Following Their Passions

Story by Dianne Haake | Social Media Team

Photos by Olivia Cooper | Staff Writer

As seniors prepare to enter a new chapter in their lives, they’re bringing their passions with them. What started for some as a casual hobby has now transformed into a means of release and expression to be continued into adulthood. Many students like seniors Marin Smith and Millie Queen used time off-campus during the pandemic to explore new interests that have stuck with them since.

I Smith uses makeup and art to bring awareness to social justice issues on their TikTok account @ trvstxrthy. They recognize that it can be challenging to inform people of issues in today’s social media landscape.

I “I think a lot of the algorithms aren’t really great for advocating for [social justice], which is why I think that it’s important that we continue to push for that,” Smith said. “Because at least with TikTok, more and more algorithms are created by people who interact with them. So when more people are interacting with queer cosplayers, with cosplayers of color and cosplayers of various religions, I think that conversation will be easier to keep going.” i Along with the account forcing Smith to go outside their comfortzone, Smith has also learned how to turn something they love into an international community. i “I’ve learned that building community along all those lines of social justice and makeup and cosplay has been very beneficial for me and my career as an active community member in the LGBTQ community,” Smith said. “I kind of use it as a backbone to start spreading my art and I also do digital illustrations. As I’m going off to university, I used it in my applications and I can network and connect with artists across the world.” i “Other than the crocheting itself, I guess I’ve learned more that I like art,” Queen said. “I knew I liked art before that, but I didn’t really do it as much as I wanted to, and I think [crochet] has really opened up not just fiber arts, but also other like mediums that I found myself interested in and it was kind of just like a gateway for me to learn more about art.” i Crocheting gives Queen the opportunity to both create art and utilize it in her day-to-day life. i “I definitely want to do [crochet] probably for the rest of my life because I think it’s really fun,” Queen said. “I know I’ll probably stick with it in college because I do it as a hobby and I also do it as a stress relief.” i Other seniors such as Isabel Reyes and Annamarie Hotze also use their hobbies as an outlet to unwind. For Reyes, it comes through caring for plants. i “I think [plants] have benefited me in a way that they provide me with a way to escape a lot of my other chores or whatever I’m thinking of,” Reyes said. “I could spend an entire day taking care of them, re-potting or watering them, placing them around my room, maybe propagating some new ones that are too big, and they just really help me focus and they also really make me happy when I see them. I think they really make a room or house feel like there’s a lot of personality.” i Reyes finds satisfaction in taking care of and watching plants flourish under their care. They hope to share this sense of contentment with others. i “People think it’s really hard to get into plant care because they are afraid they’re going to kill the plant immediately,” Reyes said. “But I’ve learned that there are so many different types of plants, so many different kinds of environments. I think that in all certainly, you will find one that fits your lifestyle needs.” i For Hotze, spin classes at MOJO Cycling Studio on Broadway Boulevard give her an opportunity to get out energy physically and mentally. She enjoys the tight-knit community and its support from people of all ages. i “I’m one of the youngest riders; I mean there’s 17 year-olds on a team, but then it goes up to 65 year olds and instructor’s range from 25 to 40 years old,” Hotze said. “And so just talking to those different people and in that room, we are all peers, there’s no age barrier.” i Hotze wants to bring those qualities with her as a spin class instructor at Colorado College, and encourages people to find a passion that sparks joy. i “Find something that you love. I played tennis my whole life and it turned into kind of a job for me, and this was such an outlet,” Hotze said. “Having something that brings you so much joy is so important and you should just keep trying things until you find that thing.” B

I Queen’s decision to buy a crochet hook and yarn from Joann’s her sophomore year proved to benefit her more than she realized.

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