![French teacher Marieme Toure serves a plate of the Senegalese food she prepared for her AP French Language and Culture class, to senior Faiza Syed. “I never had Senegalese food before,” Syed said. “I thought it was so cool that she was able to bring a part of her culture [and] background to us.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_0798-1200x906.jpeg)
![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
Covered in paint on her hair, clothes, face and shoes, senior Consuelo Ugarte embraces painting messy. Becoming a part of who she is, those close to her say . Laughing off being smothered in more paint than her canvas, Ugarte conveys themes of self-love, women empowerment and Latin heritage, using vibrant colors and a flourishing unique style to brighten up any space.
Growing up alongside her grandmother, Ugarte became captivated by her crafts. Sitting side-by-side and paying close attention, she watched how she ingeniously sewed newspapers and balloons to create masks, make mosaics and gave old materials a new life inspired Ugarte. Deep down, art was always a part of Ugarte as she loved the feeling being in an art room brought her.
“I think I got my crafty side from her. When my grandma was working on a craft, I loved watching what she was doing…amazed by how she could spend whole days working on a project. But my favorite part was always the painting. When she finally got to the painting part, I couldn’t paint yet because she’d say I was too careless and would make a mess. Still, I loved watching her carefully add every brushstroke,” Ugarte said.
Defying painting in her house despite of the mess that came with it, when the world went on lockdown during the COVID pandemic, Ugarte began involving art in her life by painting just for fun. Scavenging for supplies, her first art materials were cheap. Although the quality was not great that did not matter to her, all she wanted to do was paint.
Slowly but surely Ugarte realized the interest people had in her work as she painted portraits of famous people ranging from Rosalía to Michael Jackson and gave them away. Astonishing others with the realism of her paintings, they expressed their excitement by sharing them on social media and showing them to others, allowing Ugarte to truly immerse herself in the art world.
Transitioning lifestyles from Chile to the United States, Ugarte faced challenges head-on with the language and cultural barriers between the two countries. Living in Miami for three years, she found that art served as a bridge, connecting her with all kinds of people despite being unable to communicate clearly at the time. Since her move, Ugarte has been able to meet people at Coral Gables Senior High who have supported her in pursuing her passion for art.
“When I look at Consuelo’s art, I see a profound depth and emotional resonance…her work captures the visual beauty of her subjects and conveys a narrative and a sense of personal history. Her resilience, dedication, determination and passion are a constant reminder of the remarkable individual that she is…making her a standout,” Ms. Fleita said.
Seeing a spark in Ugarte that she did not see in herself, Ms. Fleita encouraged her to take on an internship reassuring her to showcase her talent and continue growing as an artist. Lending a helping hand, Ugarte now dedicates her time to assisting with paintings and murals across Miami partnering with artist Didirok.
These artistic partners in crime can tackle any mural in one to two days, becoming inseparable the moment they are together. Developing an intuition of their own, their close bond has helped them finish projects at a faster pace, allowing them to continue expanding to greater heights.
“I brought up the idea of the internship to her, because she had mentioned that people have told her that she couldn’t make a career out of art. So, I decided to connect her with a local artist that literally did just that so that she can see that dreams really can become a reality…Art is not just about making a living; it’s about expressing oneself and contributing to the cultural and emotional fabric of society. I feel incredibly proud and fulfilled knowing that I played a part in connecting [Ugarte] with a local artist,” Mrs. Fleita said.
Starting a mural creates an indescribable feeling for Ugarte, with a rush of energy taking over, she gets in the zone and can paint for hours on end from every angle imaginable without even realizing it.
“A mural that gave me an indescribable feeling was my first one, which was at Peacock Park for a festival. I’d never been to a festival before, never used spray paint, and had never been surrounded by so many people. People kept coming up to me, taking photos and videos of what I was painting, and even asked to take pictures with me. It’s a feeling you just can’t describe. I’d never done anything like that before, and I was both super nervous and excited at the same time,” Ugarte said.
From painting for singers, twice at the Hard Rock Stadium, a Formula 1 tennis event, Biltmore Theater, Peacock Park, Wynwood Walls ‘La Colada‘ restaurant, Wynwood spray paint store ‘Montana‘, restaurant ‘Social 27‘, a Boca Raton aesthetic clinic and a mural for Art Basel, Ugarte has expanded her hobby going from painting only in class to all around town.
Expanding her involvement outside the classroom, as a senior, Ugarte recently joined the track and field team. Requested by the coach Mrs. Chapmen to paint something, Ugarte designed a spray-painted illustration of a Cavalier getting ready to run on the track. Whether it was under the summer sun or running for cover when it rained, Ugarte stayed after school eagerly teaching her teammates the intricacies of spray painting.
Seeing art as a pivotal part of her future, Ugarte plans to continue pursuing her passion by studying marketing to learn strategies that will help her grow as an artist and build a career where she can sell her own art and murals. Cohesively blending marketing and art, Ugarte strives to promote her art business, gaining experience and learning techniques that will help her make a brand for herself. As a Cavalier and beyond, art will always serve as a means of expression and connecting with others for Ugarte whether that be through murals, collaborations or other projects.
Mrs. Benavides, both of whom have played a pivotal role in shaping my artistic journey. Mrs. Benavides encouraged me to follow my passion and became a guiding figure who helped me grow into the [confident] person I am today…And then there’s Mrs. Fleita, who opened doors to a world I once thought was impossible for me to reach,” Ugarte said.
This story was originally published on CavsConnect on January 16, 2025.