Growing up, I was always the different one. I came from a family of hispanic immigrants who moved to Alabama and obviously did not fit in. I faced racism and prejudice at 6 years old which affected the way I viewed myself and the world around me. I have struggled with a rare autoimmune disorder my whole life as well and spent a lot of time in hospitals and doctors offices. I couldn’t play with the other children in the same way due to this. That combined with my broken English and dark latin features did not blend smoothly with their light hair, blue eyes, and sweet southern accents. I was outcasted and felt like I was never going to be enough for the people around me who believed they were so much better than me. So I turned to literature to escape to other worlds besides my own. Stories were my first passion, which lead to me writing my own and illustrating my characters. They became my escape. A world I could create separate from the one I living where differences were embraced and I was happy. 

I have grown so much since I was that lonely little girl. My family moved to Miami where I attended a school that embraced the arts. I developed a drive and a passion for content creation. Today, I focus my efforts on digital creation whether it be illustration, animation, or something in between. I still like to tell stories through my art and find inspiration in my family and my life experiences. My passions and design styles are constantly changing and evolving, trying to keep up with my mind that still so desperately needs to find itself and its place in this world. 

At the University of Tampa I have been given so many opportunities thanks to the amazing community here in the FMX department. It has lead me to some of my best friends and biggest challengers. Particularly, my advisor and professor Santiago Echeverry who has pushed me beyond limits. In his coding classes I found my match, an artistic expression that challenged me academically, mentally, and at 3am sitting in the lab with broken code defiantly, physically. This medium intrigued me and captivated my eye. I have tried to learn everything I can about interactive design going as far to get a internship in UI design which I am currently loving. Although, I developed this passion late in my collegiate career I am grateful for finding something I enjoy so much and that keeps me happy, stimulate, and constantly challenged. 

When my time at UT comes to an end, I want to go to graduate school for interactive computing and game design. I want to take everything that I have learned about animation and creativity and combine it with my love for coding. The biggest thing I have taken away from my time in the FMX department is that its okay not to know what you are doing or where you are going as long as you work hard and get there. So, I may not know exactly what my future holds or where I am going to end up, but what I do know is that I am never going to stop challenging myself to create new worlds and new stories to inspire another lonely little girl somewhere looking for a way to show everyone that she is enough.