Homeschool Artist First to Win Constitutional Art Contest

Local teen Nicco Borsa has dabbled in the arts for nearly half his life and explored his varied interests to great achievements as a homeschooler. He recently became the first local homeschooler to win the Clark County Law Foundation Let Freedom Ring Art Contest. The Let Freedom Ring Art Contest asks participants to “create an art piece
exploring the procedural protections afforded to all of us by the U.S. Constitution and why the
preservation of these principles is essential to our liberty.”

How long have you been studying drawing?

I have been drawing ever since I’ve been able to hold a pencil. I’d always love to draw anything, from a creature that towers over the sky to something as simplistic as a self-portrait. Though, having drawn for more than 7 years, painting or drawing with color has never been my forte; however, I have learned to love the convenance of intricately sketching a bird or a person on a simple sheet of paper.

Of course, I am no Da Vinci or Claude Monet but I have grown to have my drawing style. For example, I try to compose a portrait with a serious note with meaning; however, all the while being cautious not to conform too much detail because it is not meant to resemble real life. When I draw, I try to convey that the drawing may be an idea or an ideal but not reality.

What was the inspiration for this drawing?

Now of course as a 15-year-old, I have a bad habit of procrastinating. Many times over my father had asked me how my progress towards my artwork was (going). That was the issue. It wasn’t.

One night my father began to tell me about how his grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1921. My mother also shared her recollection of the story of how her grandparents immigrated to the US and how much her citizenship means to her. Something also valuable to me having been born in Guatemala. Shortly thereafter, I sat in my room and began to feel inspiration for the project and I began to draw.

What are your favorite things to draw?

My parents called it ‘drawing du jour’ as for each day I would contrive a new drawing. As mentioned, I have had an ongoing passion. From childhood to now, from past to present, sketching has always been a major part of my life. I love drawing, I love the detailed lines, the vivid shading, and the eloquent meaning behind each artwork. The fact that one can so thoroughly, so diligently create something as delicate as a bird sitting on a tree,  (this) is why my favorite things to draw are sketches.

How did you hear about the contest?

The first I heard was through the Clark County Law Foundation, in which I am a peer counselor in the Youth Restorative Program which serves the community and helps youth to further understand the law through the use of restorative justice. Though still relatively new, I have been a serving part of the foundation for over a year, yet only graduated from their trainee course last October in 2022.

What made you decide to enter this contest?

As already mentioned, following my parents opening up to me about their grandparents’ immigration stories, while sitting alone in my chair, a multitude of ideas began to hit me at once. Following that night, I began to take the contest seriously, and I took my rough sketch of George Washington and transformed it into my thought of what the cornerstones of democracy were; with the help of the poem of Emma Lazarus, I created my drawing, “The Original Colossus,” which exemplifies the backbone and the foundation of the United States.

What are your aspirations?

With my interest in law, combined with having worked with the Youth Restorative Program, I have aspirations of becoming a lawyer. For the past 2 years of being a part of the program sponsored by the Clark County Law Foundation, I have learned so much about hardships and the intense work that it takes to go into law. However, aside from becoming an attorney, I would also like to become a biomedical engineer. I find it an interesting process, as well as a field that focuses on helping the community.

Las Vegas Family Bonds with Homeschool

“Our homeschool journey was quite a serendipitous encounter,” said Kelly Borsa, Nicco’s mom.

When their son was in pre-school, the Borsas were searching for “additional experiences that would augment his education.”

Their initial hours of research and asking friends for referrals revealed a strong network of homeschool families in their hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. After just a few classes, they knew they found what worked for their family.

“The homeschool network was comprised of a very diverse group of people that prided themselves on the Esprit de corps, celebrating culture and dedicated to providing a broad spectrum of educational choices,” she said. “The best way I can describe this group is to compare it to having an extended family. Everyone aspires to see the children and the parents succeed.”

They continued to seek homeschooling opportunities for Nicco once they came to Las Vegas in July of 2021.

“Perhaps over the years, the attraction to homeschooling is the bond that the children have with one another, the older children help the younger children and become role models,” she said. “The parents are very involved with the education and the social events, everyone is bought in.”