Whether she is sketching detailed line art, deadlifting at the gym, or belting Pitbull on a late-night drive, senior Angelina Garcia has always carved her own path – one shaped by creativity, resilience, and a whole lot of color.

Garcia grew up moving frequently, switching schools almost every year throughout elementary and middle school. In between the transitions, she found comfort in drawing, often sitting with her siblings and sketching animals, insects, and scenes from nature.

“I just never really liked drawing people that much,” Garcia said. “I liked drawing nature – like flowers or animals – and doing detailed line art. That’s always been more fun.”

Though she once considered a career as a tattoo artist and even designed her own tattoo when she turned 18, Garcia eventually shifted her focus to the medical field. She is currently enrolled in Human Anatomy after taking AP Biology as a junior.

“I do want to go to college and make money and stuff,” Garcia said, “but being a tattoo artist still seems really cool.”

Outside of school, Garcia spends time with her two younger siblings, Lucas and Adeline, whether that means playing old-school video games or drawing together at home.

“My brother doesn’t really draw, but my sister does – she’s kind of the opposite of me. She loves drawing people,” Garcia said. “We should do a collab or something – like she draws the people, and I draw the background.”

Garcia also channels her creative side through her ever-changing hairstyles. Over the past few years, she’s cycled through blue, pink, blonde, and green, with several home-dye jobs in between.

“I had a wacky haircut in seventh grade where I shaved half my head,” Garcia said, laughing. “And then I just kind of kept changing it.”

A self-proclaimed horror movie fan, Garcia says her music taste is just as eclectic. On any given day, her car playlist might bounce from rock bands to Pitbull – anything but country. Riding shotgun is “Pussè,” a stuffed cat she bought at the mall with a friend when she got her car.

“She’s my car mascot,” Garcia said.

Garcia’s physical strength is just as important to her as her creative expression. After years of gymnastics and a brief stint in cheerleading, she transitioned to weightlifting as a way to stay active and confident.

“Becoming stronger makes me more confident,” Garcia said. “I don’t do gymnastics anymore, and I felt kind of weak after I stopped. Lifting helped me feel like myself again.”

Though she’s not one to brag, Garcia has worked a surprising number of jobs for someone her age – lifeguard, Culver’s, Dunkin’, Goodwill – each one adding to her sense of independence.

“It was kind of rough at Culver’s,” Garcia said. “They would weigh every scoop of ice cream and make us redo it if it wasn’t heavy enough.”

But even with a packed schedule, Garcia still finds time for late-night drives, horror movie marathons, and drawing with her sister. When asked where her creativity comes from, she did not hesitate.

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “I think I was just born like this.”