Yesenia Dowdell

• Grade: 12
• School Activities: UIL Academics, UIL Social Studies, Theater

How would other people describe you as a person?

They say I’m very loyal and very blunt and honest. I can be a bit intense sometimes. I’ve never been a middling person.  I’m either all the way or nothing, so I’m extreme on both ends.

What do you do outside of school for fun? Why?

I study film, because I really want to make short films with cinematography and stuff.  I love Wes Anderson. I also love just looking at photography and stuff.   

Any correlation between your love for theater and film?

Not really, Sophia (Schaloff), my friend, dragged me into it, but it led me out of my shell. But I do watch a lot of theatrical films now like musicals and stuff like that. I just watched “Newsies” and I love the “Sound of Music.” I’m afraid to watch “Cats,” but I might just watch that this weekend.

What career do you want to pursue? Why?

I want to be a financial advisor, which sounds kind of boring, but like I grew up with my mom being a banker, and whenever she couldn’t afford daycare, she would take me to work with her and I would just like to see her with all the people. Oh, and she had me run my own piggy bank. I just kind of find it fun because I feel like it’s like the fundamental piece of life. 

When people get to know you, what are they most surprised to learn about you? 

I can be a very laid back person. I think I’m perceived as someone who’s maybe more put together or very structured or rigid, but that’s because I always have my guard up whenever I’m not at my house. But when I’m at my house I’m relaxing with my dogs and my mom. I just feel they’ll think I’m more free. 

What is your hidden talent? 

I can make really good origami dragons. I remember in freshman year when I was doing during COVID and we didn’t really have much to do. I just made hundreds of them in class. I started in fifth grade because this person came in and taught us how to cut a slit into a paper and make bird beaks and draw little birds. After that, I just started getting origami books from the school library and making little witch claws and stuff for holidays and Santa hats for Christmas.

What is something you know a weird amount about?

Probably sharks.I did a lot of research about sharks in elementary school.I still have the PowerPoints and stuff that I used to make.  like Megalodon sharks and Great White sharks and how it’s a myth that they can’t swim backwards and they don’t have any bones and it’s just like cartilage and stuff. Another thing would probably be like Marvel because I’m obsessed with the MCU. 

What’s on your phone background? Tell us why you chose that.

My best friend Kylie is on my lockscreen.  It’s a very good picture of her, she looks so pretty. And then whenever you open it immediately you see the ugliest picture of her you’ve ever seen in your life. I just love showing that to people. That’s why I keep her on my lock screen because sometimes I feel lonely or feeling insecure. I can just look at her picture and be like oh I have a best friend who thinks I’m amazing.  

Tell us the story about what you are most proud of yourself for.

I’m honestly very proud of my ambition, because I have a lot of ideas of how I want to be successful and how I want to help others. I feel like a lot of people don’t have that drive. I wasn’t a very imaginative kid. But when it comes to specific things, I’ll find myself being totally enraptured by it. 

Who is someone you are thankful for and why?

My mom because I’m a very hard person to put up with sometimes. She’s just a very strong person, and, if i could have more people like that in my life, I would. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I would say to be confident in yourself and your personality. Don’t let people make you feel insecure about being loud and proud about who you are.

What do you hope to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered as someone who was a very loyal and fierce friend and companion. I want people to see me as someone who was very strong and what they believed and how they acted, but also very understanding and empathetic to others. 

What’s on your bucket list?

Probably going to Thailand. I’ve researched a lot about it and they have a lot of very beautiful landscapes and I want to go there to meet the people, actually learn how to cook their food too because I’m very big on cooking and baking

Favorites

• Food: Cabbage
• Restaurant: Timmy Chans
• Music: Old school R&B and Hispanic music
• TV Show: “Star vs. the Forces of Evil”
• Movie: “Brooklyn”
• Book: “Girl in the Blue Coat” by Monica Hesse
• Class: English
• Teacher: English teacher Todd Nance