MEET MAYAH: Discovering A Global Perspective Through An Artist’s Lens

Alumni profile: MAYAH AGUILERA

For the first 13 years of Mayah’s life, she lived in a predominantly White and Asian community. But as someone who identifies as Latina, she felt disconnected from her Mexican heritage. Mayah didn’t really know her place, however, as she got older, she started to seek interest in learning her culture. This is when Mayah found herself at a crossroads– to stay on her current path or to transfer entire districts to a new high school in hopes of learning her cultural identity.  

“My freshman year was the first time in my life that I looked around and saw kids who looked like me. Being in a space of people of color, ranging from students to teachers, made me feel seen and represented in figuring out who I am and my place on my educational journey.”

Inspired by this new sense of pride, Mayah began an internship with the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory. Along with a cohort of student artists, she used her creativity to conceptualize and portray powerful narratives around food injustice and environmental racism, but also solutions to these social issues within her community.

“I always say that I have a creative soul because of my dad. He was my Van Gogh growing up. And as I discovered this new sense of pride in my identity as a Latina artist, art felt like a natural outlet to embody. It wasn’t just to express myself, but to tell a story that provides knowledge and guidance for following generations to embrace their past and have pride in their present.”

Fast forward to Junior year when Mayah embarked on a program with Global Glimpse to Turriabla, Costa Rica. When asked about the moment on her trip that stands out, even years later, the creative soul in Mayah tells the feeling of a powerful shift in perspective while experiencing a mural depicting the evolution of Costa Rican culture and the Spanish colonization.

For the remainder of her time in Costa Rica, Mayah held on to this new perspective and allowed it to guide her experiences. She sought out conversations with the local community while doing service and tried to understand their lives and see the similarities while embracing differences. No longer were they just two strangers mixing cement, they were humans with beautiful, boundless potential. 

“Even as I drove away from the airport upon returning home, I knew I had left parts of my old self behind so that I could make space for new learnings, challenges, and opportunities to improve myself and build my connections with others. Because of Global Glimpse I came home with a new and evolved sense of self.”

Since her Global Glimpse program, Mayah has continued to seek opportunities to foster genuine human connections, most notably through her acceptance to Occidental College where she received a full-ride to study Kinesiology.

As Mayah enters college, she’s confident that the profound growth that she experienced because of Global Glimpse will continue to propel her forward to spark positive change in all aspects of her life.