The following story is about Samantha Alejo, a low-income student who tells her hardships as a spirited artist:
Samantha is an upcoming senior at George Washington High School. She is passionate about art and attends afterschool art programs and clubs. In her free time, she likes to paint and hang out with her friends. Her passion for art started when she was young. As Samantha got older, she noticed that people had similar interests as her on social media. Sometimes she feels discouraged because of her parent’s disapproval with her career choice. Even though art may be considered an “nontraditional” major, seeing other Asian-American artists like herself on different platforms further inspires her to make art into her career. Samantha can run into art block, but with the help of social media inspiration, encouragement from friends, and even just a break, she can go back to creating more art pieces. By joining afterschool art programs and art clubs at school, she continues to expand her passion and learn more about what she loves.
Written by Susanna Lau on 07/04/2020