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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (MARCH 3, 2022) — Avery Sauers’ life has been anything but ordinary. Never taking the adversities life has dealt her as an excuse, she has cleared her own path to her ultimate passion: digital art.

Born deaf, the 16-year-old Williamsport Area High School junior’s interest in digital art grew from her love of cartoons and video games — an interest cultivated and nurtured by her parents and teachers alike that is now driving her toward a career in animation or game design.

The young artist recently was accepted into Moore College of Art and Design’s premiere Summer Art and Design Institute (SADI) in Philadelphia. The four-week, pre-college summer program will provide Sauers with the opportunity to explore popular tracks of study for credit, including animation, illustration, painting and game design. 

“Art has and continues to be the way in which I can express myself to others and to the world,” Sauers said. “It has given me a voice to share my views and the way in which I see and experience the world.”

“We knew something was off when she was just a few months old,” her mother, Erin, recalled. “We did not know at birth due to an unknown reason for passing the hearing screening at Williamsport Hospital.”

At 9 months old, after months of doctor appointments, Sauers was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, thus qualifying her as a candidate for cochlear implants to help her hear.

 “We did a lot of research and decided to start the process when she was 1 year old,” Erin said.

Sauers underwent her first implant surgery at 21 months old, followed by a second at 35 months old. She continues to use the cochlear implants to this day.  

“Life isn’t easy, but if you work hard and believe in yourself, anything is possible,” Sauers said. “Every person with hearing loss is unique, along with their needs and best learning environment. I am grateful for the supportive teachers at WASD who recognize not only my challenges but my potential.”

The high school junior, who also plays the saxophone and piano, already has a running list of awards from art shows and exhibitions.

“My brain works creatively, so drawing has always felt comforting and exciting to me,” she said. “It became an escape, and that escape soon blossomed into my passion and drive for excellence.”

While self-taught in some respects, Sauers said she’s grateful for the guidance received from her teachers to help make sure she’s successful in high school and beyond.

“Ms. (Carrie) Bosch is the teacher who I feel truly recognized my talent and provided me the needed encouragement at a very crucial time,” Sauers said.

“I have seen WASD’s visual arts program help Avery develop her skills as an artist in many ways,” Erin said, citing her daughter’s middle and high school teachers and flexible scheduling as contributing factors in the development of her talent. “Everything that WASD’s visual arts program has done will assist Avery to learn the skills necessary to assemble a strong portfolio along with an amazing academic transcript to apply to the best art schools on the East Coast.”

“I hope to be able to create things that I’m proud of and that may inspire or bring joy to others,” Sauers said, “just like how those things inspired me and made me happy when I was younger.”

To help cover the cost of SADI’s tuition and fees, Sauers plans to hold two fundraising events at Eat-and-Run Catering, 1000 Commerce Park Drive.

At her first event, Bold Beginnings, she’ll lead participants in painting a landscape beginning at 6:30 p.m. on March 31. The second event will run from 4-7 p.m. on April 10. That event will include an Italian dinner, basket raffle, an auction of her original paintings and a 50/50 drawing.

Registration is required for both functions. For more information or to register, visit www.averysboldbeginnings.com.

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