The Missouri Fine Arts Academy truly changed my life. The theme of the Academy when I attended was how to be an artist as a world citizen. We were encouraged to explore art forms other than our own and to use our talents and art to help the world. This could mean making people aware of situations throughout the world, donating our time and art to raise money for efforts, or just simply putting a smile on someone’s face. The Academy truly changed me and how I look at myself as not only an actress, singer, and musician, but as an artist. —Katherine Scarlett Barnes, MFAA 2008