Thank you and best wishes to Aisha Dogo!

Aisha has been a central part of our Toolbox team in her special role working Saturdays at the Gallery. She has done this for a little over a year while completing her senior year of high school.

Her job was to welcome both exhibiting artists and the community into the space, with exhibitions changing on a monthly basis. She feels she was able to contribute in conversations with Gallery founder Seyona on how best to set up for frequent events. And she definitely feels her biggest learning in this first job was in finding better ways to communicate with customers. Her favorite exhibits in her time there were kids' art shows, which is appropriate given her present career aspiration to be either a school counselor or a school psychologist.

In terms of her own education, Aisha has just graduated from David Douglas High School. She valued the diversity of the student body, including through the student exchange program, and the preparation for going on to college. For example, she took beneficial electives focusing on her interest in working with children by teaching art and working as a teacher assistant. There were also many clubs that brought people of similar interests together. Aisha was a member of the Black Student Union where students could explore attendance at a Historically Black College, tour colleges, share cultures and share food together. 

Ultimately, Aisha chose to remain in state moving to University of Oregon soon to room with a friend where her siblings have gone to college too. She will be majoring in Psychology. Let's congratulate her for being awarded a scholarship which will cover tuition and fees for all 4 years!  

Of course, an admirable young woman like Aisha also has plans and dreams beyond her college years... Maybe a "gap year" before graduate school, with a road trip around the Pacific Northwest; travel to the UK, New Zealand, Morocco; a life of career, family, friends, contributions to her community, maybe a small town...What a lovely future Aisha envisions, and we couldn't be more happy to see her off with thank yous and best wishes!