Hobbies and interests
Hiking And Backpacking
Biking And Cycling
Drawing And Illustration
Exercise And Fitness
Animation
Guitar
Game Design and Development
Coding And Computer Science
Community Service And Volunteering
Music
Reading
Romance
Adventure
Science Fiction
I read books multiple times per month
Odalys Vasquez-Lopez
1,975
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FinalistOdalys Vasquez-Lopez
1,975
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
Hello! I'm a first-generation high school senior who's interested in pursuing computer science and minoring in video game design!
I'll be the first in my family to pursue college, so it's up to me to set an example for my younger siblings. Being the first to go to college is extremely intimidating, especially since I'll essentially be treading the waters alone. I think one of the biggest challenges that I'll be facing is being able to afford the cost of college since my parents still need to worry about taking care of my siblings and their future education. However, the cost of college won't stop me from pursuing my dream career and putting my family in a better financial situation!
My dream is to be able to create my video game one day! As digital media becomes more prominent in our lives, I see how much a good video game series can make an impact on someone's life. People are able to form life-long connections out of it and are able to share their creativity at the same time. To even play a small part in that would be worth it. While not many opportunities come my way, I try my best to be a part of programs that focus on building up my skills such as the Academy of Art Uni's Pre-College Experience. I'm also taking a computer science class.
As of right now, I'm spending a lot of time volunteering whenever I can, such as volunteering at a local thrift store and with Interact Club. I'm currently taking different college courses in order to lessen the cost of college once I graduate. I almost have a semester's worth of credits!
Education
Madera South High
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Majors of interest:
- Visual and Performing Arts, General
- Design and Applied Arts
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts
- Fine and Studio Arts
- Computer Software and Media Applications
- Computer Science
Career
Dream career field:
Computer Games
Dream career goals:
Working in Game Design
Yearbook Intern; Collaborated on yearbook layouts and photographed events
Upward Bound2021 – 2021
Sports
Tennis
Junior Varsity2018 – 20191 year
Tennis
Varsity2019 – 20212 years
Awards
- Dynamic Duo
- Scholastic Athlete
Public services
Volunteering
Hinds Hospice Thrift Store — Cleaning and putting away merchandise, cashier, cleaning carts, helping and greeting customers; 80 hours volunteered2020 – 2022Volunteering
Interact — Helped with two local Halloween attractions, helped with a dinner drive, helped with Trees for Charity2019 – Present
Future Interests
Volunteering
Entrepreneurship
Terry Crews "Creative Courage" Scholarship
Art has always been my biggest motivator in life. Being surrounded by it, it has gotten me through my darkest moments. My passion for art motivates me to pursue higher education in order to accomplish my career goal of working in animation.
When I make my own art, I use it as a way to cope with the daily mishaps of life. Being first-generation and being the oldest, there's a lot of pressure on doing well enough in school to pursue college. Due to that pressure, I struggle with the idea of whether or not everything I’ve done up to this point has been worth it. If it weren’t for my passion for my career goal, I wouldn’t really have much to look forward to in my own life. Seeing how much art has a hold over me, overtime, I have also become more interested in the way art affects other people.
I spend a lot of time on social media, so I see the way that communities are cultivated from different media such as video games or T.V. shows. I learned how people are able to make lifelong friendships from them and how much comfort these communities can bring to them. Witnessing all these fan creations that have sprouted from these communities fueled my desire to explore new career paths in art like animation/game design. Art can be expressed in so many different ways, and so with art having such an impact, I strive for the day where I too can create something that will leave a lasting mark as it has done for me and countless others.