A Valley student has turned her love of art into a mission to support others.
Pia Sachdev has big dreams and is getting started on them early.
"I colored it in with colored pencils so that it was exactly how I wanted it to look," says Pia Sachdev.
At 16 years old, Pia started her own program called Sneakers for Smiles, donating a pair to someone in need.
Pia says she has always had a love for shoes, but it grew during the pandemic.
She tells ABC15 she started painting and customizing sneakers for fun, making them for family and selling them on Etsy. Then, she had an idea to gift them.
The first pair went to an acquaintance who was sick with an illness.
"I thought, why don't I paint her some shoes and brighten her day a little bit?" says Pia.
That's when Sneakers for Smiles came about.
Shortly after, her brother was admitted to Phoenix Children's, so she decided to work with the hospital.
"I just realized, if that was that scary and he was there for like a week and a half, what about all the patients that are there for like six months, long-term?" says Pia.
Pia now works with someone from the Child Life Department at Phoenix Children's hospital.
She doesn't get to meet the patients but finds out what they like including their favorite color and their interests.
"I feel like painting them really makes them personal. It just makes it even that more special," says Pia.
Even with a busy schedule, she says she wants her shoes to "brighten their day and always feel supported."