Nia Veal

My professors at UArts have given me the confidence to pursue my dreams of being an animator.

From a young age, I was inspired to pursue animation. When I discovered I could translate the stories I imagined into a visual medium, I just knew I had to pursue animation.

A big part of my interest in animation is due to my dad. We spent a lot of time watching cartoons together. When I was younger, I had a strong preference for anime. I really admired the style choices from the intricate and often brightly colored character designs to the development of the characters and narratives.

My interest in animation caused me to stumble upon a subsection of YouTube called "fanime". There were lots of other aspiring female animators creating magical girl transformation sequences, or "henshins", inspired by anime like Sailor Moon and Tokyo Mew Mew. Clicking through all of the sparkly and cute transformations realized a passion in me. I wanted to grow up to become a successful woman in animation.

My time at UARTS has been transformative. It’s been a great place to study animation as I am constantly introduced to new ways of thinking by both my teachers and my peers. The environment is incredibly creative and explorative. One thing I’ve definitely gained from my time here at UARTS is unlearning the box. I’m exploring animation not only in a television format, but also working on animating sprites for games. I’ve also felt extremely supported by my professors; they want to see you succeed both in the classroom and beyond.