Isela Ortega-Benitez is an extroverted sophomore and first year journalism student, hoping to learn and try new things in the class, especially photography. Growing up in a Hispanic household, Ortega-Benitez’s first language was Spanish because some of her family members do not speak English. She learned English through watching movies and TV shows and became fluent in both languages. Some of her favorite savory Hispanic dishes are ceviche, enchiladas and tamales. She loves spending time with her family, snacking on Goldfish and drawing and painting while listening to music. Ortega-Benitez enjoys listening to Hispanic and rap songs and has a playlist for every mood. She frequently purchases canvases from Michaels and searches up reference photos for inspiration. She expresses her adventurous side by experimenting and mixing different colors together. One of her favorite hobbies is volleyball, which she used to play during lunchtime at school with her friends. When she was in eighth grade, Ortega-Benitez saw journalism students taking their staff bio photos near the amphitheatre while she was running a mile for P.E. class. She kept turning back to look at them take their photos and she was captivated by the cameras and exciting environment amongst the students. Her goal in this class is to improve her writing skills and learn different settings on a camera.