Although she is only 15, Caley Martin (10) already knows how she wants the rest of her life to play out. She is an aspiring artist–and a good one at that.

“I really want to be an art teacher when I grow up because Mrs. [Erin] Miller has inspired me,” Martin said. “She’s really positive all of the time. Even when I don’t think it will turn out right, she will say, ‘Yeah it will,’ and she cheers you on.”

Martin first started getting into art last year during her freshman year.

“Last year in Art Fundamentals, I wasn’t that great , but I practiced a lot,” Martin said. “When I took Sculpture and Ceramics,  I don’t know why but I started drawing on my own, and then I’d ask Mrs. Miller what she thought of it.”

In just one year Martin has improved so much. She has been asked to graffiti on a nursing home, draw a tattoo, draw portraits of people’s children and paint numerous teacher’s ceiling tiles.

“Right now, I’m painting a ceiling tile for Mrs. [Annie]  Schoessel. She wants me to paint something historical that we learned about in class, so I’m doing a timeline,” Martin said. “I’m painting a ceiling tile about women throughout history.”

She wants her artwork to depict the evolution of women in American culture.

“I wanted to explain how women are just as important as men. In the first section, it’s how women had to follow men around and couldn’t be by themselves. In the middle section World War II takes place and then in the third section women dress how they want and do what they want.”

Martin wants to make sure that women are treated with respect.

“I think it’s important that people learn about the history of women and how they were treated in the past and how they’re treated now,” Martin said.

Although Martin has ceiling tiles lined up to paint, it’s not her favorite medium.

“I don’t like to paint as much as I like to draw because it’s harder for me,” Martin said. “I can still paint, it’s just more difficult than drawing or using watercolor because the paints are way more pigmented.”

Because of her talent in all of these techniques, her teacher recommended her for an art academy summer camp.

“Over the summer, I’m going to attend the Missouri Fine Arts Academy at Missouri State University, and I’m going to take all of these art classes to help me expand my creativity. Ms. Miller told me and a few other girls about i,t and I was really the only one who followed through with it. Ms. Miller also helped me set up a portfolio of pictures of all my works that I had to email to them.”

Martin is thrilled that all of her hard work will finally pay off.

“I’m really excited to meet new people and explore different styles of art,” she said.

Whether it’s making friends or making artwork, Martin always tries to be positive.

Want to check out some of Caley’s work? Check out her art instagram: @cals_art_