Hi! My name is Amanda Arita and I live in Queens, New York. I was born in Long Island on September 25, 1993. I was born into a traditional Guatemalan family, which I think is special because I’ve never personally met many other traditional Guatemalans, or even modernized Guatemalans for that matter. I am a sophomore-to-be at the High School of Art and Design. Living in Queens and going to school in Manhattan is sometimes tiring, but always worth the struggle. I have 4 siblings, 3 sisters and 1 brother. I am the youngest out of all of my siblings. This sometimes makes me feel a little bit ostracized from them because while they are out maintaining their careers and taking care of their families, I’m home doing algebra homework.

I have a lot of hobbies that I really enjoy doing. For example, I enjoy drawing, writing, painting, photography, listening to music and sculpting things out of clay. My favorite color is purple, and I think this is due to the whole “Barney” craze when I was 4’1” and missing my front teeth. Although now, I’m 5’4” and thankfully, not missing any teeth. And also because of my purple craze, my favorite candy is a Japanese grape gummy snack. Although, I will never turn down a Reese’s cup if you offer it. Besides that, my favorite food is either sushi or pretty much anything my mother makes.

I think I am special when it comes to making friends and acquaintances. Like most people, I’m kind of shy when you first get to know me, but give me a little while and I wont be able to keep my mouth shut. I enjoy sharing ideas with friends and hearing about why people are the way they are. I think that that’s one of the reasons I chose to go to a school where I knew, well, no one. I wanted to meet new people and create connections I probably wouldn’t have been able to make in my neighborhood school. I appreciate being on my own in the city and experiencing new things. Hopefully, when I get out of school, I will be prepared for the college life. I have many aspirations for myself in the future. I want to get into a good college and who knows, maybe there is a seat waiting for me in Harvard or Yale. I think I’m a good student with motivation and drive. I will succeed in anything I put my mind to, from what I’ve seen so far. I want to have a family and I want them to be proud of who I am. I want to be able to look at myself and say, “You’ve accomplished what you’ve always wanted to accomplish. You are who you have always wanted to be.”