I’ve always been surrounded in the creative field through my family, so I wanted to get into photography and eventually be doing shoots for my favorite brands. I watch tutorials to study other photographers, implement their stuff into my own work and eventually make my own style. I’ve gotten more experience from going out with my friends and shooting content, or doing a paid car photoshoot after networking and contacting someone I met from a car meet.

— Jayden Santos (12)

I started working at Arvida, an independent indie bookstore, last summer. Arvida provides a safe and cozy hangout spot for locals and visitors, and it gives me a lot of opportunities to learn from others. It’s the people who make my time there so enjoyable: my boss, my co-workers and customers. It’s just fun to work at Arvida! Even when working long shifts, it just feels natural and rewarding as time goes by.

— Laura Garzon-Cardenas (12)

At Saddleback Jazz Camp, I learned how to organize a jazz combo and the music theory behind jazz pieces. We get assigned into a group to rehearse and perform together on the last day, with the freedom to choose what we want to perform and add our own original ideas into the music. The best part was the free time for the jam session, when everyone is welcome to join and play. I met so many talented people, and it was really fun to play my trumpet freely.

— Sooho Cho (11)

My travel sketchbook is pocket-sized, so I usually carry it around. I started it on my birthday, as it was a gift! It’s been to concerts, a few beaches, Maui, Mexico and wherever I go daily, not just vacations. I’ll usually slap anything I find interesting on the pages: doodles, plants and stickers. I use any style I like, from realism to cartoons to abstract blobs. It’s an outlet to jot down quick thoughts as drawings, and I try not to constrain myself on what I draw in it.

— Sophia Paredes (10)