In this assignment students created photomontages depicting the various ways their first and/or last name can be interpreted. They draw on their own past experiences as well as common conceptions of what their name means to others. The point is to analyze their name and assess its meaning by creating a visual representation of their identity.
In my montage I tried to fit a lot of pictures while still blending them together well. The background of my montage consists of just a light pole. What makes it different is that on one side the light pole shines regular white but on the other side it shines black. I put it in my montage because basically it looks cools and unique. Also part of the background is a two anime characters that I like. On the left is Vegeta from Dragon ball Z, and on the right is Kakashi from Naruto. I grew up with Dragon Ball Z and Vegeta has always been the character I rooted for in the show because he always kind of been the underdog, always working for power that mostly never received; sure he was a arrogant jerk but I let that slide. As for Kakashi, he succeeds in being mysterious, powerful, quiet, and funny (and a little bit of a perv) all in one motion. The two faces are split into two so I could conjoin them together. I mainly did this to save room and it fit the split theme of light and dark.
The main pictures you should see first are the two Spidermans. On the right is the regular Spiderman you all know and love. One the left is Symbiote Spiderman. I added him in for two reasons, one because he, in the comic (not in the movie) is really cool and because it ties back into the light and dark theme of my montage. Also a standout to my montage is the bust of Virgil the Greek poet. I tried to personalize him by adding a pair of headphones on his head to symbolize my love of music. The last two side images are of my team, the San Diego Chargers and a logo from the group hieroglyphics.
I think this montage talks a lot about me. I started with my family crest in the top right hand corner, it was amazing because I found out my origins are from Spain. Then I went to my background, the Bay Area. I now live in Buda, Texas, but I’m originally from Oakland, California so I felt really good about my background because it says a lot about me. I’m so proud of my roots that is why I had to include my parents countries’ flags. I feel that I have Mexican and Guatemalan blood running through my veins and that’s why I had to add the flags. I also added Bugs Bunny on the side talking about Mexican pride. Next I thought about my beliefs. I tried to incorporate my religion, Our Beloved Virgen de Guadalupe, and some mottos that I live my life by day to day, like “Smile Now Cry Later,” and “My Crazy Life.” What these two mottos mean to me put together is that life is always going to be full of ups and downs but no matter what we always have to keep our heads up and always look for the positive things in everything. Since I am from Oakland I added the Raiders’ logo and slapped it on top of the San Francisco sky scrapers because that to me signifies that we are the best no matter what. LOL! My friends call me “Lil Sleepy” because at the most random moments I fall asleep, and that is why I put “Lil Sleepy” on the bridge. I put him there because I saw it like I have to walk the bridge reach the light at the end and achieve serenity. I’m that type of person that’s proud of my origins and I’m never going to forget where I came from. This is what is in my name.
This montage represents the things that make up Erica Wilson. I am an African American, I am a Christian, I sing in the choir, and even the fact that I am a very innocent person is all clearly represented. My mother is from St. Louis Missouri and my dad is from San Francisco, California and I have the “welcome to East Palo Alto” sign to show where I was raised. I also have where my name originated from as well as a few characteristics that make up me.
This montage was a simplistic design. I choose items in nature that represented ma and all of my different mentalities that make me as a person. The lioness’ photo represents the powerfulness that I have but yet I am endearing and caring. I choose the two flowers because I can be delicate and pretty but both of those flowers are deadly and if you catch me on the wrong moment I can be deadly. I choose the baby bare because though it is a large animal and can be intimidating it still is a baby and ha some growing up to do. The butterfly represents my openness such as the term social butterfly.
Some people call me Allama, a few refer to me as Iguana, and others call me another crazy name altogether. It doesn’t really matter to me, as long as they know that my real name is Alanna Victoria Reyes.
The main images in this montage are those of a soccer field complete with goals and a birds-eye view of piano keys. Playing the piano and soccer are two activities that I love and treasure. My favorite colors, (pink and yellow, because they remind me of drinking strawberry lemonade on a warm summer day) are also included in the background of my montage.
The name “Alanna” is Irish-Gaelic, which is why I included an Irish flag in the top right of my montage. “Victoria” is an English name, most famously shared with Queen Victoria. Her crown is located in the bottom-right of my montage on top of a Girl Scout trefoil (the green logo). Both of these names combined make me sound very European, especially with my last name of Reyes. This name originates from Spain, hence the Spanish flag next to my Irish flag. In reality, I am none of these nationalities. However, I am a hodgepodge of different cultures, including those of Mexico and the Philippines. This is why the Mexican and Filipino flags are hovering over my family crest.
Closer to the bottom of my montage (or the top, if you are viewing it upside down) are logos from my interests and pastimes. These communicate my identity much more effectively than my name does. “Alanna Victoria” lends an image of a fair, delicate, flower-like girl (which refers to the rose atop the piano keys) who would probably be afraid to play a violent sport like soccer. But then my last name, “Reyes” undoes that notion because soccer players tend to stem from Spanish-speaking countries. Nonetheless, I am still a Girl Scout who sometimes prefers to record the action in sports instead of participating, which is why I included a camera and a Lynbrook Basketball logo. I’m the team’s unofficial amateur photographer, but you wouldn’t know my status from the way they revere my action stills of the players. The LPFI logo is also large in my montage because of the huge impact LPFI has had on my life. Finally, there are pictures of a llama and an iguana in the background, which represent my nicknames.
Hi readers, once again I am Derek Luke Macario. It was a challenge to concise the major, but not all, aspects of my life that complete me and the different things I live with and around. But first right off the back, I look at what my first name meant. Derek, and the many ways it can be written originate for the English and Old German language meaning “Power of the tribe” or “Ruler of the people”. My last lame, Macario, is the Spanish form of the Roman name Macarius, derived from the Greek name (Makarios), which was in turn derived from Greek (makar) meaning “blessed, happy”. This was the name of several early saints. I really like these meanings of my names, but these characteristics weren’t the main focus of my montage.
I included images that represent bigger parts of who I am and what my life’s routine has generally come to be. First and most important is the front entrance to my high school, Lowell, where I would spend more than half of my days living and enjoying my friends company, teacher’s time, and Lowellites’ spirit and enthusiasm. In the lower left area, ant the base of the flag pole is where I hung out most of my time with my friends, that’s where I inserted a picture of Calvin and Hobbes partying.
The next part of my life, that I use to escape all my troubles and worries of life is track. I the bottom middle is a picture of the same spikes I wore this past season in track, I run hurdles, which lots of people are surprised to hear when they find out, and also distance races. In part of the background I faded A picture of myself at All City (May 2008) where I ran in two hurdles races and placed and got a medal. I care about track, a lot more than other things, I would love to continue running throughout the rest of my years in high school and even in college.
Then the lower right corner I have a picture of a Lucario, Pokémon, because it was given to me as a nickname this year, by one of my good friends (who is a Pokémon addict, she combined my middle and last name (once she found out that my middle name was Luke), and it has spread to the point where almost everyone of my friends knows of the name. Also some people just call me by my last name, and I first experienced this last summer in SMASH when, a current 3rd year scholar started calling me Macario, instead of Derek.
Then Under my name, in the montage I put a little World guy, with the recycle symbol, because I do try to keep in mind of global warming and the preventions and steps I can take to decrease the rate of its occurrence. I’m always bugging my friends, at school, to recycle their bottles and compost their food scraps.
Another icon I involve is the Itunes logo. There is never a time that I don’t want to listen to music, no matter what mood or emotions are present in me. My favorite music is alternative rock, but I will honestly listen to anything.
Another piece I include is a Vans shoe model, because they have become my favorite shoe brand, and in the past year I’ve only bought Vans. I think I do need to get a different shoe, just to get out of this cycle, but I do like Vans.
Ohh, and how could I forget to mention “I HEART SF”. I can’t express how happy or my enjoyment of living in San Francisco, because even thought I’ve lived hear for over 16 years now, I still haven’t seen it all. Yet from what I have seen, I would not wish to make my home in any other place. I like to take a day where I can just go around the different districts, where I witness the vast variety of peoples that interact and live.
The one thing thought that people do assume, or think about once they realize I’m Latino is that I’m Mexican. And yet this is true, these people think Mexican means you were born in Mexico and are an immigrant, here illegally. This is where I decided to add in the yellow freeway sign, usually appearing on freeways around the U.S and Mexican boarder.
Then on the top right corner I laid four flags together. The Mexican, Guatemalan, Korean, and Burmese flags. Mexico, my mom is Mexican and I am half Mexican. Guatemalan, my dad is Guatemalan and I am half Guatemalan. Korean and Burmese flags, my girlfriend half Korean and Half Burmese, lots of people, including my parents did not think that one of my first relationships be with a Korean/Burmese girl.
I like the fact that I come, and involved with a diverse point of view on cultures. Also I take French in high school.
The last two things hat say more about me are two very faded images, a reversed squirrel, and two butterflies. The squirrel, which has it’s head in tail in vice verse places represents how different I am from everyone, everyone is different from each other and that My thinking an viewing of events and experiences are not always the same as many people have. The two butterflies shows that I have a very sensitive and undiscovered side of me, that no one as witnessed to its fullest, not even me, I know it exists, but only know because of all the thoughts that run through my head.
-derek LM
As our second assignment in Tech class we had to make a montage about our names. I chose to use a picture of a Jasmine flower in the background because whenever someone thinks of my name they always think of the flower. I put the Mexico flag because my ethnicity is Mexican-American. My mom is from Michoacan, Mexico that is why I have a symbol of a crest that is blue, red, gold, and green close to the bottom left. My dad is from Durango, Mexico that is why I have a symbol of a crest with a tree in the middle of it and two leaves on the side close to the other Mexico crest. My last name is hard for some to pronounce but after a while it is easy to say. I searched the web not really expecting to find anything of my last name. I ended up finding an Italian crest. I never really thought of my last name to be Italian but there it was. It got me thinking what else I am besides Mexican. Which led to my discovery of my acestory. I called my mother up and asked her if she knew what other type of blood I had in me. She told me Spanish and German. That is why I have the Spanish and German crests. Since I was born on June 6th, 1991 I became an official Gemini. Although Geminis are known to be outgoing and adventurous I was never that kind of girl until my sophomore year of high school. That is why I have the Gemini sign because it shows that I have grown from a quiet person to a person who likes to stand out sometimes. Starting my Junior year I never really thought of myself as an attractive person, I mean sure my friends would tell me that I was but I never really believed them. Then this one boy came into my life and taught me that it isn’t all about looks but what is inside also. His name is Luis Angel Ceja and my current, first, boyfriend. Last but not least, I chose to write my name small because it shows how my name is not what makes me, me. But what I allow myself to be (hey that rhymes =]).
What’s In a Name?
At first glance, my montage may seem like a jumbled mess. There are a lot of things that I like and a lot of things to me, so it’s hard to fit it all on such a small space. My first name Anthony is said to mean “worthy of praise”. I didn’t know how to represent it on my montage so I decided to leave it out. My last name means “having crow-like qualities.” I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I didn’t know how to represent either my first of last name on my montage. One thing I did find was my family crest. My last name Vazquez is a variation of the Spanish name “Vasquez”. They each mean the same thing, my last name just changed over time.
My montage contains a variety of images. I’ll start by explaining the picture in the bottom right corner. It is a picture of the CD cover of one of my favorite bands, Angels and Airwaves (AVA for short). I was introduced to this band in 8th grade by a friend of mine. As I grew older, I started to listen to more of this bands music. I really like their music because it is alternative rock, my favorite genre of music. I like their songs because their lyrics really speak to me. One song of theirs is “Everything’s Magic”. It’s a mellow that basically says there’s magic in everything, even in things you wouldn’t expect to find magic in.
This montage also depicts some of my hobbies and interests. On the bottom left corner is a Nintendo 64 logo. Growing up, Nintendo 64 was my favorite game system. I was able to play all of the greatest games on there such as Super Smash Brothers, Mario Kart 64, and Banjo Kazooie. It was a system that brought my cousins and me together because we would always play, hoping to see which one of us was the better player. Towards the middle of my montage is an acoustic guitar. I do not know how to play the guitar, but I do hope to learn someday. My brother owns an acoustic guitar and I have tried to learn, but haven’t made much progress. I plan to keep playing until I learn the basics of playing a guitar.
At the top left corner of my montage is a symbol of the movie The Boondock Saints. This movie is about two Irish men who go around killing Irish gangsters. Although this is a very violent movie, it is one of my favorite movies. The first time I watched it was when I was working on a video project with some friends. It was a really good movie, and easily became one of my favorites. To the right of my montage, there is a Vans logo that says “Vans Off the Wall”. The reason I included this in my montage is that Vans is my favorite brand of shoes. I like these shoes because they are comfortable and come in a variety of styles. I also included the Vans logo because I hope to one day learn to skate.
Also at the top right corner of my montage is the picture of two flags, a Mexican flag and a Salvadorean flag. The reason I included these was because my mom is Salvadorean and my dad is Mexican. I am very proud to be of Hispanic descent, and love the two countries I come from. The largest picture in my montage, which is the background, is a picture of my hometown: Los Angeles. Los Angeles is the city in which I was born and grew up in. I lived there for thirteen years of my life until I moved to San Jose. It is not a decision which I regret, but I do miss my hometown from time to time. It is where most of my family is and I do miss them. Los Angeles will be a part of my for the rest of my life.
Hey readers, my name is Nicholas Enea. I made this plethora to let you get a vivid image of my life. I turn 16 on Tuesday, so even though I haven’t had a long life, I’ve had a life full of wonders. This Montage runs a series on my life and my family. So I hope you enjoy it.
In the background of my image is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I put this there for a few reasons, the first being is that my life sort of looks like it. My life is not straight, or at least not yet, I have many things that put it off course from a normal life. Some of these things being SMASH, sports and other various activities. I think the image of the tower really represents my life well in the first 16 year of it.
Next to the tower is an Italian flag. the Italian flag represents my culture. I am 100% Italian Stallion, I’m just joking I’m not Rocky, but I am full Italian. I’m proud of my culture and the impact it has on my life. In the middle of the flag is an emblem on a trinaga. The trinaga is in the middle of the Sicilian flag. Since, I am Sicilian I put that in the middle of my Italian flag.
As you can see to the left of the tower is a picture of my entire family. This picture was actually at my nonna’s (grandmothers) 70th birthday. I put this picture here because I love my family. Much of the person I am today is because of my family. In fact that may be a curse sometimes. I say that because a lot of people say I talk loud and that is because in my family we always scream. I’m featured also in a picture with my grandmother. This is because my grandmother has been in my life all the time and helps me the most of anyone.
The rest of the montage is an intricacy of things related to sport. I have baseballs and soccer balls in the background because those are my favorite sports, and the sports I play. I have a picture of the Warriors, Giants, and Sharks because those are my favorite teams, and I love to follow them. I finally have a picture of Barack Obama because I believe our society has to change and with him I believe that we can make a change.
HOPE YOU ENJOY MY MONTAGE
Hi reader, my name is Mauricio Rafael Vazquez and I am a second year in the SMASH Academy and attend Mills High School. The montage you see above is quite…interesting with a plethora of pictures, some much more odd than others. In the center of the screen, with a variety of texts you notice my first name: Mauricio.
Something very prominent in my life at school is music, more specifically jazz. I play the intricate brass instrument, the trombone. It may not be the most known of instruments such as the guitar or saxophone, however it is one of the most pleasing and entertaining to play. You notice the Bass Trombone (a different trombone I’m learning to play) under my name with a couple of notes being played. More subtly however, you can see in the background the bell of a trombone sitting comfortably on sheet music. Along with making music, I enjoy listening to it like any other teenager. My preference in music is all types of rock: heavy metal, alternative, classic, etc. My favorite band (the one on the top right hand of my montage) is The Doors, a popular rock group from the late 60’s.
The bottom half of my montage contains a Mexican flag, a crab, wrestlers, the trombone a previously mentioned, and a toilet. The flag represents my heritage as a Mexican. The crab is “cancer the crab”, which as you can guess is my horoscope having been born June 30th. The wrestlers is wrestling itself a sport I enjoy during the school year to keep me in shape. I also enjoy the simple sadistic fact of throwing other wrestlers around the mat watching them land hard. I also include them very unusual photo of a toilet. The toilet is a very important figure in my skills in public speaking. My first year of SMASH I took the Public Speaking course and I gave several speeches about past memories, important figures, one sided arguments etc. However the speech others seem to remember me for, the one I feel is my best work, is my final speech I gave on the toilet. I gave a very positive, eye-opening approach to my speech and presented it with my chin in the air. That simple speech on such a bizarre topic received much expected laughter and appreciated applause.
I include a small picture of Texas the Golden Gate Bridge extending outward. I lived in Texas for approximately six years, but around four years ago I moved here to the bay area. Texas is a symbol for where I WAS, while the Golden Gate represents where I am. Its photograph is larger, because I not only live here but I was born here, no Texas. I have a very small flag of Spain in the upper left hand, which corresponds to my ancestral heritage that come from Spain. Most of my great-great grandparents are from somewhere in Spain and moved to Mexico years ago where closer relatives where born. Finally there is a large cross huddled in the left side of my background. Religion is very important in my family, making up my most of my values (background) and therefore I am a devoted Catholic.
Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about Mauricio Rafael Vazquez.
Whenever people look at me they never think that I am a second generation African. They always suppose that my ancestors had lived in this country. But until they became aware of my last name, they begin to ask “What are you?” I reply “I am Nigerian?”
I always hated it when people pronounce my last name wrong. They would always add extra syllables in it or articulate it incorrectly. I always had to remind them that my last name rhymes with “Aloha.” Once they hear it they would also ask “Are you part Hawaiian?” It’s hilarious.
Pretty much my whole name is relevant to my religion. My full name is Valerie Uchechi Onuoha. Valerie is my Roman Catholic name, which is why I have a picture of a church along with a cross. My middle name is Uchechi, meaning God’s favorite. And my last name is Onuoha (aloha) which means the people’s voice.
For my African names, I placed the continent of Africa in the clouds. The clouds represent heaven, where God is located. By placing Africa in the heavens, I tried to symbolize that although Africa is in the poorest state, God is watching over it. For my last name, I placed a picture of a mouth to represent the voice of the people.
What I would like people to know about me is that I love mathematics, music, and exotic places. I placed the background of my montage in the middle of an African jungle. This signifies my desire to travel to interesting places. I added in math symbols in the clouds to symbolize how much I idol it. And lastly, I placed music notes that are coming out of a stereo to signify that I have a passion for music.
My name is my identity, and so far I had presented it with pride. I am a Nigerian and a Catholic, and I don’t want to be a shame of it. Because of the love that I have for my name, I am living in two separate, but yet perfect worlds. And from now on, whenever I hear people asking me what I am, I would show them this montage and would later reply this message: “My name is Valerie Uchechi Onuoha, and this is who I am.”
Hi my name is Alberto Koji Servín. My first name, Alberto, is Spanish for Albert, which means “bright nobility” or “intelligent”. The name comes from the Germanic language and it has been a common name for Belgian and German kings. So in my montage, I put a shiny, bright crown to symbolize the meaning of Alberto and my middle name Koji. Koji is Japanese and it stands for “loyal to parents” and “govern” or “rule”. My last name is Hispanic and has an interesting meaning that I didn’t know about. It derives from the Latin word cervus, which means deer.
In my montage, there are two flags. One is the Mexican flag and the other is a Japanese flag. The Mexican flag represents my dad’s heritage and the Japanese flag represents my mom’s heritage. Since I come from a unique mix of cultures I don’t know what to consider myself. I don’t favor one heritage over the other because both are equally important to me and both represent who I am. When people first hear my name, they often have a confused look because I don’t look like a Mexican to them. As soon as I explain my background to them, they then understand why I have a name like Alberto.
The A1 steak sauce bottle represents my nickname “Alberto Sauce”, which I got from my 1st year in SMASH. It was in Public Speaking where a student described me as barbeque sauce and now, a lot of my peers call me by my nickname.
Within the flags are pictures of my family crests. On the Mexican flag is the Servín family crest, which originates from the Middle Ages in the mountains between Spain and France. On the Japanese flag is my mom’s maiden name’s crest, which is Sasaki, originating from the late 1300s. The cross in the upper left hand corner shows that I am a Catholic and have strong faith for my religion. My religion has been a huge influence on me and has helped me shape my morals, compassion for others, tolerance and moderation in all things.
The last two pictures represents things that relate to music. The alto saxophone is in my montage because it is the instrument I play. I have had an interest in music because it’s fun and can express emotions that words or pictures cannot do. The picture on the left is my school band. I go to Branham High school and I enjoy being in the band because it’s like another family to me. Music has had a strong influence on me but I also have a strong interest in science. So I plan to learn about acoustics or sound waves in physics. These pictures all represent me for who I am and what my interests are.
What’s In a Name?
When I first meet a new person, nine out of ten times that person will think or assume that I am Indian. However, I do not believe there is a single drop of Indian blood in me. In fact, I am a Mexican-American. What is even more amusing is that my name also throws off the new person as well too: Ashleigh Megan Richelle. Not your typical Hispanic name, yet it suits me just fine.
The history behind the making of my name is not very complex. My mother picked out the name Ashleigh one day when she happened to see it on a sign. She knew that was the name for me. Of course, my family on my mother’s side wanted me to have a more traditional Hispanic name like Guadalupe or Maria, but my mother held firm on the name Ashleigh. What I appreciate most about my first name is that it is unique in its spelling. There are only three other Ashleighs that I have seen with the common spelling. It makes me feel special that I can stand out in this way. My last name, on the other hand, is quite a mystery. Let’s just say that my last name may not even be the correct last name, but that is a long story that should not be delved into now. What I do know for sure is that my last name, Richelle, is of French origin. Whether my last name is the correct one or not, the roots of the name have coincided with who I am today and what inspires me.
In my montage is a medley of imagery that makes up who I am. Of course I include the colors of the Mexican flag on my softball field to show pride for my culture. I also include the Eiffel Tower, not because my last name is of French origin, but because for the longest time I have had a deep connection with France. Call me crazy, but even before I knew the origin of my last name, I had always been fascinated, inspired and in love with the country. It is the one place in the world that I would want to visit. In the background of my montage is a picture of a ripple from a water drop layered on top with pictures of exactly five daisies and three dragonflies. The daisies and dragonflies with the corresponding numbers signify a few of my favorite things: my favorite flower, favorite animal and favorite numbers. The background image of the ripple represents how I am a very emotional person (i.e. crying). Ever since I was a little girl, I was always empathetic with everything and everyone.
In the foreground, there is much more to look at. I set my scene on a softball field because the sport had a big impact on my life. When on the field and at play, nothing matters at the moment. Softball became an outlet for me to let out all my frustrations. It helped build my character and made me better-rounded. Around the softball field, one can also spot a bright green tree, a moose, and the characters Little Miss Shy and Oscar the Grouch. The bright green tree is actually an Ash Tree. The direct translation of my name is “of the ash tree” so it only seemed appropriate to include it somehow. The moose found in the scene is actually there to represent my childhood (and today) nickname: Moose! My mother came up with the name because I had always been a big kid growing up. I passed my mom in height several years ago, so it was then that she began calling me Moose because a moose is a very massive and robust animal, like I was and still am today.
The last two characters found on my montage are Oscar the Grouch of Sesame Street and Little Miss Shy. Oscar the Grouch is on my montage because he describes three main characteristics of me: Eyebrows, smelliness and grouchiness. Now before you get all weirded out, please take a second to read on. When I was little, I had this bad habit of not taking a shower everyday. I will not go into detail, but be sure that that phase is long gone! Also when I was little, I was a very hairy child. So as you can assume I had a bit of a monobrow growing up. Nothing extreme, yet was still present. Lastly, I mention the grouchiness for one reason only: I am NOT a morning person.
Little Miss Shy represents exactly what her name states: being shy. I had always been a very shy and insecure person. I have always been very socially awkward (and still am to a certain degree), so making friends was such a hassle. For a while, my shyness left me a loner in grade school. As time went on though (and honestly with special thanks to this program) I have been able to break out of my shell. I include the Little Miss Shy character to remind me of how much I have grown and a reminder to help others get through such troubles too.
“Is it pronounced like Radical? Or is it Rad-ika?” is the first remark I come across when I say my name. Radhika Mitra, when people hear my name for the first time, they have various reactions. Some say it’s beautiful, others directly connect it with my ethnicity and others don’t really take the time to understand what it means. Radhika comes from an Indian goddess named Radha, though it is religious, goddess Radha represents a sense of divine energy. In my images I highlighted the pink flower and the goddess to represent the soul of my name. My last name, Mitra is very unique and relates to my Bengali heritage directly. The contribution of naming me Radhika Mitra came from my grandparents. I have represented their love and support through a traditional Indian agarbati holder (incense stick holders) wrapped around with a payal (anklet with jingles on the ends). It is because of my grandparents, I had a childhood that instilled the values and morals I posses today.
My montage displays my passion, values and dreams, which defines who I really am in the inside. My love for photography arose from my father, who has always been the person I look up to. I have dedicated a camera on my montage to represent my father’s love as well as to present my interest for the art of photography.
Music is one of my greatest passions. I have been attached with my piano through the rainy and sunny days. I had thought of giving it up, but that is when I truly understood how much I love it. Piano has become a strong driving force in my life. People often ask me, “Radhika, if you could have a super power what would you have?” I always answer, “To make people smile.” Piano is the only way I can do that. I can bring in happiness in people’s life through my music. My dad being a photographer, he influenced me greatly on the art I pursue as my passion, which is music. He always tells me , “Always do what you love and stick to it, Don’t jump around.” I find his words encouraging at times and overwhelming at others, but in the end I always feel inspired.
Balance in body, mind and spirit is an important component in my life as the world just continues to pour stress and work down our back. Without the balance I find my self lost and complaining. My Ma always gives me advice when I feel that way. She tells me, “Bringing discipline and balance in your life can be the only way to heal your self from the stress.” I practice martial arts to not only train my self to stay physically fit, but to also stay away from stress. Thus, I have given a picture of myself when I began training. At first, it was very challenging for me to bring structure and commitment in my life, but as time went, I developed and grew. I chose a picture which was taken in the beginning to represent the challenges and rewards I have received when I was introduced to martial arts.
My goal is to attend Stanford University for my future education. I know with determination and with the right heart I can reach there and go on to make a difference in the world.
These are all the things that encompasses around the name Radhika Mitra. My identity and my life does not solely rest on my name, instead it involves everything that makes me myself. I will always continue to stand with great pride in myself, my background and my values.
