Bouncing Back
Scholarship support ensures Denni Zhao can resume her studies after taking a leave due to family illness.
Zhao has a family who is close-knit and supportive. Her parents and sister immigrated to the United States from China in 1990, and the family made their home in Plano, Texas. When her sister struggled a bit with her creative homework assignments, her parents took action.
“They enrolled me in art classes at age six because they wanted to make school assignments easier for me. They had no idea that I would end up spending even more time on my artwork than my sister. I loved it so much!” she says.
Her passion for art continued to grow. When a representative from RISD came to visit her high school, she was impressed by the range of art majors offered and the opportunity to specialize in specific fields of study. “When I visited campus, I was immediately attracted to the Painting department and the studio spaces,” she recalls.
Zhao ended up attending RISD and loved it. She even found time to explore extracurricular activities and take science classes, but when a family member fell ill, she knew she needed to be with her family. “The situation changed my life, and I fell into a deep depression. I ended up leaving for a year so I could focus on helping her and care for my mental health,” she says.
Her perseverance has been bolstered by the support she receives. Emerita Trustee Susan Dryfoos P 01 established the Susan W. Dryfoos and JRS Dryfoos Charitable Lead Trust Endowed Scholarship, which supports Zhao’s studies this year. “I cannot express how grateful and thankful I am. Receiving financial aid has allowed me to complete my studies and pursue my dreams of being a professional painter."
Thankfully, her family member is doing better now, and Zhao is happy to be completing her senior year. She is drawing upon the challenges her family has faced to inform her creative process. “Creating work about this experience has helped me to process everything,” she says. “Lately, I’ve been making more sculptural works that are based off of my personal experiences and I am exploring the fragility and vulnerability of the human body, as well as themes of loss and grief in my work.
