Lyrikal Storm
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Prodigies

jocelyn nolasco Youth leader/advocate

4/26/2014

11 Comments

 

exceptional youth series

jocelyn nolasco
leader/advocate

Biography:

Jocelyn Nolasco is currently a freshman Government and Politics Major at the University of Maryland College Park.  She has served numerous leadership positions to include Class President, Community Liaison, and Vice-President of Lyrikal Storm Arts in Education Organization.  An educational advocate and staunch activist, Jocelyn has been at the forefront in the fight for immigration reform and the push for the revamping of Arts in Education Programs on a local, state, and national level as well.  Her tenacious leadership in such movements and intiatives has created a following of youth advocates and leaders and a culture of advocacy for those who traditionally have been disenfranchised in the political arena.  It has also led to her spearheading and partnering with board members Peggy Higgins and Edward Burroughs in the Parkdale High School Auditorium Capital Improvement Planning Campaign and the Alternative Leadership Initiative.  She was a 2014 candidate for the Prince George's Regional Association of Student Governments Candidate and a candidate for the Hyattsville City Council Ward 1 in 2015.

Jocelyn has formed alliances with youth around the county and state in an attempt to educate, organize, and unite youth for she  believes that active participation in the political process is instrumental in maintaining an organized and civil society.  She believes that Prince George’s County is and will continue to be a thriving nationwide model for equality, justice, and economic advancement as long as every voice is heard.



the interview

Define Leader?   
A leader is a person who understands the needs of their community and advocates not for themselves, but for the needs of the people they represent.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?   
I draw my inspiration from past experiences as well as seeing what is going on in my area, whether it is local, state, national, or global. The people I want to represent and the people I wish to represent make me who I am today.

What inspired you to be a leader?   
As I was growing up, I saw many ideas that needed to be strengthened and voices that have been oppressed. I wanted to spearhead the idea that even when things are difficult, people must push for what they believe in.  If I can at least know that I changed one person’s life for the good, I am happy.

Why is what you do important?   
As a growing minority, it is difficult to show a voice when you are constantly told, “Oh, there are not many people like you” or “You do not really look like you can do this.”  When I hear,  “You can’t” or “I can’t,”  I hear the complete opposite.  I want to show that you can do what you love no matter what obstacles are in your way. If we do not represent ourselves, we can not function properly as a society.  I am the voice you need, the change you deserve.

What do you think is the most important tool for a student leader?   
I believe the most important tool for a student leader is passion.  One can constantly speak about change, but without the drive to start the change, what is the point of being called a student leader? With passion comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes power.

What advice do you have for someone that wants to be a student leader?   
Do not be afraid of your voice. No one is ever built as a student leader in one night. In order to build up to become known as a leader, I took public speaking classes as well as theater classes to be comfortable on a stage and to be able to better connect with my community.

What is an interesting fact about you?    
I am not a person that you will often hear that uses quotes. I want people to hear what I am speaking for, not what someone else said. This stems from my Lyrikal Storm advisor molding me to be able to write passionately and bring passion to my poetry.  I also have a knack for comic books . I started off with X-Men at a young age and went from there. My favorite superhero is Captain America because of his patriotism and wanting to fight for his country, even though many told him that the odds were against him.

Where are you from / Where do you live?   
I live in Hyattsville, Maryland, but I am of Salvadorian descent.

Who is your favorite leader?   
My favorite leader is Malala Yousafzai. For those who may not have of heard of her, her life was almost taken by the Taliban because she was and is still fighting for women to be able to have equal access to education rights as males. She is in my age group and taught me that no matter what age I am or what problems I am facing, problems are no excuse for not giving a voice. I want to be a global figure as she is and be able to improve problems that are facing the world now and in the future.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?   
In 5 years, I see myself in my senior year of college. I will be constantly building up to my life goal as a Senator and then as President of the United States or the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Even with school and a career, I will ALWAYS be here for my community. I did not make my community, my community molded me and I would be nowhere without my community.


CONTACT INFORMATION

Twitter : @Nolasco4PGRASG

Email : nolasco4pgrasg@gmail.com & phsjocelyn.nolasco@gmail.com

11 Comments

sakinah tarver impressionist

4/16/2014

6 Comments

 

exceptional youth series

sakinah tarver
impressionist

Bio :  Sakinah Tarver is an eleventh grade student at Parkdale High School and an award-winning Impressionist.  She lives in Riverdale, MD. Her favorite food is curry chicken and she loves doing impressions in her free time. 

impressions

valley girl

Child

paula deen

the interview

Define Impressionist?  
Impressionism is basically the ability to act and show how something or someone is. 


Where do you draw your inspiration from? 
I get my inspiration from the people around me and things that I see on TV.  


What inspired you to do impressions? 
It was one day I was in cooking class watching The Neelys and I started doing their voice and at that point I started to try to mimic different accents that I hear.  


Why is what you do important? 
Its important because it helps people get to see how ridiculous they can act.  


What advice do you have for someone that wants to be an impressionist?  
If you're interested in being an impressionist its important that you believe in yourself and what you're doing. 


What is an interesting fact about you? 
An interesting fact about me is that I love to debate and argue ideas and politics.   


Where are you from / Where do you live?  
I'm from Atlanta, GA, but I was born in Virginia. 


Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?  
Five years from now I see myself in college in journalism school.  I hope to one day get a role in a popular movie. 




6 Comments

christopher ogunnubi music producer/teller

4/12/2014

5 Comments

 

exceptional youth series

Christopher ogunnubi
music producer/teller

BIO:  Chris is a High School Senior and Teller with Capital One Bank at Parkdale High School. Devoted and passionate to music, Chris holds the position as the producer and co-engineer with Solo Music. Chris got his handle "KIDD" one day during a session when his creative director LaBrew said,  "you have an old soul, yet your joking personality contradicts it" and that in itself is a double entendre. 

music

the interview

Define Music Producer?  
A Music Producer is someone who creates and expresses themselves through music. Music Producer’ s have the capability of writing full records, producing instrumentals, and working with a wide range of artist to make music that last a lifetime. 


Where do you draw your inspiration from? 
I draw my inspiration from what I feel at the moment. I may feel like touching up on some southern roots or deep African percussion. I believe that’s why my beats range from many different genres. I try not to limit myself to just one genre. 


What inspired you to produce music? 
I always loved music.  A lot of artists have said they grew up on old school artists like Curtis Mayfield or The Isley Brothers, but I had foreign parents so there wasn’t much of that.  I researched and listened to music my brother and I liked. He influenced me the most to really produce. We recorded songs when we were younger and I always took it really serious even though we were simply playing around. It was so much fun for me that when my bother introduced me to a beat-making program I went full fledge into learning to make beats. 

Why is what you do important? 
I have pondered on why what I do (music) is so important.  And I realized, that Beyonce records music people love in the club and there is a music producer behind it.  The music producer is also behind the song that gives a girl butterflies when she thinks about a guy she has a crush on.  The music producer is instrumental in creating the music that makes you feel good as well.  If you take the time to think about life without Music, then you’ll realize how important it is. 

What do you think is the most important tool for a music producer?  
Honestly I don’t really think there is a critical tool you need to be a music producer.  You do not need a $1500 dollar keyboard or beats by Dre equipment. I have seen producers that simply have a microphone and record natural sounds from the earth to make beats. 

What advice do you have for someone that wants to be a music producer? 
Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do.  Be honest with yourself, is this something you are going to take serious? Are you willing to put in the work and take very harsh criticism at times? Add your own creative swing to your music and have fun. 

What is an interesting fact about you? 
An interesting fact about me is that I am Nigerian. 

Where are you from / Where do you live? 
I was born in Maryland but my parents are From Nigeria.  I live in Riverdale, Maryland as of now. 


Who is your favorite music producer?  
I don’t think I can just pick one. It ranges from Timberland, Kanye West, 9th Wonder, Quincy Jones, and a lot more. 

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? 
By Gods Grace 5 years from now I see myself with the company I am with now successfully making music, loving what we do, and working with many other artist in the industry.  Taking care of my family and having a family of my own years down the road.  


  

social media

Twitter: @KIDDtheproducer 
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/ktheproducer 
Gmail: Ktheproducer@gmail.com 



  

5 Comments

aira tonijea flores photographer/Vocalist

4/7/2014

8 Comments

 

EXCEPTIONAL YOUTH SERIES

Aira tonijea flores
photographer/vocalist

Picture
BIO: Aira Flores is a Senior at Parkdale High School, an Advanced Placement student, a member of the National Honor Society, Student Government Association Delegate, Asian Club member, and a former member of the Parkdale High School Choir.   She is the Staff Director and lead photographer for the Parkdale Student Government Association and the Lyrikal Storm Arts and Entertainment Organization.  As well as being a highly skilled photographer, she is also an award winning songstress and in 2011 won second place and was a feature performer in the 2013 Parkdale’s Got Talent annual talent search competition. In her leisure time, she volunteers as a librarian, travels, takes pictures, makes YouTube videos and sings at church.

Photography

vocals

the interview

Define photographer?  
Being a photographer is one of the most important jobs in the world because it is the photographers who capture memories and gives one a hard copy of that memory. 

Where do you draw your inspiration?  
My inspiration comes from my own imagination and artists on social media. 

What inspired you to photograph?  
Ever since I was young I loved taking pictures, but it wasn’t until I was introduced to Tumblr and YouTube that I really began recognizing photography as my hobby. 

Why is what you do important?  
If we go down the history, it was really difficult to recognize important people because cameras weren’t invented yet. We could only rely on old paintings and drawings. But now, every memory could be captured with just a click and held by one’s hand. 

What do you think is the most important tool for a photographer?  
The most important tool for being a photographer is of course is a camera and the passion to take pictures. Photography is a skill that anyone can learn but it takes passion to become a real photographer. 

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be a photographer?  

First of all, invest in a camera that is friendly for beginners. I recommend the Nikon D3000 because it is focused on just taking pictures and it has a special guide program that could help you understand how to adjust exposure, aperture and etc. Another piece of advice is to keep practicing by bringing your camera everywhere you go. The last thing is finding your inspiration because it will help you decide what kind of a photographer you are. 

What is an interesting fact about you?   
I’ve never taken a photography class and everything that I can do, I’ve acquired myself and I have only been in the US for 5 years. 

Where are you from / Where do you live?  
I was born and raised in the Philippines but I currently live in New Carrollton, Maryland. 

Who is your favorite photographer?  
My favorite photographer is my next-door neighbor, Jay Arr Abarquez. 

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?  
I will be pursuing early childhood education in college and continue making covers of songs in YouTube. Hopefully, I will to do photography as a job.

Social Media: 


 https://www.facebook.com/omgairaa 

http://instagram.com/ailovee 

https://www.youtube.com/user/Jeairaa 

https://twitter.com/aiIovee 

8 Comments

Claudia hernandez visual artist

3/23/2014

17 Comments

 
EXCEPTIONAL YOUTH SERIES

claudia hernandez
visual artist

Bio:  Claudia Hernandez is a proud senior at Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Maryland. Although she has "flown beneath the radar" in formal accolades, she has developed a "word of mouth" reputation in the Arts community. She is the head design editor and major contributor of the 2013-2014 Parkdale Yearbook. In her spare time she loves to listen to music and draw. She also is an avid skater.  In the summer of 2014 she hopes to begin her studies as a certified medical assistant, in hopes to raise enough money to pursue her dreams of becoming a graphic designer. 
Picture

the interview

Define visual artist? 
To me visual artist are people who can manage to create an image in someones mind. Even an author can be a visual artist to me if they use enough detail to portray a picture and scene of what exactly is going on.

Where do you draw your inspiration from? 

I gain inspiration from things that people wouldn't consider art and just a destruction of property. I may not be able to draw or create graffiti, however i enjoy it so very much. Just staring at it gives me so many ideas. I don't just see it as one overall thing, but break it down into sections and admire the technique. I also  gain inspiration from tattoos. Most of my art and technique resembles those of tattoos. People who judge others for having so many can get on my nerve. They see it as hooliganism, but i see it as stories. Other things that give me inspiration include music(of all kinds) and anything mysterious, dark, twisted, wicked, and fantasy like. 

What inspired you to create?
The thing that inspired me to create my form of art was the criticism i could hear the media give on things like graffiti and people with tattoos.

Why is what you do important?
What I do may not be important to others, but it is important to me. For me it is a way to express myself and share my ideas with the world.

Who is your favorite artist(s)?
My favorite artists are those that are unknown. The ones who create masterpieces but never get recognized.

What do you think is the most important tool for an artist? 
The most important tool for an artist is their imagination.

What advice do you have for someone that wants to be a visual artist? 
Let your imagination go wild! Don't let people tell you what to do and don't let their criticism get to you.

What is an interesting fact about you?  
I have never taken an art class in my life besides ceramics, which doesn't exactly help me in the drawing aspect.

Where are you from / Where do you live? 
I am from Houston, Texas but I have been raised in College Park, Maryland for about 80% of my life.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? 

In five years I see myself still drawing in a sketch book, carrying it around from one place to another, but maybe not in a career where I am following my dream to become a graphic designer.  Instead I will probably be working to save money so that I can one day achieve my dream.

Social Media Information: 
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/beyesa
Instagram- XX__MINDA__XX
            (name^^^: WillIEverBeAbleToSleepAgain )


17 Comments

jenny trinh makeup artist

3/13/2014

15 Comments

 
EXCEPTIONAL YOUTH SERIES
JENNY TRINH
MAKEUP ARTIST
Bio:   Jenny Trinh is a High School Senior at Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Maryland.  In her leisure she creates magic as a makeup artist. She will attend the Montgomery Community College in Silver Spring, MD.

The Interview
Define beauty? 
Qualities that make each person unique such as their shape, size, or any other feature that makes that person different.  Beauty is not only outer appearance, but what is inside that makes them who they are.  
 
Where do you draw your inspiration from? 
I draw my inspiration from everything around me.  Usually when I'm watching YouTube videos or looking at pictures of other people doing their makeup, it inspires me to continue doing what I'm doing and to keep practicing. 

What inspired you to create a YouTube channel? 
When I was younger I had many different hobbies, but never remained with one.  As time went by I discovered YouTube and "how to" tutorials.  I continued to watch the videos in order to gain new skills such as how to apply eyeliner, lipstick, and even how to do my hair a certain way.  I finally came to the realization that I could be just like these beauty gurus and help others that want to learn new skills in things such as makeup or even fashion.  So with this dream set in my head, I went out and pursued it.  
 

Why is makeup important? 
Makeup is important because it is a way to express your creativity.  In addition, it could also be used to build your confidence, which is what I love. 

 

 
What is your favorite makeup? 
My favorite makeup is mascara.  The reason for this is because it's such a simple thing you could slip into your everyday routine, but makes such a huge difference.  Mascara gives the appearance of a more girly/dolly look. 
 

What do you think is the most important tool for a makeup artist? 
The most important tool for a makeup artist is their knowledge of makeup.  Regardless of the quality of the products, without the skill and knowledge of actually applying the makeup it would be a train wreck.  
 
What advice do you have for someone that wants to do makeup? 
My advice to someone who wants to do makeup is go for it!  Just make sure you practice a lot, because that's the only way you will see your skills improve.  
 
What is an interesting fact about you?  
An interesting fact about me is that I am very diverse and open to try anything new.  
 
Where are you from / Where do you live? 
Ethnically I am Vietnamese, I was born in Washington, DC, but raised in Prince George's County, MD.  I currently live in New Carrollton, MD.  
 
Who is your favorite makeup artist? 
My favorite makeup artist is Ariel Diaz aka theevanitydiary (on Instagram). 

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? 
In 5 years from now I see myself as an up and coming makeup artist while trying to get my nursing degree in college.  

15 Comments

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  • Home
    • About >
      • History
    • Contact
    • Founders >
      • Neville Phoenix Adams
      • Aliya Bashirrudin Carter
    • Co-Director 2011-2013
    • Alumni >
      • Patrick "Pages" Matam
      • Jocelyn Nolasco
      • Cici Felton
  • Programming
    • Youth Poet Laureate Program
    • Talent Development >
      • Prodigies
  • Events
  • Photo Gallery
    • Videos
  • Press
  • Contests
    • IB Writer's Corp Contest