through her head when she’s experiencing anxiety. “ …Although anxiety and overthinking are a common thing we all share, people feel it at different levels.”
Zane understands the power of coalition-building. He makes sure to connect with others around him so that they can create positive change together. He adds his voice to important conversations and makes space for others’ perspectives.
His showcase project depicted “harsh critics of poor infrastructure of downtown, from poor traffic mediation to highlighting the accidents regarding the transit system.…Framing the piece represents that to some the city is just a wall flower that doesn't need to be changed.”
Cailah is one of the easiest people to talk to in the world! Kind, funny, smart, and interesting, Cailah is a joy to be around. Her showcase project took a look at what the American government prioritizes. “I wanted this wheel to reflect the American Economy as of last year. By that, I mean that I wanted this to show how the US government decides to focus its funds.”
Jayona is the most kind, compassionate, caring individual you’ll ever meet! She is always willing to reach out to others and make them feel seen and heard.
London constantly demonstrates her creativity! Whether it’s drawing, singing, or makeup artistry, London has a passion for the creative process.
London and Jayona collaborated to create a showcase project that explores the challenges entertainers face at an early age. “We chose to explore this topic to understand the lives of child stars before and after fame.”
Kadiatou K. and Keliyah W. playing a handclapping game together as part of a workshop led by Dr. Ari Brazier.
Charlie R., Taleijha H., and Abby C. having fun at MuseumLab!
Thomas S., Deja L., Malik H., and Sakai J. recording an original song in the College of Fine Arts studio, with the guidance of ChaRon Don and Riccardo Schulz.
Amauri L., Malik H., Gabriel E., and Taleijha H. participating in a community drum circle, led by Clarence Grant II.
Destiny B., Jameson S., Sarah G., and Sophie M. exploring the botanical gardens at Phipps Conservatory.
2022-2023 LEAP students brainstorming and collaborating.
2022-2023 LEAP students applauding CMU's orchestra in the Great Hall of the College of Fine Arts during the School of Music's winter concert.
Anna P. and Chy B. exploring virtual reality and augmented reality in the Askwith Kenner Global Languages & Cultures Room.
Anna P., Chy B., Mia S., Haylee M., and Corinne F. creating hand-bound books out of recycled materials called cartoneras.
Nina M., Corinne F., and Brandon M. learning how to use a DSLR camera with Michael Pisano.
Corinne F. testing out the microphone in the College of Fine Art's recording studio.
2021-2022 LEAP students getting a tour of CMU's Philip Chosky Theatre from Kyle Haden.
Lovie B. showing the self-portrait she included in her handmade cartoneras book.
Brandon M. exploring virtual and augmented reality in the Askwith Kenner Global Languages & Cultures Room.
Jahlil P., Jori C., Lovie B., Ian O., and Anaysia M. playing percussion instruments in a community drum circle led by Clarence Grant II.