“A Brighter Way” Story
Hi, my name is Cristina Powell. When I was four days old, I was adopted from Lima, Peru. At fifteen months, I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and a movement disorder…not expected to walk or talk.
Thankfully, I do both!
Please don’t tell yourself, “I can’t!” I just know there has to be a better way for you. All you need to do is trust yourself and believe in yourself. You may not know it, but it’s leading you to…a brighter way.
I needed to learn in a special way because I didn’t fit the other way of learning, so… I needed to find my own… brighter way. Mom and I got creative and believed in ourselves…and opened my own school. This allowed me to be myself… to learn my way… and grow into a better person. My talents became more alive through home schooling.
At Paramount Charter in Kalamazoo, MI, Angela Newton, my art teacher discovered my talent and made it come alive - and my journey began as I created many paintings! With the help of artist Melody Allan, I had my first art exhibit at the Portage Public Library. When I’m in Michigan, I still enjoy learning from Melody and venturing into different techniques with my art. In Boston, I continue to do this work with Elizabeth Rocha. These teachers planted seeds in me, and with a little TLC, my artwork blossomed into a garden of color. Now, A Brighter Way Inc is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity that allows me to share my artwork with the world!
