Scholarships will help students fulfill artistic dreams

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — The Clayton Valley/Concord Rotary and the Michelangelo D’Onofrio Arts Foundation awarded $500 scholarships to two Mt. Diablo Unified School District students who want to pursue careers in art.

Concord resident Marisela Cerda will attend Cal State Chico after graduation from Clayton Valley Charter High School. She will major in computer animation and game development to find a career that involves her passion in art.

Her digital art consists of cartoon fantasy creatures and animals, ranging from full illustrations to concept art and short animations.

“Art has allowed me to express myself in the most creative ways,” Marisela said. “I’ve created characters that I could relate to and several stories that feature each one of them. Art also helped me realize that I love creating content for others to enjoy, so I post most of my work on social media.”

After graduation from Concord High School, Daniela Lucero will attend the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. The Bay Point resident will major in architecture/interior design.

Daniela came to the United States three years ago from El Salvador. During the summer of 2020, she had the opportunity to take interior design and photography classes at the academy’s pre-college program.

“A career in interior design is perfect for me because I know I will be able to be myself,” Daniela said. “I will have the opportunity to bring out my creativity, my passion, give and receive ideas, be organized and detail-oriented. I will also be able to develop more of my ability to communicate with people, develop projects, observe, solve problems, be open to the opinions of people and have the space to create from the depths of my imagination.”