Lucas Rivera Raising self-esteem through art Lucas Rivera is a multitalented artist who teaches kids how to express themselves through dance and music. His focus is on Latin music and culture. He runs an organization called Artistas y Músicos Latino Americanos in Philadelphia, where students can take classes in salsa dance, drums, piano, music theory, and other topics. Through music, he hopes, students can become better people, understand discipline, and realize anything is possible. He knows about life’s challenges from first- hand experience. Mr. Rivera grew up in a tough neighborhood in Philadelphia and had run-ins with the law. Being involved in the arts, from painting to dancing, gave him a direction. “I was not a bad kid,” he says. “I was influenced by other kids.” He says he “went back to who I was” when he left his street friends and found places where he could do art. “When I changed my environment, I continued to change,” he says. At 17, he discovered an organization in Philadelphia called Taller Puertorriqueño. It was founded in the 1970s. It resembles his current organization because Taller also teaches students about dance, art, and Latino culture. Among all the arts, Mr. Rivera says, he loves dance the most. He doesn’t have a favorite style. He has done them all, from ballet to modern and hip hop. “I always hear music from within,” he says. He received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Temple and has taught at a number of schools and organizations throughout North Philadelphia. When he was young, he says, he “looked up” to his teachers. “I wanted to be the person who gave back.” He considers himself lucky because he can help teach children right from wrong. That includes making sure they look after their health: Get a good night’s rest. Eat breakfast. “As young people grow, they need to have a healthy mind and a healthy body,” he says. Mr. Rivera says students gain self- esteem through the arts. They need to learn to be confident so they can perform in front of other people. Illustration by Roawoon Lee, Cole Manor Healthy Comet