Biography
My whole life I have always wondered why on screen I never saw anyone like me; they never looked like me or shared any stories I could relate to. I am Dominican, Cuban and Puerto Rican. My identity was never on display, if we were it was to play a stereotype (ex. Gangster, pregnant teen, comic relief, etc.) I’ve always believed that colored stories need to be more represented in the media, there needs to be a more diverse side of the story. Instead of having the token “funny” black friend like in Another Cinderella Story (2008) when Marcus P Paulk who played Dustin, was there as a “hype man” or comic relief. I ended up watching Novelas or Spanish cartoons like El Chavo (1971), Rebelde (2004) or Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) where Cinderella was played by Brandy and Whitney Houston was the Fairy-Godmother.
When I was a freshman in high school I needed an extra elective and ended up taking a film class. In that class, I was not only the only girl, but I was the only person of color, I worked as a director, writer, producer, and sometimes even an editor. And I fought to write more diverse stories, and I fought for my own representation. Advertising the program to other people of color. That is mostly why I want to be an artist. I want to be able to put on a screen or stage a story that as a child I would’ve marveled at.
I wanted to be an artist/storyteller because I wanted to show that women of color can be successful. By working, writing, and producing stories that include diverse representation, and a unique variety of stories. I feel like I must tell these stories so that they continue to be told, to inspire and show younger people what it is I needed to see. I wished I could see relatable content that spoke to who I am, what I looked like etc.
Education
Lyons Township High School May 2020
Flashpoint Chicago a Campus of Columbia College Hollywood Summer 2018
Concentration: Film Production
CIEE: Seville, Spain Summer 2019
Concentration: Digital Filmmaking & Documentary
Columbia College Chicago 2020-2024
Degree: B.A. Filmmaking
Focus: Producing & Production Design
Films Created in Summer Programs
Flashpoint Chicago Summer 2018
This story displays the symptoms of being too in love. When two co-workers who cannot be more different come together in a one sided romance, it ends up going poorly for both parties.
CIEE: Seville, Spain Summer 2019
This film follows a young man as he searches desperately for water.
In a non-dialogue documentary style, the camera follows a young man through a Spaniard mall. In this mall he drifts towards the toy section and observes everyday people.
Three student filmmakers question who they are not only in this industry but in the world as well. Realizing how different kinds of people are drawn together.
Saying goodbye is never easy, in this film I say goodbye to the friends I made while abroad.
Ths
