Paul Shelton

My most recent tattoo is a memorial tattoo for my dog, Gidget. She came into my life as a 1 year anniversary present for my then girlfriend (now wife) and was with us for almost 16 years. I had an artist who had done a few flash pieces for me who I knew also did beautiful pet tattoos. That was the last tattoo I had done before moving from Washington to New York. It came out perfect and now I get to carry Gidget with me everywhere I go.

My ink is a story of appreciation. My body is a canvas for great artists to make beautiful art that is displayed anywhere I go. My favorite pieces are on my left arm, with tattoos for my wife (quarter sleeve sloth), my son (sour patch driving a bulldozer), and Gidget. No matter where I am or what I am doing, my tattoos are always there to remind me of something--why I got them, when and where I got them, the artists who created them. My life story cannot be told without my ink.

I want to find a way to invest that money into local speech and debate programs for high school students. Competing in speech and debate in high school and college made me a more confident person. Those skills I learned served as the foundation for my eventual career as a public defender. I want to find a way to use the money to help give current students the same opportunity that I had. Maybe I could start a local competition focused on criminal law issues and award scholarships to winners.