Vicencio Torres, Vianey

Hello everyone! My name is Vianey Vicencio Torres and my preferred pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a second-year transfer student (senior). I am a Psychology major with a minor in Chicanx & Central American Studies. I am interested in psychological research, particularly that pertaining to undocumented children's experiences. As an immigrant and DACA recipient myself, I know how one's psychology is very much shaped and impacted by early life changes and experiences/trauma. 

I hope to work with children in underserved communities of color, providing them with psychological support. I am not set on a particular career quite yet, however, I wish to explore many paths as psychology offers a wide array of opportunities. I do, however, know I definitely want to work with children. I have a seven-year-old sister and two-year-old nephew and watching them grow up has been a privilege. I want to be a role model and teach them to believe in and care for themselves emotionally and mentally. 

I look forward to the content of this class as I believe it will be both captivating and eye-opening. This week's reading certainly proved to be groundbreaking in that, as far as I've never seen or read, it shows to have taken the time and granted space for Latinx/Chicanx art to be appreciated and analyzed. It is not so common for the "underdog" to be appreciated let alone noticed, and I admire the Smithsonian American Art Museum's (SAAM) collection of Chicano art as presented in ¡Printing the Revolution¡ The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now. Anything from public policy, history, to gender and identity is shown to be the highlight of art, inspiration, and social change. 

I cannot wait to meet everyone, encounter unique art, and learn many new things this quarter. Art is a wonderful thing that offers people a way to express themselves, vent, and pour their hearts into. Summer 2020 gave me the opportunity to further explore my artistic side as I took up painting. It has served as both a hobby and a form of mental health for me. 

What have you all enjoyed during quarantine? Also, I am curious to see how artists from the current generation will respond to and apply COVID-19 in their art.