Pepper Feldman Rebuilds His Life Through Art, Education and Purpose

“I didn’t know what I wanted to be,” he said. “There was no plan. It was to do something to get my life in order.” That decision to simply begin again marked a turning point in a life shaped by resilience and discovery. At Aims, he found direction, creativity and a renewed sense of self.

“There’s never a bad time for education. There’s no shame in wanting to better yourself.”

Understanding the Mind, Understanding Himself

A Colorado native, Pepper was born in Delta and grew up along the Front Range before spending a decade in Salt Lake City and time in Indiana. His early years were marked by instability. He left home young, navigated homelessness in his twenties, ended a 17-year marriage and looked to rebuild his life.

When everything fell apart, he returned to Colorado to start over. One of the first places he thought of was Aims.

Pepper earned his GED at Aims in 1996. That experience stuck with him. So when he came back to Greeley years later, rebuilding from scratch, enrolling at Aims felt like a natural place to begin again.

He is now a Liberal Arts student with an emphasis on psychology. Pepper just started to take classes in the subject and found a love for it. He is curious about the human mind, both in academic and personal ways. Studying psychology hasn’t just been about learning theories, though, it’s been a key part of healing, growth and moving forward.

When Pepper first came to Aims, he was navigating a difficult chapter in his life and struggling with his mental health. Through coursework and campus support services, he began to understand himself and the broader human experience.

One class in particular stood out, Psychology of Death and Dying. “It sounds a little morbid,” he said, “but it helped me a lot.”

Before returning to school, Pepper worked at a cemetery. He met with clients all day who were dealing with the death of a loved one, or who themselves were dying. That role put him in constant contact with grief, loss and people facing the end of life. The emotional weight of that work eventually became overwhelming, but studying psychology gave him a new lens to process those experiences. “It helped me understand how people express grief and go through loss,” he said. “It’s something we all experience.”

At the same time, Pepper began accessing therapy through Aims’ Counseling Services, something he says has been transformative and connected him with additional care. “When I first started here, I was in a very dark place,” he said. “I don’t think I would have found therapy or taken my mental health seriously without being a student here.”

“Therapy is important. Everyone should be in therapy,” he said. “Mental health is super important, and we don’t pay enough attention to it.”

For Feldman, psychology is no longer just something he studies; it’s something he sees shaping his future. Blending that interest with his deep-rooted connection to art, he’s considering art therapy as a way to support others in navigating their own experiences.

Creating with Intention and Impact

Pepper has always been an artist. Over the years, it has served as a channel for self-expression and processing emotions. “It’s how I dealt with trauma as a child,” he said. “Taking anger, negative feelings and putting them into something productive. It’s something I learned early on.”

After years away from drawing, an art course at Aims changed everything. “I took a drawing class and it re-sparked my childhood,” he said. “That class got me back into it.”

Encouraged by his professor, Charles Luna, Pepper began creating again, often spending up to 70 hours on a single piece. Working with something as simple as a standard ballpoint pen, his detailed, unconventional style quickly stood out.

At first, he had no intention of sharing his work publicly. “I’m pretty introverted,” he said. “I had to be convinced even to enter the art show. Up until that point, my art had only ever been something I created for myself. With no designs on showing it off.” The Aims Student Art Show is an annual campus tradition that showcases student talent. The exhibit features a wide range of work, including painting, graphic art, drawings, photography, sculpture and more. The Best in Show winner is awarded a scholarship to Aims. 

Pepper first submitted his work for the 2024 show, (In)visible. The pen and ink drawing reflects the themes that run through much of his art identity, isolation and what it means to feel unseen. This submission paid off and he was awarded Best in Show and won a $350 scholarship. The recognition that surprised even him. 

“We’re our own worst critics. It taught me I’m better at what I do than I thought I was. It took me a while to accept that others saw value in my work that I didn't.” 

Getting that affirmation from the first show is what propelled Pepper to submit work to the 2025 show. The piece he was working on was added as a last-minute inclusion. “I had originally planned something else for that year, but after trying all winter to create the piece I had in mind for the art show, none of the projects I started came together the way I was hoping they would.” He started with a clean slate and with no direction in mind, other than to get something on paper. That is how he ended up with "Clint". Pepper was awarded an honorable mention for Best in Craftsmanship.

For the 2026 Student Art Show, Pepper felt that it was important to present something with “some actual meaning, with a story and that was not just art for the sake of art, but that carried weight.” He fell back on his professional background, having worked in a cemetery. It inspired him to reflect and ask questions. How do you express grief? What does it mean to be in mourning? What does that pain look like, sound like? During his time in that job, he felt such profound sorrow from those who lost something they would never get back. It’s an experience that he has carried with him. 

“I came into this year knowing what I wanted to say with my art. I wanted to express a desire to share a universal language we all speak, but are often too afraid to say out loud. This year's submission is about those words. It's not supposed to be pretty. I hope that it makes people feel something.” 

Pepper’s intention with this drawing was to provide comfort to those who have experienced loss and let them know that they are not alone. “What they are feeling is normal and healthy. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to express love for someone you have lost,” he said. “There is no shame in it.” He describes it as “a heavy piece” and one that he is “proud of and honored to be able to share” with more people.

This emotional resonance has paid off as he received a Best in Craftsmanship honorable mention for that piece, “Grief is Just Love With No Place Left To Go.” The piece was also awarded the People's Choice award. 

Looking Ahead

Pepper isn’t rushing toward a fixed destination and that’s intentional. His experience at Aims has opened doors to further public attention for his art, including applications for residencies and other ways to share his artistic talent. 

“I have learned not to have any expectations for my work. Just to be grateful that I get to be part of the process,” he said.

 “That it's a privilege to have my work seen. I can only hope that other people can find the joy in seeing it that I had in creating it. Art exists to be seen. It's what this journey has taught me.”

Right now, Pepper is focused on building a strong academic foundation by completing his general education courses, with graduation approaching in December 2026. From there, he plans to stay flexible, exploring different degree paths without limiting himself to just one.

“I never thought I’d stop at one degree,” he said. “Once the generals are done, you can pivot into different programs and just take what you need.”

That openness has already led Pepper in new directions. Whether that means pursuing additional degrees, deepening his work in psychology or continuing to develop his art, he plans to keep learning and evolving.

“Aims has been a positive influence in my life. I’ve grown as a person because of Aims,” Pepper said. “I’ve felt supported here. I’m grateful I took the chance.”