Meet Eliza! Eliza is a hardworking and extremely talented student here at VSU. She is a kind hearted, and very humble about her talent. If you haven’t gotten the chance to meet Eliza or see some of her photography, here’s your chance.
(Photograph taken by Eliza Reyes)
Full Name: Eliza Reyes
Age: 21
Classification: Junior
Major: Art
Hometown: Corozal, Belize
(Photograph taken by Eliza Reyes)
HC: What organizations are you involved in at VSU?
Eliza: Society of International Students and OnTap Magazine.
HC: What kind of art do you specialize in?
Eliza: Drawing, Graphic Design, & Photography.
HC: Tell us about your photography!
Eliza: Since I was very little, I have known I wanted to do photography. My dad owns really cool cameras and he would let me borrow them. When I was 15, I decided to teach myself how to use Photoshop and I started editing old pictures that I took when I was younger. I took my first photography class last semester and it was black and white film photography. I decided to go with film because I believe if you consider yourself a photographer you should know how to use film. My photography is more about the female beauty, and I like for the models that collaborate with me to share their ideas on how they want to be portrayed. I’m a big time feminist and I like showing it with my photography.
HC: I see you were doing a lot of great things this summer, tell us about them!
Eliza: Well this summer was great! I was working, doing art, and spent a lot of time doing outdoor activities. I traveled to California for a couple of weeks, it was so fun! I also got two awesome things a kitty named Lizzie and my first tattoo.
(Photograph taken by Eliza Reyes)
HC: How do you feel about what you’ve accomplished so far?
Eliza: Awesome! I acknowledge myself every time on how great of a person I’ve become. The best part is hearing great compliments from professors, classmates, coworkers, and everyone around me. It makes me happy and makes me work harder.
HC: Who or what inspires you the most?
Eliza: Definitely my dad, because thanks to him I’m able to come abroad and accomplish my studies. His hard work inspires me. He is the most motivating person ever and I love sharing my ideas and hearing his feedback. He can also be considered my mentor.
HC: What do you plan on pursuing after you graduate?
Eliza: Definitely working on art as much as I can! My dream is to open a coffee shop and a photography/illustration studio together.
HC: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Eliza: Not really something I’ve given much thought, because we are not really sure about the future. I definitely see myself doing great stuff though and it’s exciting!
HC: How do you practice time management? Any tips?
Eliza: Time management is something I have learned a lot during my semesters in college. Being an art major is about having time to create. It is definitely not a major that you can study the night before for; it’s more of spending hours creating a piece of work, some of my work involves 8 to 24 hours of work, or even more. Art motivates me to keep on working, and I try to associate myself with people who keep me motivated. Having a job and going to school at the same time is definitely not something easy to do, but I keep on learning from it each day.
You can see more of Eliza’s photos and adventures by following her on Instagram @elizaplusart! HCXO!