When she was young, Ms. Ortiz discovered that she had a gift for art. At the age of three, she would draw pictures of Minnie Mouse and show them to her mother. Her pictures were so good her mother thought she had traced them. Her mother is from Colombia and her father is from Puerto Rico. Her family did not have a lot of money. Her parents believed in the importance of working hard to pursue your dreams. They encouraged her to become an artist. A turning point for Ms. Ortiz occurred in high school. She received a scholarship to take art classes at Moore College of Art and Design. She later enrolled at the school and earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. She went on to earn a master’s degree at Rosemont College. Her message to young people is to go after your dreams. You need to discover what you love to do even though you might not get everything you want immediately. And don’t worry about being a nerd. —By Christian Adams, Brooklyn Grant, Kayla Hernandez, and Teon Saunders La Salle Academy Healthy News 17 Illustration by Giselle Perez-Valdivia, La Salle Academy Healthy News