Student: Cristina Ponce
Year in School: Senior
Plans After High School: Cristina is hoping to apply to an art school and study Character Animation so that she can find her career as an animator. She is currently looking at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) Ringling College of Art and Design, and the University of Southern California as potential landing spots to study Character Animation.
GPS Focus: GROWTH & PRIDE
What Makes Cristina #BulldogSTRONG: Vincent van Gogh, the revolutionary spirit of post-impressionist painting and for whom color was the chief symbol of expression, commented on his love of painting in an elegant soliloquy in one of his many letters, “It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” Like van Gogh before her, Golden Valley High School Senior and aspiring artist, Cristina Ponce has found genuine love and interest in expressing herself through art work. Since she was four years old, Cristina took to drawing and has never really stopped; at the age of 8 or 9 years old, Cristina placed her full attention on her artwork and over the years, she has expanded her talent beyond simple sketches to include colored and graphite pencils. Like van Gogh, Cristina is fascinated with vibrant colors because for her, they connect people. “There’s so many ways to say ‘hot’, but show someone a piece of art with rich reds and oranges, and one can feel the essence of heat imbued within the colorwork without saying anything at all,” explains Cristina, “Art is capable of depicting even those emotions that are so strong and intense that they cannot be properly expressed in a singular word.”
For Cristina, her artwork was a way of fully expressing herself and the world around her. With support, patience, and understanding from GVHS art teacher, Aaron Wherry, Cristina has found confidence in her ability to create masterpieces. She has created landscape paintings with vivid colors that would leave van Gogh impressed. (Cristina admits that van Gogh has always had a soft spot in her heart and Starry Night is her favorite because it is beautifully sad.) She has drawn portraits with charcoal that are so detailed that the viewer is left wondering about the story of the individual being drawn.
Her self portraits are unique, colorful, and provide enough intrigue that the viewer wants to know more about the talents of Cristina. She has created her own characters and even has created pieces that are full of emotion. “I’ve always felt like there’s only so much that phrases and descriptions are able to convey, and no matter how complex or ornately-beautiful the spelling, they fall short in their expression,” passionately states Cristina, “Art is the voice of the heart. It’s an unspoken language. A language capable of being understood by many in the world.”
For her passionate, detailed, colorful, emotional, and beautifully crafted masterpieces and in the genuine PRIDE she has in expressing herself through her artwork, Cristina Ponce is #BulldogSTRONG.
What #BulldogSTRONG Means to Cristina: "To me, #BulldogSTRONG means recognizing and taking pride in the effort you put in, regardless of the outcome. It’s the act of acknowledging the blood, sweat, and tears sacrificed in the process. It’s being able to tell yourself, ‘Things didn’t turn out as I planned, but I gave it my all. That’s what matters most.’ It is understanding and realizing that your failures do not equate to your value as a person.”
What Teachers and Staff Think of Cristina:
“Christina Ponce is an incredible young lady. Christina has taken several of my art classes and continues to amaze me. She shows GROWTH by continuing to improve her art work. Some students can become complacent when they achieve a high level of ability. Christina has continually pushed to grow her abilities and continue to improve. Christina has shown PRIDE in her art work as she has submitted and was chosen to have her art shown at galleries and art museums in town. Christina has shown SERVICE in class and in her community. She sings in her Church choir. She is also the first to help anyone that needs it. Christina has a great attitude, a wonderful personality and an awesome sense of humor. I am honored to have been her art teacher and am extremely proud of her for pursuing a career in animation. I’m really looking forward to what Christina does in the future and I know Christina will continue to be #BulldogSTRONG.” Aaron Wherry, Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair and Assistant Dean, Golden Valley High School
“Cristina is such a pure learner and was a joy to have as a student. In class, she was always willing to try new things. Even when something seemed outside of her natural skill set, Cristina would give it an honest try. In addition, she cheerfully engaged with classmates, helped them when she could and cheered them on toward their success. Cristina is a tremendous example of what it means to show GROWTH, PRIDE and SERVICE in the classroom.” Lana King, English Department Chair and ELD Teacher, Golden Valley High School
“Cristina was one of those students that I met during the pandemic. For the most part, I saw her as a black box with a white name on it in Zoom, but her participation in class made her name and personality stand out! She was not only funny and engaged, but she was intelligent and loved to think outside of the box. She asked great questions during class and encouraged others in class as well. That's not an easy task in a virtual environment. I wish that Cristina was again in my class this year! Her enthusiasm and sense of humor was awesome!” Sheryl Cleveland, Math Department Chair, Golden Valley High School
“Cristina is a very kind young lady. She has made tremendous strides and has showed a lot of GROWTH at Golden Valley High School by stepping out of her comfort zone. When I think of Cristina, I think of resilience, creativity, and courage. I am so proud of Cristina.” Dalfon Amey, School Social Worker, Kern High School District
“Christina is such a wonderfully nerdy and dedicated young woman and I have loved getting to know her over the past four years. Christina is unapologetically herself. She is a bright spot in the day of everyone that she encounters. She also puts her whole self into everything that she does and this is evident in amazing art work and all of her successes throughout high school. I have witnessed tremendous growth in her throughout her high school journey and I could not be more proud of her.” Judiah Hopkins, Project Lead the Way and Physics Teacher, Golden Valley High School
“Talented. Kind. Intelligent. Three words I would use to describe Cristina Ponce. I met Cristina her freshman year. She was in the unenviable position of attending GV shortly after her high-achieving brother, Eric, graduated. Cristina admired her brother but never tried to be him; she had her own gifts and strengths that defined her. In my class, Cristina was a talented artist, writer, and collaborator. Although soft-spoken, she was a leader as well. She strived to do well on every assignment, but she was still willing to take risks in writing, in analyzing a text, and in her artwork. Cristina forged her own path at GV, and in so doing, demonstrated Growth, Pride, and Service along the way. Cristina Ponce is the epitome of #BulldogSTRONG.” Jamie Contois, English Teacher and ELD Teacher, Golden Valley High School.