Mikayla Cruz-Gonzalez

Columbia, SC

My name is Mikayla Cruz-Gonzalez, and I aspire to become a successful photographer. I have been doing photography for two years and got a camera from the school this year. With this experience, I won four silver keys from Scholastic and an honorable mention. However, I have vast experience in many other areas, such as boxing, karate, jiujitsu, and taekwondo. I was even the national champion at twelve. Besides that, I have experience playing track, soccer, and previous instruments such as piano and African Drums. Currently, I play softball, violin, and steel pan. In addition, I'm in many clubs for arts and music, one club being the National Art Society.

I could go on and on about my accolades, but I want to share my vision. I believe life is nothing without God, creativity, and creation. I believe Art is a weapon. You can bring light to a situation with a drawing, painting, or picture. Art is your vision, and it's my vision. I love creating what others have never seen before. I love creating the scene and having control of what I do. But I also enjoy shedding light on unspoken things of my life, things like addiction, abuse, and racism. I am a firm believer that you are able to open people's eyes with one still image. Either being able to open their eyes from the negatives of society or opening their eyes in awe of a creative piece, that's my vision. That's my unspoken voice.