Throughout Athens Drive, many students do different things both inside and outside of school that some may not seem as special, but it’s what makes them special. Xochi Moreno Umanzor has consistently achieved at a high academic level throughout high school while pursuing her passion for art. Her ability to balance both has remained an important aspect of her time in school.
“She’s helped me a lot with being more involved in things, like yearbook, for example. It was she who got me to do it with her, so I was more involved around the school,” said Shakerin Islam, one of Umanzorś closest friends.
She has maintained a Smma Cum Laude GPA throughout all years of high school, including her senior year, demonstrating her consistent dedication to her studies and the effort she put in to achieve such a high GPA. Her work in the majority of her classes has shown nothing but her best efforts, helping peers be more involved and being able to work well with her teachers to be successful in the class.
“In a class that’s predominantly discussion and group work-based, the fact that she was always willing to engage helped make her tables/groups successful,” said Ashley Turner, an English teacher at Athens.
Throughout the multiple courses she’s taken, including many AP courses, Moreno Umanzor has demonstrated a steady commitment to each of her courses, maintaining a high performance while managing a full schedule of working after school.
“She’s definitely very dedicated and passionate about realizing how important it is to keep one’s GPA high, and she also values the education she receives in Athens,” said Serena Gaddam, also one of Moreno Umanzor’s closest friends.
Many teachers have also not failed to notice her quiet but calm demeanor while in class and in the hallways. She’s consistently completed assignments with strong attention to detail and a strong performance across the different subjects, contributing to her academic standing. She’s carried this personality into all her classes, and it’s become one of the main things that makes her stand out in the sea of students.
“She’s steady and poised! Raquel (her nickname) has a calm demeanor that, coupled with her kindness and quiet confidence, helps her exude grace. I never saw her behave in any way other than respectfully, and she was a pleasure to have in class,” said Turner.
Alongside her academic success, she is widely recognized for her artistic abilities and creativity in all the art classes that she has taken. Going as far as taking the AP Art class, her artwork often stands out in the classes, with the teacher frequently recognizing her work and the effort put into each piece.
“Seeing other artists and what they draw definitely motivates me, and being confident in what I’m doing while wanting to share it with the world is important to me and keeps me going with my art,” said Umanzor.
Art continues to remain a core part of her identity as a person and student throughout high school, serving as her personal creative outlet and a way for her to express herself outside of academics. Her art style is very unique and versatile, which is one of the major things that makes her art style so different from the many other art pieces being displayed.
“Definitely, her art reflects a traditional/sophisticated manner that she carries with herself as a student, and that is heavily reflected in all her work,” said Erin Day, the AP Art teacher.
Looking into the future, Moreno Umanzor plans to pursue education in finance, going to Wake Tech for 2 years before transferring to NC State, continuing to steadily build on the academic building blocks she has managed to maintain throughout high school. She also wants to continue on with her art, creating more original ideas and letting her art stay unique in her own way.
“For the future, definitely like I said, to be able to share it with the world, selling art, and doing commissions, or even just sharing my art on social media. I do hope my art keeps changing because art is all about developing it; it’s always going to be changing. I also hope to get into a good college and be able to maintain both that and my art,” said Umanzor.
As graduation approaches, she continues to consistently improve her academic performance in her classes and continues to put in her best efforts in all of them. As she’s working on a mural with others in her AP art class now, she hopes it becomes something that other students can look at while walking in the hallway and admire the many hands that put in the work to make the piece special for the school.
“My advice to Raquel [Xochi] is to live boldly. Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks and to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. The world is much larger than you think, the possibilities are endless, and don’t be afraid to get out there and experience the highs and lows for yourself,” said Turner.
