Who am I?

"Vanessa"

It is a question that I find I ask myself almost everyday, and I have come to realize that I will have a different answer each and every time. Why? Because I am constantly evolving, changing, morphing. I like to believe that as human beings we have the luxury of being able to reinvent ourselves through many different outlets.

I can say that as a demographic, I am "female," "Latino/Hispanic," "between the ages of 24-35," etc., etc...

But on a more personal level (and a more meaningful one, in my opinion), I see myself as a butterfly. It just so happens that my name, Vanessa, is the Greek word for a species of butterflies. So, in that way, much like a butterfly, I am constantly re-creating myself by seeking new adventures, cultures, and experiences that enlighten and enhance me intelectually, spiritually, and culturally...

My family is from Venezuela and Italy. I am a professional dancer, singer, and am learning to play a variety of instruments. I am an artist. Music is my life. My musical passion leads me to the lands of Latin America. The sounds of salsa, mambo and rumba, tug the strings of my heart and move my soul like no other. I soon plan to spend an extended amount of time in both Cuba, to study the musical and dance culture there, as well as in Cali, Colombia, home of the world salsa champions, with whom I will study the city's own unique style of salsa, "salsa caleña".

As a media consumer, I am like most everyone living in modern society, exposed to hundreds of advertisements daily. I do my best, however, to ward them off entirely by not owning a television and avoiding most public broadcasts at all costs, and read the news selectively as well as a few choice printed publications.

As a media creator, I make it my goal that whatever I am contributing to the media world is tasteful and is a product of my ambition and creativity at its fullest capacity. So, whether I am on stage, in a recording studio, in class writing an article, or playing instruments in the park I am giving it my all.

I spend my hours at Hunter working towards a Bachelor's degree with a major in print journalism and minor in photography, yet outside of the classroom I am immersed in a musical, theatrical, performance-oriented world. Despsite the fact that my passions lead me elsewhere and that I am not much involved in the field of journalism outside of class, I hope that one day I can eventually use my degree and all that I've learned in combination with my profession and passions, and be able to make a collaboration of them by perhaps writing articles and reviews on performances, or being a photographer of musical and dance performances around the world. This isn't my ultimate goal of course, but a kind of "back-up plan," "or side-job", and a perfect way to continue to involve my passions with my other interests of photography and the written word.

The media themselves are products of a very evolutionary process. They have changed tremendously over the last several decades, and will continue in this way on a steadfast pace. Interestingly enough, without humans the media doesn't exist. We are living, breathing vessels of communication, be it spoken, written, danced, sung, played... Our vital role in the world of constant message flow and our own evolutionary capacity is, in a way, what gives life to the media as we know it. And as a member of this media-driven society, I strive to make contributions that are both positive and inspiring...